Central Wales
Our first Servas hosting in the UK was in central Wales - in a very remote area. We decided to take a slow drive, stopping along the way to see the sights of southern Wales. Crossing the long toll-bridge just north of Bristol, we headed to Cardiff. Although a Scotsman told us to totally avoid Cardiff, we decided, that we needed to go to see it after all and were not disappointed. Cardiff Castle is huge and right in the middle of the city centre - something different. The Town Hall and gardens are imposing and the monument to the Welsh soldiers who lost their lives in the wars in South Africa was very thought-provoking. We enjoyed the alleys and small arcades - reminiscent of The Lanes in Melbourne. Again - the parking cut our visit short and we were on our way.
Not being able to read and pronounce road signs (you try and pronounce CWMGWILI or PLWMP - the names of towns)and not recognising a single word on the radio made us realise that we are in Wales and that this is definitely a different country. Luckily the traffic signs - and in fact all signs - are written in both Welsh and English. Without that, we would be totally lost, as Welsh is a totally different language with no linkage to the Latin languages.
The Mumbles and Southgate on the Gower Peninsula were another detour, which was highly recommended by the guide book. We drove through the town and stopped a while to watch the sailing school. Lovely seaside resorts with great little beaches and coastal walks ...the only thing missing is a warm sea and some warm sunshine without the chilly wind. Although, to be true, the locals are definitely dressed for summer ...it is just me who is dressed as if we were in the depth of winter. Cannot understand how they do not feel the cold !!
Luckily we have our TomTom, as without it, I am sure we would never have found our hosts, as our detailed map did not even have the hamlet on it that they stay close to. A 300 year old stone cottage on a narrow country lane - the lane running directly passed their front door, separating their house from the rest of their property, and no other dwellings to be seen. Quite idyllic ...if you like the remoteness. We were warmly received and spoilt with a delicious supper of sausages and Welsh lamb and tasty yellow potatoes. I even helped to pick some black currants which we then ate with ice-cream and Clint with some soya-yoghurt. Eating in the kitchen with the coal stove heating the house (and water) reminded me of my childhood and the village kitchens. Just magic ! The resident kitten kept us amused - slightly less so the next morning when she kept on bringing a shrew inside, which she had caught and was playing with. My squeemish side does not cope well with that !
The next morning - after a scrumptious breakfast we went off exploring the Pembroke Peninsula. Initially we were going for a 6 hour hike along the Pembroke Coastal Path, but with rain threatening and the first drops falling we decided to drive to the tip of the Peninsula - St Davids - the smallest city in the UK. There we found the sunshine and thoroughly enjoyed exploring the medieval cathedral and the little alleys of the town.
On the drive back to Newquay, via the quaint harbour town of Fishguard, we drove down another of those really narrow lanes - directly out of the Lord of the Rings scenery - to a little place called Cwmtydi. This is a hidden little cove with a few holiday houses, a river mouth and imposing cliffs. We walked along the coastal walk for a few kilometers and enjoyed the sunshine that had now spread to this area and the incredible scenery. Rugged and windblown - but dramatic and filled with beautiful grasses and wild flowers.
We met our hosts in the Newquay Harbour and went on to enjoy a fantastic dinner of Sea-Bream and Sea-Bass in one of the local restaurants. It was one of the best fish dishes I have enjoyed. Newquay is known for the dolphins that play in the sea next to the harbour wall. Against all odds we spotted some dolphins jumping through the surf a bit further off-shore. What a special end to a wonderful day !
After another great breakfast chatting to our hospitable hosts, we set off to northern Wales - via Snowdonia - unfortunately in the rain. Driving through the little hamlets and villages it seemed as if they were totally deserted. We saw a few cars parked outside, but we hardly saw any people at all. In Wales the older houses out of the rough stones looked very functional and austere - much more so than in the english villages. There are also more functional and unattractive houses in the welsh villages, which seem to originate from about the 1950s. The architecture seems to reflect that this is a less well-off area. The welsh villages look very grey - grey walls and grey slate roofs. Where the summer flower boxes decorate the houses, the grey is broken and they look more inviting. I would imagine though that in winter the greyness of the villages and the accompanying grey sky surely looks rather inhospitable and depressing.