There is a reason for everything... so they say. So why did we get the ominous flap.. .flap... flap....whoooshhhhhh...... noise and then a full stop on the shoulder of the M4 just north of Swanage, Wales??? Surely after back tracking and spending yet another night with our wonderful family in England it could be clear sailing to Pembroke, Wales!?
 We had such a lovely day planned. Left early hoping to arrive in Pembroke in time to do some sight seeing and at least one good walk along the waterfront. But, no, it was flap flap flap and whooshhhhh... and we were on the phone to Hertz.
First thing we were told was to "Stay in your car... keep your seat belt fastened and turn on your hazard lights, that is if you don't want to climb over the barrier and wait in the damp grass for help to come".
Our priority call brought help in less than an hour (barely). Then we slowly drove on our mini replacement tire to Carmarthen where we patiently sat and waited for a change. Turned out we had one flat and another tire ((tyre) with a nail in it. So, it took quite a while for Hertz to call back and say "yes... they need a new tire (tyre) as well as a repair!!" The good thing was we met some lovely Welsh people who are sure to be retelling the story of the two Canadians with two flat tires (tyres) in the pub for the next few nights!
We did eventually get to Pembroke... well, to a country guest house (Rosedene Guest House which we highly recommend) that wasn't really in Pembroke but in the countryside. Again the GPS took us down narrow passageways before we emerged right in front of the place. How in the h... we got there I'll never know!
We drove in to town for dinner and did a walk about taking pictures of the Castle before heading back for a well deserved rest.
Next morning we set off towards Bangor in north Wales. It was a long drive along the coastal highway with castle stops and photo opportunities before heading inland a bit to see the beauty of Snowdonia. Good to see trees, mountains and cliffs again.
We stopped at St. David's, Aberystwyth, and Harlech Castle. The coastal road took us past miles and miles of rolling fields of grazing sheep and rocky, rocky terrain. The villages are not as prosperous as the ones we were used to... that is until we hit the north where the tourist is king and the Disneyland experience is alive and well.  
Taking the back roads through Snowdonia was so much better than the day we went back to investigate the train trip to the peak and found it to be so over the top that we just took a few pictures and set the GPS for a back road. 
In  Bangor we rented a self catering unit for three nights. Wanted to kick back, enjoy the area and get rested before our next adventure in Ireland. The romantic little hide away we booked is in a peaceful little spot near the city as well as the highway. The only concern we have is keeping the place as picture perfect as we found it. There was a long drawn out introduction on how to care for the cottage. Being red wine drinkers our first concern was the white linen table cloth, napkins, even the kitchen washing cloth was sparkling white. I hope we get out of here without breaking or hurting anything. Apparently the landlady will be here before 9 tomorrow morning to go through everything with us to make sure nothing is harmed.

We spent a day exploring a few castles in Anglesey as well as the peaceful countryside and beautiful beaches. Next day we went to Conwy Castle walking up and down the towers before a stroll along the waterfront and a good 'Carvery' Sunday lunch.
Laundry is done.... bags are packed and we are off tomorrow to Ireland. 
Oh, did I mention we've had some sun?!