Visiting Family in Wales

Wales, the home of my wife's family, Postman Pat, Torchwood and an overachieving rugby union team with fiercely loyal supporters.  We stayed with Sam's uncle & aunty in Neath, a small town near Swansea on the South coast of Wales.  Despite the constant gloom and rain, it was a very beautiful country and I was lucky to have locals to show us some pretty incredible places.

Gwasanaethau: Welsh for 'Services', the road side service centres with petrol stations and cafes

Not too far from the town was the ruins of the almost 1000 year old Neath Abbey.  The gloomy sky above the abandoned remains made for a haunting atmosphere, with only the sound of the drizzle falling on the moss covered rocks and our footsteps through the damp grass breaking the silence.

One day we went down to the Neath markets where I tried the local delicacy of faggots and peas.  The faggots are made from meat offcuts such as offal and liver, mostly best left unidentified.  They were served in a soupy gravy with mashed peas.  It was definitely edible and I guess I could get used to it if I ate more of it.  But I'm not planning to any time soon.

We visited some beaches, which were very different to Australian beaches but still beautiful in their own way.  One had a cliffside path through a forest which led up to an old church with a small cemetery overlooking the ocean.  It was spooky but also very restful.  We also went to Mumbles which was covered with smooth, colourful rocks in place of sand.  We walked along the rocks to a small series of caves carved into the side of a cliff.  Standing in the cave, all you could see was grey wave-battered rocks which which made it feel very other-worldy, like standing on the moon or in a meteor crater.  Also near Mumbles was the Love Spoon gallery, a shop where they sell the traditional hand-made Welsh gift whose carved knots and twirls all express some specific sentiment such as love, commitment and faithfulness.

Another day trip was to Caerphilly Castle, the second biggest castle in Britain.  This medieval fortification is surrounded by a moat and was one of the first castles to be built with concentric layers of defense.  It started off being a sunny day but then black clouds started rolling in which made a picturesque scene over the castle.

Wales was the last leg of our first European Christmas and New Year.  For us, it was back home to Amsterdam while the others were heading over to U.S.A. for another week of holidaying.