My sister is over rom the USA and we thought to go to Wales for a couple of days. We stayed in a delightful B&B Cwmbach Cottages Guesthouse. It was quiet, except for the glorious bird song, and the owner wonderfully gave me Bara Lawr with my breakfast on the last day. It is lovely with egg and bacon. Nearby is the Crown and Sceptre pub which serves delicious, hot food which was a decided bonus. Monday Valerie visited a friend in Neath and Sarah and I went to see my brother-in-law in Pont-y-Berem a small village 10 miles southeast of Carmarthen. It was an enjoyable reminiscing visit. The village is much spruced up since the days I would visit (see my collection Poems from Wales). John told me that as well as being a drinker, Mr. Rednose as the children called him, was a prolific womaniser with mistresses all around and in the village. I may have to rewrite that particular poem!
After another meal in the Crown and Sceptre that evening Valerie suggested we went to look at the sea at Aberavon. It was pouring with rain, grey with a strong and cold wind. Muggins foolishly left the car to video whilst sister and wife sat warm and dry in the car.
I wondered why the camera was shaking until I realise that I was so cold I was shivering. Idiot!
The next day we drove back and decided to stop in Windsor for lunch. The Royal Standard was flying which was a bonus for me. Swans gathered by the river cruisers; the kiosk was selling food for them.
I’m a sucker for this and bought some for us all to feed them
which was appreciated by the swans though they may have been better off scouring the river.
I love being close to birds and animals and would hand feed swans when we took a narrow boat to Hertford on the River Lea. They would swim up when we were moored to the bank. So when a large gentleman swan nudged my posterior I was delighted to feed him.
I was quite disappointed when the food ran out but, it was time to leave for home.
Here it was sunny, dry and welcoming. The poppy in the garden though past its best was still beautiful. It is one of my favourite flowers.
