day in the life of Syb's

Hello Friends, I am back again from my travels. I expect it will have been the last away time for this year. My eldest sister Margaret and I went over to Wales for a few days. It was Margaret who chose to go there as it is a particular favourite area of hers. The area we went to is called the Gower Coast and must be one of the least visisted tourist area, a real secret for those of us who know it. To get there involves a drive of aprox. 2 hours along the M4 from Bath to Swansea and then on to smaller and smaller roads until we arrive at a place called Llanmadoc. There we booked into a hotel for our 3 nights. Many many years ago my Mother and I bought a holiday caravan over there and we visited almost every week for about 6 years really whilst I was working, then we sold the caravan to my elsdest sister (when we moved out here from Bath) and in latter years she gave it to my my niece and her children. It was eventually sold about 3 years ago after very very happy times. I think the Gower is mostly unexplored as the lanes are very narrow and the hedges quite high and folks are not keen to drive if every wee while one comes across another car comming in the other direction...one sits there looking at each other wondering who is going to reverse first, to find a passing place. I don't think there are many roads in the US like our lanes..!! When we first went there on holiday there was one small village shop and a PO but they closed some time ago. It was lovely to see a new shop open up and having a chat to the people in it we discovered that it was actually a Village Store..people in the village had all subscribed to buying and opening the new shop and also to volunteer to serve in the shop. They did tea/coffees and had home made cakes..It was great as we sat outside the shop on the village green having our "coffe break" I do wish them every success. We visited the largest town in the area Swansea and had a window shopping time, also visited the famous indoor market which had been there for over 100 years. Not sure if they have them abroad either. It is a very very large building that is divided into fairly small sections and local people rent a table to sell their wares. There are two wonderful fish stalls with the moast amazing looking fish for sale, one or two butchers who had some gorgeous welsh lamb for sale...lots of fresh veg. stalls. One would wonder how they all pay, but I expect that each has it's own following of customers. there are plant stalls, and cake stalls,places to stop and have tea or even lunches. and many cheap clothes stalls, gift stalls, jewlery stalls,pet food stalls,and ones selling graft making things wool, sewing kits etc etc. some selling books new and second hand, and even a bible stall. It really is a fasinating place to visit full of unusual sights and smells. Along the coast from Swansea is an area called Mumbles. We stopped there and had a lovely walk along the sea front again amazed that the weather was warm enough for us to be sitting admiring the commings and goings of many little yachts and the occasion wind surfer.. All in all we had a lovey few days. So there you are a little it of Wales for you to enjoy.

LOVE ONE ANOTHER