Monday 6th June 2022

Woke at 0800 and got up to make tea. Another grey day outside. Packed the car and tidied up the accommodation before heading for Tresaith. Dropped Aki off at Leanda's, had a cup of coffee on the deck, then turned the car around and headed for Swansea. Got to Fforestfach around 1400 and stopped to pick up a sandwich lunch from M&S, before driving round the vicinity doing inspections...finished around 1900 and drove down to the Premier Inn on the Waterfront. Had dinner at Rasoi in J Block...chicken biryani and a tarka dahl...not bad. Needed that cold beer to go with it!! Got back to my room...unable to log in to the Savills account for some reason...will have to try again in the morning. Watched a bit of telly...40% of Tory MPs voted against Boris in a Vote of No Confidence...he's teetering on the edge...one final shove should do it!!!

Sunday 5th June 2022

Woke around 0900. I got up and made tea, which we drank in bed. Raining outside, though not heavily, but due to get worse this afternoon. Chocolate porridge for breakfast. Drove up the road into Newcastle Emlyn and spent half an hour browsing around the antique centre, as nothing else was open. Walked down to the River Teifi and took a walk which skirted Newcastle's old castle. The castle was left in ruins after coming under siege by Cromwellian forces during the Civil War. Adjourned to Harrison's cafe for a light sandwich lunch and a cup of coffee. Margaret rang as we sat in the car in the town centre, so we managed a wee chat. She sounded in good form. Dad apparently struggling a bit with his bad hip, and is awaiting word on another hip replacement. They had had a surprise visit from Christine and Jeremy, who were on their way home after a short break in Wooler. Drove back to the flat and listened to the French Open Men's Final on R5Live! Nadal v Ruud...Nadal going for his 14th French Open title...beyond awesome! He won, of course, in straight sets!!! Then watched Wales v Ukraine for a berth at the World Cup Finals in November. Great game...either side could have won, but Wales edged it with a magnificent rear guard display, and some great saves from Wayne Hennessey. Watched the second half on S4C...with commentary in Welsh! Aki cooked up a carbonara for dinner, followed by creme caramel and fruit. Watched a bit of telly before bath and bed...

Saturday 4th June 2022

Woke around 0830. Aki got up and made tea, which we drank in bed, then I got up to cook breakfast...did bacon and eggs, with avocado and cream cheese toast, fried potato, tomato and mushrooms. The weather turned last night, and it's a bit damp outside, which deterred us from venturing out in the morning. Aki did some washing instead. Drove to Cenarth Falls, and took a walk along the boardwalk that has been built on the north bank of the River Teifi. Brought us out at some fields just as Farmer Taff drove up to feed his sheep...he came over for a wee chat, and revealed he was 81 years old! 

He asked us if we were on holiday, then said he'd never had a holiday, save when he got married. We asked after his wife, who he said was back home watching TV. I said, "You must have had a honeymoon, then!?" He said he'd been given the Saturday off to get married, and was back at work on the Monday. I said, "So where did you go for your honeymoon?" He replied..."In bed...." We watched him for a bit as he scattered cake among his flock, then walked back to the village for a cream tea. 

Drove down narrow country lanes to Mwnt, a coastal mount and beach, with a small white washed chapel, that is owned by the National Trust. Couldn't get enough of a 4G signal to pay for the parking, and had no cash, so I stayed in the car and watched Aki make the climb through my binoculars...it looked a bit windy as she gained the summit! Then drove down into Cardigan and wandered through the small town centre. We had a table booked at Yr Hen Printworks, which had been turned into a tapas restaurant last year. Nice refurbishment, and nice food.

Friday 3rd June 2022

Woke at 0830 after a decent night's sleep. Aki got up and made tea, then we had chocolate porridge on the balcony. Set off for Tresaith and lunch at Leanda's, stopping off on the way at Caws Farm to pick up some cheese made by Royal Appointment. We chose a round of Canarth Golden, a soft, gooey mess of a cheese, which we shared with Leanda, who supplied the sourdough. It was delicious! We vowed to return on Monday! 

Leanda's house is stunning! I really wasn't expecting it to be much more than a cottage that needed a bit of work, but it's a four-storey semi-detached house, literally two streets up the incline from the beach at Tresaith. The house has been refurbished from top to bottom to Leanda's good, though subdued, taste. The garden to the rear is stepped, producing four terraces which form sun traps in which to sit and partake of our lunch, with a glimpse of the Irish Sea beyond. No wonder they are planning to retire here!!! Idyllic about sums it up...

We took a walk along the beach after lunch, then took her dog Zeph for a woodland walk behind the house. Leanda made us tea when we got back to the house, and we sat out one last time, soaking up the rays. We drove back to Capel Iwan via the store at the petrol station on the A427, where we bought some tomato puree to stick in tonight's dinner. I made a chicken chasseur, which we had with Pembrokeshire new potatoes, and vegetables. As we were cooking, Jane knocked on the door with a gift or two....some coffee powder for the coffee machine, and two rounds of cheese from Caws Farm!!!...can't get enough of the stuff!!! Watched a bit of telly before bath and bed...

Thursday 2nd June 2022

Woke to alarm at 0800. Slowly hauled ourselves out of bed and abluted. Chocolate porridge for breakfast, which we ate on the balcony. Aki's old chum, Leanda, drove over from Aberporth to pick us up at 1000, which luckily happened to coincide with the arrival of a couple of prospective vendees to view the property we are staying in. She drove us to the Preselli Hills for a short walk, hoping for views toward Milford Haven, but it was a bit hazy. Then visited the bronze age burial chamber at Pentre Ifan...a huge slab of bluestone perched precariously on three stone upstands...how they got it there remains a mystery! 

Drove on into Cardigan for brunch at Crwst...while sat inside awaiting our halloumi burgers, I caught the eye of a passer-by...it was Clare Conners, the violinist from No.88 Sussex Way! She came in and joined us for a coffee and a doughnut, and it turns out she has a house here in the town centre! She took us round to have a look at it...it's a four-storey Georgian end terrace, but is in a hell of a state internally...it looks almost as bad as No.88 Sussex Way...Clare is the first to admit she has no DIY skills, and boy does it show. It's in an almost Dickensian state of semi-dereliction, and she has no money to rectify the situation! We left her in her decrepitude, and Leanda drove us back to Capel Iwan. We arranged to drive over to see her house tomorrow for lunch. We had afternoon tea and Welsh cakes on the balcony. Aki prepared dinner...pork steaks and boiled Pembrokeshire new potatoes. 

Wednesday 1st June 2022

Not a great night's sleep. Ate too much last night, methinks! Got up around 0900. Aki made a mug of tea...we'd bought our own tea bags. Checked out and drove north to Ynystawe, and checked in with Nigel and Julie in their rented semi. Quite small, but will suffice while work is completed on their new purchase. They drove us up the road to a wee transport cafe where we ordered a builder's brunch each. Nigel got a call from his carpenter, who had been due to start work on the new dormer's today, but hadn't been able to get hold of the timber supplies he was after, and so didn't want to start taking roof tiles off in the interim as heavy rain is forecast for the weekend. We drove over to see the premises...the house has been completely gutted, and is basically a shell, but they feel they have turned the corner, having reconfigured the ground floor and put in new RSJ's. They reckon they'll have moved in come August, but I'll be very surprised!!!

We left them and drove to Carmarthen. Stopped at Tesco there and had a little wander round the fringes of the town centre. Got to Capel Iwan at 1500 and got into the B 'n B. It's a converted barn, and has been nicely done. We have a sizeable open plan kitchen/living room, a double bedroom, a large bathroom, and a balcony with table and bench, parasol, and two recliners. We ate on the balcony. Had a good chat with Jamie, who owns the place...he's from Essex by way of Rhodesia. He and his partner, Jane, are inveterate travellers, and photos of the many adventures adorn a wall in the living room. Listened to the Scotland v Ukraine World Cup qualifier on R5Live! Very emotional anthems before kick off. 

Tuesday 31st May 2022

Alarm at 0730. Aki got up and brought me a mug of tea. I didn't manage to haul myself out of bed until gone 0830. Needed to pack for our trip out west. Aki prepared a packed lunch, using up what was left in the fridge. Set off before noon, and made for the the M40, turning southward at High Wycombe to take the A404 which eventually joins the M4. Stopped at Reading Service station for a coffee, and ate our packed lunch. Aki took over at the wheel for the run to Cardiff Services, and I drove us in to Swansea. Booked in to the City Gates Premier Inn at the bottom of the Wynde. Took a stroll over to the marina and the old dockyards, but it was a bit chilly, so headed back to get jackets, then met Nigel and Julie in Hogarth's gin palace for a quick snifter. They both looked well, considering...Julie had a heart attack in January, and has four stents fitted. Nige is still struggling with his damaged knee, but these factors don't appear to have diminished their enthusiasm for some DIY building work on their new chalet style bungalow in Ynystawe. They'll take us for a viewing tomorrow morning. Headed across the road to Hanson's at the Chelsea, my favourite Swansea eatery. Went for a venison ragu and pappardelle starter, followed by Hanson's trio, which included a small portion of shepherd's pie, lamb Wellington, and beef fillet with onion marmalade. Aki had the Dover sole, and we shared a creme brulee before staggering back to the hotel for a bath and bed...