Wale Meet Again

We've been essentially Internet free for the past week or so, ensconced in a fantastic cottage in the middle of the English countryside... More on that later, but here, the last of our Welsh adventures:

On our return from the Royal Welsh Show we swung by Bruce's parents house. They used to live in a magical place -- an insanely spectacular farm nestled into the Welsh countryside like a badger in its hole (not really sure about that analogy, but let's not dwell). Not only was their home this site of stunning scenic wonderment, but Roger and Di are awesome, hospitable hosts who are generous with the booze and wonderful cooks... It was all too too much. Throw in a Toast OUTLET store, and I was in heaven.

I was quite distressed to hear that they'd sold the farm... What about my discount Toast bathing suits, Roger and D?!?! God, people can be so inconsiderate. 

Of course, as it turns out they've now found a new adorable home, this time an old coach house that when we were there, was bathed in a golden light, with gorgeous, interesting gardens and huge beautiful ancient beams supporting it all.

Next door to their cozy wonderous coach house, naturally enough, was the manor house, which the coach house once serviced. It is slated to be converted into flats, but is currently derelict... Only, GET THIS, the big house belonged to the superintendent of the giant, creepy Victorian insane asylum, which is directly across the street. Also across the street? A disused chapel!! Obviously, the whole place was crawling with ghosts, something  I was especially attuned to, since I was knee deep into finishing The Woman in White when we visited -- a book chock-full of misused insane asylum inmates if ever there was one...

Of course, I forgot to take photographs (shut it, Amanda) but Wikipedia tells me that over 3,000 people died in that mega creepy asylum over the years, so you do know the math. Poltergeists a-go-go... All that ghostly juju possibly made up for the absence of Toast cashmere sweaters at 70% discount... possibly.

Anyhoots, the tail end of our Welsh Extravaganza saw us picnicking in the fabulous park near Bruce and Sue's in Cardiff: 

Gotta love the Horralls, post-scrumptious picnic, blowing out their stomachs to pretend they have actual tummies... I abstained from the contest, because in that kind of competition I am a ringer... 

Owen actually learned to ride his bike that very afternoon: 

Immy discovered V's kiddie camera, and became so enamored of it, that the next day Sue's mission was to buy her her very own. Mission accomplished.

A selection of Immy's shots:

And her series of portraits of Vi:

This was the end of the picnic day. I like this series of shots, because you can actually see Violet falling asleep on Andrew's shoulders (Not a comfortable place for a nap, I'd imagine...)

Lastly -  a shot of our favourite Welsh activity -- sharing fabulous meals in Bruce and Sue`s backyard with good company and good food and miraculously, good English weather: