Brecon Beacons

Julie and I awakened first, walking to a coffee house we had seen the day before.

As it turned out, Julie's coffee didn't taste good, and while my Cappuccino wasn't bad, it did have a salty taste.

However, our drinks served the purpose of delivering caffeine.  From several pastries in the display case, we selected two Welsh Cakes for 2 pounds 50, partly because they are representative of local cuisine but also because we each could have one.

Upon walking back to the house, we headed out again with the rest of the crew toward downtown.  

Our stroll took us past the castle walls, which have intermittent animal statues perched on top.  Baby Owen loved them, getting very excited and pointing at each one as the adults attempted to make the correct animal noises.

As we turned toward downtown, we came to a wonderful aroma emanating from a little shop selling fresh Welsh Cakes.  As good as they were from the coffee shop, they were even better hot off the griddle.  The price was right, at 60 pence each.

We continued our stroll, mostly window shopping and checking out possible lunch options.  Even early in the day, we found talented buskers playing music.  Owen loves live music, and if he were given the opportunity, he would take the instruments to play himself.

I grabbed a bunch of bananas.  Owen and I enjoyed having one each as a mid-morning snack.

When we showed up at Pieminster, our carefully selected restaurant, right at their opening time of twelve noon, ready to eat.

But the kitchen had to be closed for some type of spill, so we had to bide our time for a half hour or so.  Libby and Sasha headed over to a drapery store, where they would return later in the trip to buy curtains, while Jay, Owen, Julie and I found some benches. 

Three Guys Hanging Out On a Bench In Cardiff.

Owen kept us entertained, and the pies were worth the wait.

I had what was essentially a beef bourguignonne pie, while everyone else chose those pies that appealed to them from the diverse menu of pies filled with meats and numerous vegan options.  All of us were happy with our meals.

Juile and I were beat, so we headed home for a nap while the others did a bit more shopping.

Awakened about two, we packed the car and used the four keys necessary to get out of the house, yard, garage and alley gate and were on our way.

For the big event of the afternoon, we set our sights on hiking Brecon Beacons, a lovely mountain range near Cardiff.

The combination of late lunch, nap, puzzle of locks, and unexpected road construction nixed the plan to take a narrow rail train up to higher elevations to begin our hike.  We arrived a few minutes after the final train of the day had left.

So Jay drove the Range Rover deftly through the narrow country roads to find a parking place at a terrific starting point.

Your intrepid reporter toting a sippy cup on the hike.

It really could not have been better, with gorgeous scenery throughout our hike.

The trail took us down several hundred feet in elevation through the lush rain forest and past streams to panoramic viewpoints and waterfalls.

We all loved our hike through what often seemed like the elfin forest in Lord of the Rings.

On the drive home, we took a break in the town of Brecon.  Settling into plush, comfy couches at The Wellington, a rather posh pub in a stately historic brick building, we sipped half-pints of local brews.

In Wales, half-pints are sold for slightly more than half the price of full pints, providing the opportunity to share drinks in more establishments as well as try a wider variety of local ales and ciders without over-imbibing.  The rest of the crew had established this custom while traveling through northern Wales before Julie and I arrived.

We stopped again for a great dinner at Juno Lounge.  Another carefully selected restaurant, Julie and I split a three tapas combo on what happened to be Tapas Tuesday.

As usual, the special of the day had drawn us in, and we were happy with our shared meal.  Again, the menu had lots of vegan options too, and everyone went away well-fed.

We fell asleep with visions of Brecon Beacons in our heads.