Relaxing in Wales

I'm hopeless at relaxing. I mean, I can sit down or stare at the tv as well as the next person, but there is always a vague feeling of guilt that I should be doing something useful. I'm no more productive for this inability to relax so it's just irritating. On Jo's recommendation, I bought How to be Idle but I still haven't managed to  read it...

Last weekend I managed to relax more than I have for a very long time. With some money my mum gave us for Christmas husband and I booked a weekend in Wales.

Llandovery is a very small town in mid-Wales that we've stopped in for coffee and to walk the dogs when we've been heading for the Welsh coast on holiday when the children were smaller. There are traditional ironmongers and a butchers and pubs and cafes and they are all independent. Not even a Costa and long may it last. I don't feel that the people of Llandovery are missing out by not buying their newspaper from a WHSmiths and I really hope they see it the same way. There is a supermarket on the edge of the town.

An elderly man walking past thought it was hilarious that I was taking photos of ironmongers!

We stayed in the Castle Hotel, an old coaching inn that would have been en route to Anglesey and the ferries to Ireland. We had been upgraded to their best room which was a very nice surprise- four poster bed and very smart bathroom- apparently Nelson stayed their in 1802 on his way to sort out a dispute with the timber merchants over wood to build the war ships.

We ate lots (I always feel you should try local specialities and Bara Brith is very very good), tried the local beer (also very good) and did some walking to make up for it. Not all that far but quite a lot of up.
Through farmland up above the town

where the gorse was out

and ancient droving lanes were lined with moss and lichen covered trees

and we found lots of different fungi

Back to the town for tea and cake (can highly recommend the Victorian tea rooms but you won't need lunch after a piece of cake there!) and a mooch round, then we headed off towards Llyn Brianne, a not-very-exciting reservoir as it turns out, although the drive there was beautiful, and stopped at Cwm Rhaeadr and followed a well signed trail around the valley to the foot of the waterfall.

The main part of the waterfall was a long way up a rocky hill, glimpsed through the trees, but there were enough small falls and pools at the bottom to keep us happy!

We didn't see a soul despite other cars in the car park but I guess they were either mountain biking or on the shorter route.

The path back followed the stream, such clear water and lots of shale beaches, lovely place for a paddle in the summer

Back to the hotel via the pub in Rhandirmwyn, a nostalgic stop as my father-in-law used to stay for the summer on the campsite there. We had a pint of Towy Gold, a really nice beer that sadly is no longer going to be made.

The girls held the fort at home, son was with his girlfriend, and it was a lovely, easy going weekend with lots of time to chat and not just about the children and what needs mending next on the house.
It was a 2 1/2 -3 hour drive so I got to finish my knitting! Just got to tidy it up and block it. I've got quite a lot of yarn stashed around so I'm trying to use up what I have before getting any more.

We did stop for lunch on the way there and a cup of tea on the way back at The Bakers Table, a lovely cafe and bakery attached to a working water mill in Talgarth in the Brecon Beacons, another favourite stop from previous holidays.

And we had a very happy welcome committee when we got home.