Wow, that was out of tune. I apologize. Let's pretend it didn't happen, k?
I had another new breakfast: muesli. Yummm. I ended up eating it every other day I was there. It's that good.
Anyway, the trip of the day was to Cardigan, a nearby town where Martha and Jack like to shop. We parked by the river and then walked around town for a couple of hours. I tried to resist, but ending up getting a couple of books and some candy before we stopped for lunch in a really old pub (sensing a theme here?). We also visited the town market, where we ran into one of their friends working at a booth of charms, belly dancing clothes, and other hippie-style stuff. She was really sweet. Our last stop there was at the tourist center, where we found a couple good maps and some pamphlets about Pentre Ifae. Better late than never, I guess.
The first real "site" of the day was Castell Henley's, a reconstruction of what the village there would have looked like in prehistoric times. It was excavated by archaeologists, and it turns out that the site was one of the largest native Welsh towns in the area way back when, although today it just looks like a bunch of wooded hills. CADW, the Welsh historic preservation organization, runs it, and has activities for schoolchildren, actors who dress in period clothes, and even authentic livestock. It's kind of like Plymouth Plantation, Welsh style. I really liked it. It was just Martha and I again, since Jack was napping in the car.
This is random, I know, but I love the way Welsh looks--so exotic. And yes, this is the women's restroom sign. Shh.
Two of the three big reconstructions. The one on the left is the chief's hut, and it's surprisingly huge inside. The bits of wood sticking out of the ground next to it are also in several other places, and they are markers to show the outline of where other buildings would have been on the site, based on the archaeologists' findings.
The inside of the chief's tent has all this space, plus three bedrooms in the back here (with actual bedframes...I don't know if I believe that they used Western furniture, but hey, it looked nice).
You can see how the buildings were very decorated with wall paintings and pieces of hammered metal tacked on the walls.
One of the (empty) buildings even had a lit fire...it's a wonder the place didn't burn down.
Some of the supplies they might have had.
The last stop of the day was at one of the three groups of rock that can be seen from the house on the ridge opposite. Martha calls them the pimples. We went to the middle one, but Jack stayed in the car since it was a bit of a hike to get up to them--and crazy windy.Gorse on the way.
The "pimple" we climbed.
There were amazing views from the top.
Taking a breather and time to enjoy the scenery.
After that, we were tuckered out, so it was an early night in with a visit from Mandie, some weeding in the garden, a hello from Mandie's partner Derryl, who's Welsh, and then supper. We managed to catch the end of the Poirot from the night before, which we had missed, and then saw some more news about the election. I called home to say hi and then crashed.
A couple funny things about Jack: he likes to talk about Alibama, the American president, and the whole two weeks I was with them he kept asking "Do they have ____ in America?" About everything. Everything. Nuff said.
But basically another enjoyable day. Cheers.
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