Croeso i cymru Holly!

Good Morning From Frosty Wales,

We've just had a breakfast of Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese bagels, while drinking fresh coffee and Orange Juice. It's around 1 or 2 degrees outside and we're getting ready to go out and see David's sister Becky in work.

So we landed last Saturday and were met by David's mum, Stepfather Gareth, Sister Louise and her Fiancée Matt, and the BBC Film crew. We didn't know they cared so much about us coming home. Turns out there was a small problem in Tunisia and they were evacuating all the British holidaymakers there, shame. We looked good after our two long flights :s.

We went to Louise's house and had Tea and sandwiches and tried to stay awake. The flights must have done something to Holly as she was walking on air. Maybe it was Louise's bathroom floor, it was very spongy.
After this we went home home and unpacked, had chinese and met David's Niece Freya for the first time. How cute!! 'Oh No' 'Wow' haha.

The family 

On the Sunday, we had the big family meal for Gareth and mum's 20th Wedding Anniversary. We had all the sisters, boyfriends, fiancées and now children at Gareth's Golf club, Aberdovey. This was Holly's first real glance of the Welsh countryside. We ate Roast Beef, as you should in Wales and attempted dessert. All the while Freya was throwing her Yorkshire pudding around and asking Nanny to come sit with her.

Barmouth Estuary

Over the next few days we spent milling around the house getting over jet lag and seeing some sights. We went up the Cambrian Mountains and showed Holly the Valley floor of our Dovey Valley, went to Barmouth estuary, had a Hot Chocolate in a lovely Pub called the King George third overlooking the Estuary. We then drove up to Dolgellau and through the hills to Newtown to visit an old friend.
We looked after Freya one afternoon and got to watch almost the whole trilogy of Toy Story, any excuse I thought. Though when Nicola arrived that morning to drop her off, Freya had apparently been so excited to see Holly, had woken up saying 'Holly, Holly', she even brought her Tea Set around to play with her, obviously forgot about her dear Uncle David.

We visited Ynyshir Hall where David worked, and were greeted with a delayed Barrage of David!! What a Pleasant Surprise. I'm not sure they recognized me at first. We gave Holly a tour of the hotel, met the chef and arranged that we would come back for a meal. I'm not sure Holly know's what she's let herself in for. Maybe we can have one of those $90,000 bottles of wine?
After this visit we went for a walk on Ynyslas Beach and collected some shells and headed off to meet mum from work and went to Weatehrspoons for a pub Meal. Naturally Holly had a Steak & Ale pie with Mash & Peas. We then went shopping for today's breakfast and headed home.

Train Station with the long name

Yesterday we headed up to North Wales with Gareth and mum to Caernarfon where we saw the castle and town wall, Bangor, LlanfairPwllGwingyllGorgerychChwindrobwyllLlantairsylioGoGoGoch, Snowdon, and many places in between. Stopping in a place called Celtica for Lunch. Celtica is a cultural artsy place you can have lunch and buy souvenirs  like Welsh Lovespoons, Craft things and in Holly's case, some Welsh playing cards and a Welsh children's book, which I have yet to read to her. Haha.

Today we'll have a roast lamb, well not a whole one, and see Nicola and Freya again for the last time in about a week. Tomorrow we are heading to Telford to see David's Aunty and cousins, then to Birmingham to see a good friend, then to Sudbury in Suffolk on Wednesday to see Daddy Crompton. We'll stay there for a few days then head to Herne Bay in  Kent to see Daddy Crompton, the Grandparents in other words, for a few days before heading back to good ol' Wales.

 We are off to see sister Becky in Borth.  Time to enjoy some fresh Welsh air.  We will hopefully blog in a week's time to tell you what we have been up to in England.

David  & Holly

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