Llanerch Vineyard

This weekend we cashed in my Christmas present to Mark - a wine tasting at Llanerch Vineyard. I'd picked this weekend when the weather forecast came out - what a treat! It really didn't feel like we were just 25 minutes from Cardiff. 

It was lovely, and we had a few extra drinks afterwards to soak up the sunshine, buying a bottle to take home (but not paying £5 for a bag!). 

This is Mark after I told him he wasn't allowed to buy a McLaren. 

We had a lovely weekend in general!

On Friday I met up with some friends for some delicious food from the late night Cardiff market (bao buns & pierogi), then for some drinks in a gorgeous arcade. 

On Saturday Mark & I went for a walk around Bute Park, stopping for an excellent cinnamon bun at Brodies Coffee. 

On Sunday I went for a run via Riverside Market... again for another cinnamon bun. There is a theme here. 

Then to the vineyard - see above!

Whistle-stop Devon tour

This weekend I headed to Devon to visit a few of my favourite people. 

First stop was to mum & JC's new home in Cullompton. Look at this gorgeous wisteria! (mum complains that it is too heavy but that is the price of beauty). 

We hopped in the car and drove down to Sidmouth for a jacket potato/chips/homity pie at our favourite cafe there, before browsing at least 10 charity shops and seeing the sea. What else does a day need? 

That evening mum took me to see her local trig point. 

Then we worked on some super secret wedding projects, of which I cannot currently show you here (may be less exciting than you think). 

On Saturday I headed into Exeter to visit Abbie. 

 
We had a scrummy lunch of quiche and strawberries and enjoyed catching up.

On Saturday evening I headed to dad's, and on Sunday morning we took the canoe out for a paddle on the Great Western Canal. We walked the boat from the car, put our buoyancy aids on, put the boat in the water... then realised we'd left the paddles at home. A 1hr round trip later we were on the water! Plonkers. 

It included a wee tunnel. 

And plenty of ducklings and cootlings. The water was pretty full of vegetation, and made it hard going after a while. We therefore abandoned our paddle to the pub, electing to paddle back to the car and instead drive to it. Chips were still eaten!

I don't think I've seen the start of a canal so starkly before. Not quite like how it ends in a quay/the sea in Exeter. 

Dad bought rubbish picking gear, but fortunately there wasn't much to be found!

The great Adams-Bennett-Haldane meet up

Last weekend Mark and I invited our families to Cardiff to meet each other. Nearly 10 years together and getting married, yet neither our parents nor our siblings had met their counterparts - it was about time. 

Mum & JC were the first to arrive on Friday evening, allowing us to get out for a lovely run around the bay on Saturday morning.

 

At the end of the run, I stopped to take a photo of our matching sports bras (cute!), but paused when a car pulled up next to us. It was Mark, off to pick up Caitlin from the station. Oh hi Mark!

Saturday morning brought Caitlin and dad to join us for lunch. 6 people in our flat was already feeling overwhelming, and Cait had the fabulous idea of the Adams/Thelen lot going out for a coffee in town so we could welcome the Bennett-Haldanes in a bit more space. 

They arrived to Cardiff that afternoon, his parents not having seen our flat or the city before. We met up with the others in town and then we introduced them to Cardiff in the true Welsh fashion - by having everyone get soaked on a walk in the rain. 

Sunday fortunately brought much nicer weather! The kids (& dad & friend David) went for a climb in the morning with a gorgeous break midway through for pastries from Petit Four Patisserie. We then met everyone in Roath Park for a sunny stroll. Mum was not pleased with me that I had kept the lighthouse from her for years. 

From L to R: Rog/dad, Cait, Mark, Deborah (Mark's mum), Luke (Mark's twin), Mark senior (Mark's dad), JC, Ruth/mum, me!

People trickled away home on Sunday and Monday. Mum & I squeezed a jigsaw into the weekend on Monday morning. I then spotted mum driving back to our flat, leaping out and sneaking something in the letterbox. She really liked that lighthouse!

*some photos stolen from my mum's blog

The Sound of Music

 This weekend I watched The Sound of Music for the first time. I'm visiting Austria (Salzburg) with friends this summer, mainly for the purpose of making a Sound-of-Music-obsessed friend's dreams come true by visiting the filming locations. A few of us in the group had never seen it, so I organised a film night for educational purposes.

We first had a walk around the bay in the gorgeous sun with sticky ice creams & Mark showing off. We later had a lovely film evening with plenty of snacks and pizzas. Great film!! Next up on our list is Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (which I have seen lots but love and yet my Sound-of-Music friend hasn't seen it!). 

On Monday I went for a leg-ruining gorgeous run in the sun. Long runs I enjoy, but progressive paces in the heat means my legs are still hurting now. 

That afternoon I took the train to Bristol to visit the lovely Katharine, who is living there now and working her plastics surgeon fellow dream. 

Porthkerry Country Park

 Found a new (new to us) day out location this weekend - Porthkerry Country Park. Park-wise it has woodlands, trails, playing fields, and a beach. Amenities-wise it has a cafe, another ice cream cafe, toilets, parking, benches and play areas. Scenery-wise it has a beach and viaduct. What more can you want!!

It's also the start of the new Llwybr Coedwig Cymru trail - the first 80km in a planned Wales long national trail. 

My panini even came with salad - fancy!

28

Yesterday, it was my birthday! I sent Mark to fetch some breakfast goodies from Ty Melin bakery before we drove to the Brecons for a birthday walk around Pontsticill Reservoir. 

One of the best things about Mark having a licence is that I can now eat when we drive to places. 

Despite the inclement weather, we had a gorgeous walk. The walk had everything we wanted - nice clear paths, variety of reservoir-side and forests, waterfalls, a cafe (with public toilets!), a pub at the end, a steam railway (Brecon Mountain Railway), and even a sheltered bus stop perfectly timed for putting on waterproofs when the first shower started. What else do you need? It picks up the Taff Trail in parts, which is definitely a gravel bike rather than a road bike trail. 

Ready to go!

Steam train or Mark's ear on fire, you decide. 

The reservoir wasn't quite full enough for us to see the plug hole spillway in action. 

Pontsticill station. 

Toilets!! (I'm easily excited)

Happy walkers (this is Mark's happy face). 

Path alongside the railway. Choo choo! We (I) ran up the small hill to catch it as it passed - worth it. 

Waterfalls in the distance through the forest. We stopped nearby next to a footbridge and had some flask tea (hot drinks in flasks always have a peculiar taste, don't they?). 

Pub time - chips for lunch (shh, don't tell my mum). 

Pen-y-Fan in the distance! We weren't able to see this on our walk but we spied it as we drove off and pulled over to snap a quick picture. 

We spent the afternoon opening presents and cards (thank you everyone!), cooking moussaka, eating cake, and watching Harry Potter. 

Now I have the birthday blues - only 364 days to go...