Ever went to a place with the least of expectations and did not want to return? That sums up my emotions over the weekend. The idea of one night away from London-living had us driving west rather impulsively. When I agreed to Wales as our destination, I was thinking "hundreds of fat white sheep grazing on mountainous green pastures, tiny country backroads, road trip!"
Wales gave me just that, and so much more. So much more.
While my husband drove, I started doing my habitual wiki-search about the country. Found out about its rugged Atlantic ocean coastline, that stretches for over 1680 miles. Excitement started to set in. We drove past the capital Cardiff and headed to our Airbnb in St. Davids Peninsula, our final destination.
Breath, this will not be one of those travel diaries where I share with you a step-by-step list of activities taken part in and meals consumed. If you like that, my Instagram story does that very well. Instead, I want to tell you about the PEOPLE. Of course, through the pictures below, also about the magnificent costal landscape and breathtaking views this small country has to offer.
Friendliness takes on a different meaning here. Folks old and young, male and female, gift you genuine smiles as they walk past you. These are not those smiles that disappear within the blink of an eye that get passed around in the western world. These are the kinds you can't help but return, or if you are like me and meet strangers with bare teeth anyway, you would finally feel right at home.
Folks ask you how your day is going, and actually listen with intent. Intently is how you would also listen to what they say. One because you will not be ready to understand the thick dialect they speak, but also because their attention has a way of demanding yours.
We dined at a local pub where we met a handful of soccer fans as we were also there to watch Liverpool play. Most of them were continuing the party at a place known as "the Royal George", another local favorite. A woman on the mic and her husband doing wonders with his guitar have been entertaining a loyal crowd for years, we were told. They played popular tunes from decades ago to now, and people were on their feet, dancing together. It hadn't been a few minutes since we walked in and headed to the bar that we were welcome by strangers and familiar faces from the other pub. They were fascinated by my curly hair, my husband's "gorgeous skin" with a few asking if they could touch my hair; and none of that was done in any way that made either of us feel weird. No strange place has ever felt more like home. We talked, laughed, danced, took photos and videos, bought one another pints of local beer, laughed and danced some more."Take me home, country roads."
I will let the pictures speak for the awe-inspiring beauty of their costal line. Makes one conclude, "You can't help but be a pleasant human being while living so close to such natural beauty."
We will be back!
