Nice to see all these messages since we disappeared from the screen on the Gower Peninsular (Andrew and Carole's). Since then we've successfully invaded Fishguard, a lovely little harbor town in southwestern Wales, carved out between two rocky headlands. We immediately wound our way via one-lane roads up to Strumble Head where there was a lighthouse and steep cliffs, and a few seals lazing about far below. Then we dropped our gear off at our BB and walked down to the Sailor's Inn in Lower Fishguard, just the kind of sailor's hangout where you would expect fishermen and smugglers to hang out. Several hours later we awoke miles out to sea...

Next day we did motor out to St. David's Cathedral and the bishop's extensive ruins. I love to look at ancient piles of rocks, and there were heaps of them there in all stages of ruin and reconstruction. Then we motored on down the coast to Pembroke to nose about the town castle, one of many fine examples of military strongholds in Wales.

That evening we braved the smoke of the Royal Oak Tavern in Fishguard to join their open Folk Club sing, and were warmly welcomed after a few songs. I hadn't done any advanced e-mail and had the fun of figuring out how everything worked. There were some traditional sea songs, other traditional drinking songs, traditional dance tunes that I joined in on with the banjo. I did some of the C. Fox Smith poems that I've set to music, a traditonal sea shanty at full blast, "Dead Dog Cider" and after hearing an outrageous song about the traditional fishfingers industry, responded with my song about the cow that sank the Japanese trawler; Judy responded at the appropriate time with a plaintive "moo."

The next morn we wound our way up the rocky coast and then northeast into the valleys to the lovely town of Llangollen, well known for its canal boats and train rides. The next day we were able to take a horse drawn canal boat ride for about an hour, and then catch a motorized canal boat tour which took us for a couple of hours along the foot of lovely fields and hills, and across the River Dee on Thomas Telford's great bridge; I should have some slendid photos from my perch at the stern of the canal boat pointing straight down to the river hundreds of feet below.

Today we wander up the hill to the pictureque ruins of Dinas Bran Castle, which overlooks the town and can be seen for miles around.

I've also found a fine used bookshop in town, everything at half price! And there are many other interesting shops for Judy to prowl through.

Saturday morn it's off to Liverpool and Preston, and hopefully we'll be meeting up with some of our Mudcat friends there for that evening or the following Sunday. Our host s will be Jan and Ken Lardner as mentioned above.

We are getting more comfortable motoring about in our rental car. But it is getting stuffed with plunder that we'll have to ship home in a separate crate!

Off to the Castle!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble