Mini Break in Wales

Lucy, Wilbur and I went on an adventure to Wales in early September! It was one of my goals for 2022 to visit Wales, as I had only briefly been to Cardiff before. We stayed for two nights in a glamping bell tent in the Brecon Beacons, which was in a gorgeous isolated nook beside a river surrounded by rolling hills. We had such an amazing holiday, and it was the first time Wilbur had stayed in a tent. The first night was a bit tricky as he was spooked by noises, but we slept well the second night. The white noise from the river and the rain definitely helped me recover from my jet lag upon returning from Vancouver. Here are some highlights from our mini break in Wales!

Critters and Mountain Hike

One of the things I love the most (apart from the scenery) was the amazing wildlife. We saw loads of bats and also a stoat. Not quite wildlife, but the sheep were amusing to watch. They looked at me with curious disdain while I huffed and puffed uphill on our hike! We had wanted to do a bit of a hike and the bell tent came with a book of routes to pick from. The Brecon Beacons is a very hilly area, and I didn’t want anything too challenging. I opted for a hike that was ONLY 6 miles and 300m elevation change – sigh. Table Mountain (Crug Hywel), though challenging to climb, did have some amazing views. If you’re headed to that area of Wales, I definitely suggest some sturdy hiking boots!

Camping Snacks

We had a campfire both nights, with hot dogs the first night, and little foil veg packets the second night. Lucy made French toast, and we generally indulged on good snacks and drinks. I had intended to pick up some Welsh cakes on the way home, but couldn’t find any bakeries open on a Sunday. Coincidentally, three of my colleagues had also been to Wales the same weekend, and they brought Welsh cakes into work the following week, so I didn’t go without!

A trip to the vet

The only downside to the holiday is that I noticed a lump on Wilbur’s cheek the night we came back. This swelling got progressively worse and he had to go to the vet. When the vet sedated him and did a biopsy, they found a large grass seed embedded in the poor guy’s cheek! Apparently it can be fairly common for grass seeds to get inhaled or stuck in paws and cause mischief. Thankfully, after a minor surgery and some antibiotics, Wilbur was back to his normal buttbutt self within a week. It was a pretty worrying few days though!

I absolutely loved Wales and 100% want to visit again soon. In general, it was nice to have a bit of a break to read, and play board games, especially since I didn’t have phone reception (no doom scrolling for me!). Spending quality time together was exactly what we all needed. As soon as we got home we were plotting where we could go next; I’m thinking a Shepherd’s Hut mini break!