We are leaving Aberystwyth for Cardiff, Wales. The weather is cooperating, so far, and the scenery is very reminiscent of Ireland....green, green and more green.
Our last glimpses of the Irish Sea...until our return cruise, that is. We keep forgetting that we will have one more stop at some of these places on our way home.
For several miles we have seen posters for a Bank Holiday rugby tournament. It's a tourney of 7 players to a team rather than the traditional 15. Our host back in Stirling had played rugby 7 for his college team and was trying to tell us the difference in the rules. What he did not understand is that we didn't know the rules for the rugby 15. We end up in the town of Aberaeron, Wales.....stamped, paid and ready to watch....It is 11:00 a.m., a bit chilly and windy. Big Black is parked down there somewhere. Notice how low the goal pole is.
Warm ups
This red team was sitting near us. Frankly, they looked like a bunch of slugs, drinking beer, smoking, not a bit of interest in warming up or stretching.....looked like a bunch of punks to me, Kathy.
But when they got on the field, the blew away the "candy stripers", as I called the opposing team cuz they had on red and white striped socks!
They play 5 minute halves with a short break in between. They are pretty much continuously running for the 5 minutes. They will play several games this day.
The blue team beat the blacks....soundly.
Many of these guys look like our football players, but they don't wear any helmets or pads.
This huddle, called a "scrum", occurs, we think, after a penalty. The non-penalized team gets to throw the ball under the "scrum".....
and then they push, shove, do whatever to get that ball! There were 4 really good teams who beat up on the four losers. It was double elimination. We watched the first four, but, regretfully, couldn't stay to see if our bunch of punks won the whole thing!
Back on the road again....never did rain, but it is only 60 degrees, with no sun and bit of wind.
Have no idea where this came from, but keep in mind, this is a FAIRLY main highway
Kathy somehow screwed up our reservations.....there are two Jolyon's, one on the Bay and one known as #10. We went to #10, after being lost for some time....wrong place....they sent us to Jolyon's on the Bay. Lost again. Bears mentioning that the city streets in Wales are more than confusing. They make Charleston look simple, dare I say, even NYC. Lots of one-way, nothing at right angles, narrow and difficult to pass....our mini GPS can't keep up with the rerouting. By the time we found the b n b, we were chewing nails. THEN we find out that the price does not include parking....and the parking was two blocks away, £10/night....it is raining by now......I immediately cancelled the second night, room sight unseen. Don't care if we have no home....we'll find one. There is a carnival in front of the place....
And in the back, there is a "pop-up" bar on the deck outside our room
And a hen/bridal party just across the street!
After a ho-hum dinner at a ho-hum touristy Italian joint but with a nice water view......and a not great intro to Cardiff, we walked the worn-out, thinly carpeted, dreary stairs to our equally dreary room which did not even have a chair. "Boutique" many years ago, but definitely has seen its summit!
