Saturday 14th August 10

An early start, as we had to leave the house at 8.30 because we were booked into the 9.05 Shrewsbury to Swansea train. This four hour journey was definitely part of the holiday... we could have chosen a quicker route, but it wouldn't have been as pretty or interesting. It was a lovely journey, lots of beautiful scenery, trees, mountains with clouds on their tops, valleys with livestock and interesting homes, farmsteads and rivers. The boys filled in a Michelin Eye-Spy book and I wrote down as many of the station names that I could. We had lunch at midday, sandwiches made this morning.

Then we were next to the South Wales estuary and then a steelworks. The train changed direction at the next station and we crossed the estuary and were soon in Swansea.

We had a bit of an argument about how to get to Mumbles... I wanted to get a bus but the others wanted to get a taxi. I found out where the bus was due to go from and we walked there, it was only about 7 minutes walk, and a bus came along immediately. There was some good humoured conversation amongst the locals and myself, but the boys weren't feeling like it. I found out that the taxi would have been about £17; the bus was £7. A helpful lady on the bus showed us where to get off and how to get to the 'Home From Home' office... we arrived at 2pm and it was due to open at 2.30 to let people get their keys. Gill and the boys went to find an ice cream, and I chatted to another early arriver, a nice old lady called Sue, from Northamptonshire, who was collecting a key for a house for her two daughters, and some grandchildren.

Gill and the boys came back, bearing 'BoojaBooja' ice cream (vegan) and much happier. I got the keys and directions to the house, which was down to the seafront, turn right and then third on the right, and back up the hill... about 10 minutes walk. We did eventually get to the house, on Bryn Terrace, and at the top of a steep hill. The house is apparently called Cymylau, which means 'clouds', an apt name when you look out of the window.

After an hour recuperating, we left the children playing with their Nintendo DSes and we went to the Co-op at the bottom of the hill, and got a rucksack full of provisions, plus several bags... including two little bottles of Welsh cider and two of Welsh Perry! That should be ample til next Friday.

I helped Gill make tea: pasta and veg, including the tromboncino squash from home. I then went for a walk which was lovely. I found a good place for some sticks for the stove (cold wet day forecast on Tuesday) and took some photos of the evening sun on towering clouds. I got back at 9pm.