Half-Term: A Wonderful Week in Wales

Hello, and welcome to half-term! (I know it's nearly over...)

I hope you have all had a good half-term, whether you went away or stayed at home. I went away: to Wales. I stayed in Fishguard, Pembrokeshire, with some friends, called the Salters. They have two sons, called Peter and Guy. Peter is the same age as me, while Guy is around 14 years old. They also have a sweet 1/4 collie called Bessie, who is 9 years old. Those of you who went to the same primary school as me might remember Peter.

Such a peaceful, relaxed dog.

We arrived in Wales last Saturday. Sunday we mostly chilled out, though the adults also went on a walk in the afternoon. In the evening, I watched the latest Doctor Who episode. It was very good, and the ending was brilliant. Another thing to note, in my opinion, about the current series is that it feels quite similar to what I've experienced of the classic era. For instance, the Doctor is less ruthless than the previous new series Doctors, being more akin in mercy to the Fifth Doctor. In addition, the dynamic of how events happen has become a lot simpler. For instance, Ryan's motor dyspraxia is simply there, not rooted in extraterrestrial causes. Additionally, the villain of the latest episode doesn't have a big plan, like the villain in series 4; he's just a white supremacist. Another similarity between this series and the classic era is that so far, the writers are finding ways for the TARDIS to be unavailable as a potential way to escape, such as it not being present in the first and second episodes. In the classic era, it was common for the Doctor to be unable to return to the TARDIS for whatever reason.

 On Monday, we went to a beach called Whitesands beach. It was quite fun. We played Frisbee, had a picnic, saw a seal. And I, like the fool I am, waded into a rock pool and got both boots flooded.

A selfie. Peter is the boy in the blue coat, Guy is in the green coat. Me and Mummy are barely visible at the edge.

A pleasant stroll...and behind, you can see Pippin prancing along.

Admittedly, the photo was a very well-timed one.

"I'm just a little seal, going about my business."

Also on Monday, we visited Britain's smallest city, St Davids. Most of us went into the cathedral, but Guy and I stayed outside to look after Pippin and Bessie, as they weren't allowed in. 

The cathedral. with the ruins of the bishop's manor behind it.

On Tuesday, we went horse-riding. Not all in one group; the Murrells went in one group, then the Salters were the next group. Literally. Theirs was the next slot. We went on a ride around the countryside, which lasted around 90 minutes. As a result of running over slightly, our group saw the Salters waiting for their turn. Peter Salter didn't go riding, he instead accompanied our family as we gave the dogs a much-needed leg-stretcher.

On Wednesday and Thursday, we looked around some old castles. Wednesday was just us Murrells, exploring an Iron-Age settlement, after eating out at a restaurant. It was fun, and quite interesting. I also learned the Welsh word for child, 'plant'. 

The houses were similar looking to the houses in Bilolo. They were even made from the same materials; mud and sticks. The settlement also seems quite similar in style, with things like limited technology and farming. One area that was different was the Celtic, druid-style worship of the gods and ancestors. Though this is hardly surprising, due to the vast distances in time and space between Iron-Age Wales and 21st Century central Africa.

A classic Iron-Age house.

This was the storage-house for grain.

Thursday was eventful. The car broke down halfway to the castle we were trying to get to, so we had to leave it at a garage to be fixed. I, my mum and my sister had to be picked up by the Salters, while my dad accompanied the RAC back to Fishguard, towed along in the car. He described it as like being in a plane-going very fast, with no control whatsoever. 

At the castle, there was a zombie trail, meaning that we had to find drawings of parts of a zombie and draw them onto a piece of paper. We also went to a water mill, which had also been a granary. Dogs, again, were not allowed into the mill (though they were allowed into the castle), so caring-for-them duty fell to Peter's dad. 

On Friday, some of us went into town, to look around shops. I bought The Great Gatsby from a bookshop. We also played games, and I and my family walked the dogs on the beach. The winds were very strong.

Random stats:

Fact: One of my English teachers comes from Wales!

Dog walks walked: 5

Books read over the week:2

Days until my birthday:11!