Mumbling Free - Day 14 - Goodbye to Leo

Today was perhaps the least active of the holiday so far. The morning started with rain, not the promised showers. We set out with Leo and Brody, this time to Underhill Park. On the way we looked for the pet shop to buy Brody a new lead.  Yesterday after a quick shake of his head he was free, and heading out of reach, the spring on the clip is no more.  We did not see the pet shop going up to the park past the castle. After a while playing in the park, in which Brody found the ball he lost last week and Leo showed us how fast he can move in wellies, we returned towards the town.  There was a young lady timing her runs around the park, so we asked her and she said the pet shop was in the arcade.  We thanked her and set off for the arcade, but on the way to where we thought it was there was another arcade, in here we found the pet shop.  Here is Brody with his new lead and collar:

(To be added later) now blocked by Homesafe settings in TalkTalk

We went to lunch at the Greyhound Inn.  By now the weather was great, so we did not have to sit in the bar, but could sit in the garden. I quickly smothered  myself with sun tan lotion and went to get the drinks. Andy and Leo were on the swings, and later Leo had fun with all of us on the climbing frame and slide. Arriving back with the drinks on a tray I picked up the lemonade, which quickly slipped through my fingers and almost covered Jess.  Fortunately it just missed. The meal was lovely and we travelled back to the bungalow very full.  Leo and his family slept for a while, then packed their car and left (around 8pm).

The bungalow was quiet and I was missing the family already.  After a sandwich we walked a very nervous Brody through the nature reserve to bracelet bay (Castellamare) and Limeslade bay, and back by the road.  From the top of the reserve we could see land out to the east (assuming the compass was correct, it started by pointing the direction we were looking as south, but the position of the sun made it a liar.)

So now we are packing (and blogging) ready for a return to reality tomorrow.

Safe journey Andy, Jess, & Leo.

Mumbling Free - Day 13 - Leo in Love

I hadn't expected to see 6:30 am, but that was the time I woke up.  Jo was already about, but otherwise it was just Brody and I.  The day started slowly as they all have, but after his exertions last night Leo had almost slept through and woke in a bad mood. He needed some more sleep, but it was a while before he could be persuaded.
Our main issue for the day was the weather - we were expecting a short spell of rain in early afternoon, followed by a longer one later on, so we had lunch at the bungalow and then left for the Gower Heritage Centre.  On the way it started to rain, which was not really a surprise. We wandered round the centre, the Smithy was off sick so his demo was cancelled, which was a disappointment, but most of the time was spent in the soft play area, in particular the ball pit.  There were some very strange chickens running free, with a sort of plumage that looked like a hat, they are apparently polish. Another thing that was a little disappointing, the water wheel  was turning, but the turbine was not working.
We returned to the flat via a mini-tour of Gower.  We stopped to show Leo some sheep and were asked by a kindly lady if we were lost.  I said "No, we're just looking at the sheep"  She gave me a very funny look, and Jo added "We have a child with us".  So that was alright then, she walked on slightly embarressed - no need, if we had been lost we would have been glad of the help, I hope the incident doesn't put her off helping others.  We saw some of the diverse habitats on Gower - from salt marsh to heathland and pretty much everything between.  There were also horses and many more sheep, and we learnt from Leo that his mum does an excellent impression of a car going over a cattle grid.
By the time we got back the rain had just about stopped, but we drove to the restuarant just in case.  The Mermaid is a lovely place and we were seated in a corner, with Leo in a high chair and by now in a excellent mood.  He was talking to everyone, but his particular favourite was our waitress, he was polite and smiling when she arrived and put on his special 'angelic' face.  Everytime she came to our table he was happy a talkative, and his eyes followed her whereever she went.  Leo had met his first love.  Unfortunately his parents took him home before he could propose.
Back at the bungalow, while Leo was being put to bed, I took Brody down to the bay for a swim, the tide was in, but the water was choppy.  Initially Brody loved it, but then I threw the ball and it bounced off the top of a wave.  It ended up a very long way out, perhaps 100 feet further than normal, he tried, but was swamped by a wave and turned back.  He was about to try again when he decided that my call should be obeyed.  We talked about how sad it would have been if he had drowned. He is fine, none the worse for his ordeal, and snoring loudly as I type.

Mumbling Free - Day 12 - Bloated (in a good way)

The morning walk to the swings with Leo and Brody is becoming something of a holiday tradition.  Today we walked down the hill to  a very clear view of the bay, the light wind has cleared the air.  Today, though, there was a difference.  We were headed to Verdi's for lunch.  I had already had a large breakfast, adding scrambled egg on toast to my usual cereal, and a few çherios that Leo insisted that I ate.  He is always generous with his food and likes to share it around.
So after a while on the swings Jo departed to get nappies, and Leo and I set about learning to walk on the wall, Brody walked obediently beside me.  I should say that I was not on the wall, only Leo was.  Leo was very tentative at first, but soon got the hang of it, even managing to walk around obstructions from the boats.  We came to a man sitting on one of the seats with a dog at his feet.  Brody barked to clear the way, but it wasn't necessary, Leo managed to walk on with me at arms length.  When he had had enough we walked back to the start and shortly after Andy and Jess arrived.  Andy took Leo along the wall, he was much more confident this time.
The service at Verdi's is fast, so we had lunch about noon - pretty good afer breakfast a 10am.  Still we managed it.  I was quite over full afterwards, but the food had to last a long time.  We walked to the pier, Andy, Jess and Jo went down the pier, Brody and I waited at the top.  On their return Brody got all excited so I let him go, he ignored the returnees and dived down the steps to the beach. Conned by my own dog! - an all time low!

We wandered around the amusements and tried the radio controlled boats, by now Leo had woken and tried to join in with the boats, but neither of the ones we tried would steer properly. 

We wandered around the end of Bracelet Bay to Castellmare and had a drink, Leo played in the boat and on the slide that protrudes from it.  Sometime around  4 pm we returned to the Bungalow. 

It was Andy and Jess's night out, so Leo was left with only Nanny and Grandad.  He had his tea with us, and then we went up to the nature reserve where we 'ran for Brody' along the paths up to the view point, and down the hill a little back toward Bracelet Bay. On the way back he helped me cut down the brambles sticking out from the hedge.  I'm not sure he can identify a bramble, but he can cerainly say it, and he can certainly swing the ball thrower at them.  Back at the bungalow he had a bath, his milk, his bed time story and was soon asleep.  Jo and I had a great evening with our Grandson and I her that Andy and Jess also had a great time - they had both had two large meals today and were clearly very full of good food.  That's anoher thing holiday's are for.

Now to blog about the day - or not - TalkTalk parental settings block blogger.com, facebook.com, but not twitter.com - all very strange, so I'm trying this blog entry from the tablet, as apps appear not to be affected.  I will know for sure in a few minutes.

Mumbling Free - Day 11 - Running up that hill

This is probably the most misleading title yet, but you'll see why I chose it in a minute.  Thanks to Kate Bush for the title.  We now have broadband so all our devices are working at last.

My night time disturbances get worse, this morning it was still dark when I woke, and the only way to cool off was to sit on the patio.  The street lights do not go off here, yet there are many more stars visible than at home, so I enjoyed by 10 minutes cooling off wondering at and about the night sky and the awesomeness of the universe - a great way to get back to sleep quickly - I don't think.

We decided to have a lazy day - so there is not too much to follow.  After breakfast Jo and I took Leo and Brody for a walk, first we went round to the road behind the house and let Leo look over the fence at mum and dad.  Then we went down to the swings and it was my turn in the swings with Leo.  He enjoyed the swings, although he spent the time watching the other children.  He also enjoyed the slide, but at first he was nervous about standing on the platform.  I got him to say"Ready, steady", but we never quite got to "go", which is odd because Andy reports that 'steady' is the word he misses out.  The slide has three planned ways up.  At first I just lifted him onto the platform, then he decided to use the fourth way - back up the slide.  He also like one of the sets of steps, a kind of arched ladder, but the rungs were far to far apart for him.  When it was time to go home we walked up the hill, Leo even ran a little.  Grandad got tired, so Leo carried him for a bit ...

 ... and then we swapped over for the rest of the journey.

Jess cooked Fajitas for lunch and we crashed out in front of the tennis, played in the garden a little, with lots more bubbles, and then we all had to come inside to watch the TV for 90 minutes (+15).
BT were scheduled to arrive between 1pm and 6pm, he turned up a little before 5 but was working outside for some time before he came to us.  It was a long job, mostly outside at the top of the pole, it seemed, but all was finally completed andthen there was a flurry of activity as the various devices that had been dormant for a few days (or over a week for mine) connected and got themselves up-to-date.

Did I mention we have broadband - no blogger save errors tonight, no slow machine waiting for I don't know what.

As I write this Leo has come to help and we have scrolled through Jo's pictures and videos, and he has identified each of us Grandad, Daddy, Mummy, Brody and You (which is what he calls himself in a picture).

Now that we have broadband, I am hoping to do a video call with Karen in a few minutes.  Life is back to normal (whatever that is, but it is better than yesterday)

Holidays are a chance to relax, which doesn't means filling them with tiring but different activities - it is part of the purpose to sleep in the afternoon and wake up and get up in the night, to think and reflect on different things and to play with children - it makes us who we are both adults and children.

P.S. Did I mention that we have broadband, well it works well and I have spoken to Karen, and She, Robert and Robbie are doing fine.

Mumbling Free - Day 10 - A Perfect Family Day

Andy and Jess wanted a beach day, so we decided is should be today because the wonderful weather is showing signs of coming to an end.  First though we had to get some shopping.

The day started REALLY  early for Jo and I.  We woke around first light - that time when you can make out shapes quite clearly but there is next to no colour available.  It was very warm so to get some fresh air we sat on the patio for a short while with a cold drink and listened to the birds slowly waking up.  If I was better at bird song I could identify the birds, but I'm no good at that - there were only three different species I think.

We returned to bed after about half an hour and (I at least) woke refreshed shortly after 9 am.  The day had a plan so breakfast was more focused than usual and we all went about out separate tasks.  Andy, Jo and I to Tesco while Jess prepared Leo for the day. This did not please Leo who wanted his morning stroll with Randad (there is no G yet), Nanny and Brody, but it was not to be - I hope he enjoyed the rest of the day more.  At Tesco Andy and Jo went shopping and Brody and I did his morning walk around the museums and the marina - a very nice area.  There is loads of grass for the dog and a fascinating swing bridge which had the coutesy to open just as we arrived.

Back home with the supplies, there is now an overflowing fridge, and we assemble the things we need for a picnic. Then off to Oxwich.  We had intended to visit Rhossilli, but the car parking isn't great there and we didn't want the O so long walk down the cliff.  At Oxwich we parked almost on the beach, there is no cliff to descend and ample space to spread out.

The initial picnic was not a great success with a random Labrador helping itself to one of the sandwiches.  Only Brody was pleased about that as he was given the meat from the sandwich.

Some time after lunch Leo took me up the beach to see the boats, then we began to go round the end of the bay and there were shoals of tiny fish ('fishes, fishes') swimming in the water.  Leo studied them carefully, taking a step towards them and watched how they moved away, he was almost scientific in his calculation.  On the way there he had leaned the word 'Rock'. On the way back we stopped to chat to a couple of guys about their boats, another of Leo's fascinations.

There should be some great pictures of Leo smothered in Ice Cream, but I haven't seen them yet, he seemed to enjoy it.

Another Labrador played with us for a while and put his head right under the water, which Brody has never done, so I have taught him a new trick too.  After the other dog left I held the ball under water and he put his head in and took it. 

Eventually we returned to the bungalow for a barbeque, Andy played the role of head chef, and we enjoyed too much meat, with loads left over.  As the meal was ending Leo was in fits of laughter watching Jess try to clap over all the bubbles he was blowing, he was laughing so hard at one point that could not control himself enough to blow more bubbles.

I'm not really a 'beach' person, I don't like to sit still, but today I didn't have to, there was always something to do, play with Leo, play with Brody, get water - it was non-stop.  We all enjoyed ourselves on a really hot day, with nothing to upset the mood, - a perfect family day.

Mumbling Free - Day 9 - 'Chair' & 'Train'

I didn't think starts to the day could get any slower, but the pace of life during the day is beginning to catch up with me.  The heat of the day, while very pleasant is also a factor as the afternoons are really too hot for me.  Brody is also suffering in the heat.  Once again Jo and I took Leo and Brody for a walk after breakfast.  We went down to the swings after an abortive attempt to get into the nature reserve with the push chair.  We also called in at the George and booked a table for lunch.  Coming back down the hill for 1pm our table was ready. The burgers were rated average, but my salmon was very good, so there is some variability in the menu, but the staff are friendly and efficient and it was a good experience all round.  Leo enjoyed his 'hot beans' (baked beans served very warm) with sausage and mash.  He spent his time pointing out the bikes in particular going along the main road outside.  He has become obsessed with bikes, whether they are pedal powered or engine powered seems to make little difference.

One of the loveliest expressions I have heard from Jess this holiday has been "That's a new word!", and there have been two or three already.  Today's word is 'Chair'. He wanted to sit like one of us, not in a high chair, so he said chair - quite clearly as though he had known it for years.  Developing language in a toddler is one of the miracles that shows what an amazing brain we have been given.

Leo is also obsessed with trains, so we took him up the hill a little to see the G-gauge railway that I mentioned on Day 2. Take a look at the YouTube video on that post.  There is also a tiny loop with a Thomas the tank Engine, whose eyes move to look in the direction the train is turning. Leo was fascinated, and we spent a good while chatting to the hosts about the use they had put their garden to.  It really is well worth a visit.

Returning to the bay we looked out for the Land train.  It runs about once an hour and runs between Blackpill lido and Mumbles, stopping at West Cross, Norton, Oystermouth and Southend Gardens along the way.  We could see it coming, so waited for its arrival. We took a round trip from the Mumbles - the last one of the day.  It is a good distance so we got to see some of the area we had not seen yet.

Back at the bungalow we had tea and I eventually got to see high lights of the Austrian GP.  European race high lights are supposed to be shown about 5pm, but this was shown at 7:30pm on BBC2 - so much for consistency BBC.  Congratulations to Bottas on his first podium, otherwise it was back to normal for 2014 - a Mercedes 1 - 2.

Mumbling Free - Day 8 - I'm forever blowing bubbles

Andy, Jess and Leo arrived shortly after midnight, so it was 1 am before we got to bed, which meant a fairly late start.  The morning started with a slow breakfast, after which Jo and I took Leo and Brody on the nature reserve and Leo spotted things in the bay below - 'Boat, Ball, Fly' were the most common three words.  Boats there were, balls were buoys and fly was mainly butterflies, or possibly moths, I don't think I have seen this species before, but it's hard to tell, every time I get close and interested dog frightens them away.  A man we had met before warned us of adders on the hill, so we kept to the paths and did not venture into the undergrowth, or allow Brody to. Back at the bungalow some time was spent on the patio with Leo and a paddling pool, which we barely filled to more than a couple of inches in the middle of the garden.  The bubbles were also out and so was next doors washing. Some foul language was heard from over the fence, in general a complaint about us not making good use of the miles of beaches and allowing bubbles to come over the fence and land on the washing.  All quite unnecessary, but it led to Andy whistling "I'm forever blowing bubbles" for (quite) a few minutes.

Soon we began to get hungry and walked down to town. Andy bought some flip-flops and a pair of sandals for Leo, they are slightly wedge shaped and he took a while to get used to them We had lunch at The White Rose, where there was a rugby match on the TV.  The food is good, and we all enjoyed it.

Then we played on the beach with Leo and Brody, and a retriever who doesn't return the ball.  After that we walked to the Mumbles pier, the bar was closed for a private function, so we returned to the bungalow and Jo prepared some food, which we ate on the patio on another lovely summer evening.

Mumbling Free - Day 7 - Waiting for Leo

We are all tired and the day is very warm - by far the hottest day since we got here.  We are tired because Jo took pity on Brody and allowed him to sleep by my side of the bed. At some point in the night, I got up to take him out so that the smells would stop.  It was a very pleasant, warm night, but I was not in a mood to enjoy it.
After breakfast, we walked across the nature reserve to Castellamare, where the original title for this blog was dreamed up.   It was to have been "More for Less", and was based around ordering a decaf coffee and being charged a 15p supplement for the decaf 'feature'.  So you took out the caffeine and that costs me - why? Anyway, news later in the day changed the title.  Castellamare looks like a nice place, it is certainly in a lovely setting.  We sat for a while, reading the 'complimentary' Guardian - not my normal choice, but the others were less so. Like most of the other places around here, it is 'find a table - order at the counter'.  We walked around the headland a little way and backup to the bungalow by the road, rather than return the way we had come.  Brody was struggling in the heat. 
Back 'home' we relaxed, had a sandwich for lunch and walked the coastal path to Caswell Bay.  By now, our poor double-coated Labrador was panting fit to drop, so I put him under the beach shower to cool him down.  He had already had multiple stops for water.  We returned on the 2C bus and walked back to the bungalow from Underhill park.
We dozed in front of the TV - a world cup game - until the phone rang.  Andy, Jess and Leo are coming this evening.  A good idea to travel in the evening rather than the heat of the day.  So now there is a new title for the blog entry.  We trust Leo and family will arrive before the proverbial Godot, but we are expecting them around midnight.  Anyway, at the announcement the house burst into life, as we prepared to go shopping and find something to eat.  Fortunately these days it is possible to shop after 5pm, so we easily got the things we needed, and ate once again at Ninety-Three, where the staff are friendly and good food is served, and more importantly the outside tables were not taken. I haven't had pizza for ages (cheese is normally off the diet list), so it made an enjoyable change.
On the way back, we had a long conversation with a couple sitting outside a pub about Labradors, and Brody showed how a dog should behave.  Halfway home he stopped outside a house where we had met another chocolate Labrador (Charlie), waited for him to appear and then barked at him.  He is already making friend in his new community.
Now we have a long wait for Andy, Jess and Leo ...

Mumbling Free - Day 6 - Rhossilli

Perhaps my favourite beach, but more of that later. 

The day started early, around 5:45 I was woken by Brody crying.  I wondered if he was remembering he trauma from yesterday.  Still at the sight of his owner and the promise of breakfast his tail resumed its usual morning motion.  I gave him breakfast, made the lounge dog proof, left the door open (it was already a beautiful day) and went back to bed I didn't go to sleep for a long time, when I finally woke up is was 9:40! Jo had already finished breakfast.  She went for a walk while I tried to complete the process of waking - slow at the best of times, but this morning ...
Rhossilli is 35 minutes away unless you get stuck behind little old ladies who think that 30 is the national speed limit, but we got there and descended the long and very recently re-routed path to the beach.  The wind was now quite strong, blowing straight at us.  When I threw the ball backward it went a very long way. If something was put down a small pile of sand appear against it in a minute.  Still it was hot and sunny so we enjoyed the stroll.  Almost half way along we stopped for lunch and then went a little further to use the facilities just off the beach.  After that we returned  to the car park, the tide had gone out a long way by then.  In the National Trust shop we purchased tubs of ice cream.  "Joes: Everything else is just Ice Cream" the slogan goes and it is everywhere around here.  I'm not sure what they are trying to say, but the ice cream is just not that special - nothing wrong with it, but nothing special about it either.  The wind was so strong by now that the ice cream was blown off the seat, while I was breaking the spoon out of the lid, so Brody had first lick! YUK!

While we were walking along two helicopters flying very low over the dunes passed us, this one was almost overhead.  A lady standing nearby told us that the area was used to practice the landing operation prior to the freeing of Kuwait.

My main memory of Rhossilli is listening to Borg beat Tanner, walking the whole length of the beach with a radio.  That was 1979, much must have changed since then, but much has also remained the same - it is still a beautiful beach and generally under used - so don't go visiting it and spoiling it!

On the way back to the bungalow we stopped off at the Gower Heritage Centre.  A strange and interesting place with farm animals, old tractors, a forge, glass blowing, a soft play area and loads more - well worth a visit more than half an hour before closing.

After a short rest we ventured down to the bay area for fish and chips, which we ate in the small green area (park - not sure it was big enough to be called that) across the road, and the walked along to Verdi's, where we were lucky to get a seat, for more ice cream and some beer. We returned in time to see England draw the second half of the game against Uruguay - having lost the first half. That is my last World Cup comment in this blog series.

Mumbling Free – Day 5 – Brody's Leap

A better start to the day than yesterday, as news arrived by SMS before I was up that the dongle had been re-charged, and it was once again possible to get on-line. That meant that I could find details of the tyre business and get their post code without calling them. After breakfast, we set off for the other side of Swansea. The traffic was bad through Swansea, but when we arrived there was nothing going on, so we were seen immediately. At A&S Tyre Services the screw was quickly located and removed, and the tyre plugged and replaced.

Next stop supplies – bread and milk and other essentials. Just down the road and on the way back, there is a Tesco Extra. Jo shopped, while I walked Brody around the industrial estate. The shopping took a while and getting back through /Swansea was still slow, but not as bad as it had been. Back 'home', with the shopping unloaded, we made plans for our visit to the waterfall.

Aberdulais also has the remains of a tin mine, a working water wheel generating electricity (not running today, reason unknown) and a hydroelectric turbine (not running today, closed for refurbishment, removal of old boots and a general upgrade).  Still, it is a fascinating place, and we took a while walking around it before departing for our walk along the canal.  The first thing to do when walking next to water with a Labrador is to check the water quality.  In the basin there was a class of young children learning how to canoe, many of them were in the water, so I assumed that the first test was passed.  We expected him to swim, he loves it, and we were not disappointed.  He walked straight down the ramp and into the water.  Much further along, he had swum a few times and wanted to play ball.  After a while, he nosed the ball down the bank into the river on our left.  The canal was on the right.  The bank is about five feet high and almost vertical, but he got down OK.  Getting up was entirely a different issue.  He tried many times, and ended up crying and swimming round in circles.  We encouraged him, bribed him, but to no good.  I tried to get him to swim downstream to a place where the bank was not so steep and there were tree roots to climb up.  He was having none of it.  I went for a paddle in the river to try to get him to come to me, but by now he was clinging to the bank, and getting more distressed.  Jo managed to get him to drop the ball and that made the difference, now he climbed up the bank and was back with us.  I have (re)named that stretch of river "Brody's Leap".  We had been headed to the other waterfall (Melincourt), but got to a point where the instructions ceased to make sense, so not having the Landranger map we turned back. The walk was just over 4.1 miles and took around two hours (including dog rescue).  It would have been a very nice walk, but was spoiled by the constant roar of traffic from the main road.  Tired, we returned home on a route around the north of Swansea, but still got caught in traffic - well, it was rush hour by then.

Mumbling Free – Day 4 – Oxwich

The day started badly on two counts:

1) My phone alarm woke me at 6:45. Last night was colder so we had put Brody in the kitchen, and were woken by him pacing around on the hard floor more than once. He will be back on the patio tonight.

2) There was no hot water. A check light had appeared on the boiler. I allowed some extra water into the system – it works on the one at home, and this is very similar. It didn't have the desired effect. The Heating and Water setting worked, but the Hot Water setting didn't. I turned that temperature of the heating down and left the boiler on. Eventually we got a hot shower.

Oxwich bay has a long beach where dogs are allowed on the whole beach. We had a walk from the TI around Oxwich point, it is 4.5 miles over some rough terrain. Initially there is a flight of stairs which my app – Runkeeper reported our progress at 55 minutes per mile. On flatter ground the pace improved. We enjoyed stunning views of the bay followed by open grassland near the sea. For most of the walk all that could be heard was the sea on the left, birds on the right and a panting dog behind. Although once or twice he made a break for the water we managed to coax him back. At the point at which we were due to depart the coastal path the path was diverted due to erosion. There are lots of places along the path that have been repaired and in one place a small bypass has been made with two new gates and some additional fencing, but here the diversion is dramatic. It happens to go along the Gower Walks path that we were meant to take, so we followed it for a few yards and then turned right away from the coast and inland. Over the hill, though a caravan site and under some trees we had to stop. Dog exhaustion prevented him taking another step, he laid down and was encouraged to drink about half a litre of water, after which he revived a little and progress resumed. It was not our first water stop, but it was the most significant. Through the farm and follow the road past the castle and back into Oxwich. Straight on to the café where we had baguettes for lunch and Brody consumed another 1.5 litres of water, with a small amount of milk to encourage him further.

The day continued badly: I had noticed that the nearside left looked flat, it was down to 20psi. I pumped it up, we will get it checked tomorrow.

After lunch we went for a stroll along the beach, the bay is wide and nearly flat, the tide was almost at its lowest and there was a long walk to proper sea water. We played with Brody for half an hour. I was marking the water line with shells so that when we turned back we could see whether the tide was still going out or had turned. It was still going out. Back at the beach there was nowhere to bath Brody, so he came home and was washed by having buckets of water tipped over him. There is an outside tap, but only a washing machine hose attached to it and that is too short to get off the patio.

After a rest we followed the new route into town that we had worked out last night. It is all along roads and suitable for a push chair – but only just. Still, it is better than going across the Nature Reserve. We were looking for the Mermaid Bar and Restaurant which we had spotted a couple of days ago. It has a sign out side offering dogs a free drink, treat and the opportunity to bring their owners inside. Brody enjoyed some water, did a double take at the bowl of treats and gobbled as many as he could manage. The owners were very pleased with the food that was served to them as well. One of them was heard to comment “we'll come back here”, but then she wasn't paying the bill.

The day ended badly too: On starting up the laptop, the dongle reports that “You've run out of data” and will not allow connection to the internet.

Mumbling Free - Day 3 - TI Day

The first Monday of a holiday is normally TI day.  The day when we ignore all the literature provided by the hosts and begin to find our own way.  We had found the TI yesterday, it is in the Methodist Church on the main road.  Understandably they were somewhat busy yesterday and the TIs are very rarely open on a Sunday.  So we made our way again across the hill.  It was warm enough, but the drizzle had started, by the time we got down the steps it was raining gently. Inside the TI we found loads of useful information and have collected a number of walks and drives among other things. The rain had just about stopped so we walked up to Underhill Park, which we had passed on our journey to the cottage, to give Brody a run.  There is some work occurring in the park, it looks as though they are re-laying a cricket pitch. By the time we had found that Brody was already tired. At the top of the park is a wood. In the wood some steps lead up to a road which is well on the way home. We walked around the park, back towards town. We stopped at Ninety Three for tea and cake, getting the chairs outside dried so that we could sit on them, we relaxed for a few minutes, then continued towards town and visited Oystermouth castle - entry was an amazingly cheap £2.50.  Sadly there is not much left of the castle, but there are some stunning views of the Mumbles from the ramparts.

By now it is after 2pm and I'm hungry.  On the corner is "The White Rose".  You can only take you dog on the patio which is two tables outside the lounge bar.  Thankfully they were both free.  The pub is huge and offers an array of foods, we went for a simple and very cheap jacket potatoe and fried chicken.  It was good, but the portions were rather small, still with two drinks it was less than £12, so very good value.  After lunch we did a little shopping - at a bakers and a greengrocers then walked back to the park and on to the cottage.
After a short sleep we had tea and then ventured back onto the hill, this time trying to find a path to the light house and pier.  The first attempt ended in a sheer cliff. I watched in horror as Body did a mountain goat impression and the prepared to jump down.  I doubt he would have survived the 50-60
feet drop.  Back up the difficult trail to a much easier one that lead to the road.  Safely down we decided to visit the pier, or at least the cafe next to the entrance.  I had an IPA called "Gower Power" at 5.5% it was stronger than I am used to but lived up to the description on the label perfectly.  Even Jo approved.

Tomorrow we are looking forward to the Broadband being fitted at the cottage.  The dongle has been better than nothing, but is inconsistent, working well for a few minutes and not at all for a few minutes, with everything in between.

Mumbling Free - Day 2 - Over the hills and (not so very) far away

The quickest way into town is across the nature reserve.  It is a lovely walk, the paths are good and the journey short, but the descent is steep, with large steps cut into the hillside and it is a long way down.  We wandered around Mumbles village and along the sea front.  The tide was going out and small pieces of beach were soon exposed.  We took Brody to a slipway and played with him for a while before walking further around the bay.  The other owners watched us as our dog faithfully retrieved the ball from the sea again and again. Now down at sea level the path is completely flat and the walk easy. The path is split between cyclists and pedestrians so some care is required.  In the village we bought some supplies - fish for lunch and treats for Brody, because I left his big box of treats behind.
Now for the walk back over the hill. Perhaps there is another way, we tried up a small road.  It was a dead end.  At the end though was an incredible find - a garden dedicated to a G-gauge railway.

The garden runs the trains most Sundays, when the weather is good.  We spoke to Mike and Jackie for a few minutes, and were invited in, but declined because Brody was still over excited and we were worried he might damage the display.
So after a delightful interlude it was back up the steps, over the hill and a return to the cottage.
The weather is still great, so we had lunch in the garden.  We tried to create some shade, but the beeeze caught the umbrella we had rested on the frame above the table, so that idea was abandoned.
After lunch we watched (slept through) the Queens Tennis Tournament final.  Jo took Brody out (he asks to go, he doesn't like the garden) and came back saying that dark clouds were arriving, she expected rain, I looked ans said they were just clouds and no rain would come, minutes later were were moving things off the patio because it was raining so hard.  In the evening we drove to Llanelli and on a bit to a country park.  The tide was too far out for Brody to have another swim, but we had a lovely walk and tired him out.  Along the 'beach' on the outward walk and along the promenade on the way back.

Today is fathers day.  I was hoping to  speak to Karen, but there is no broadband here.  They have provided a dongle, which allows some basic internet sometimes, at other times there is no signal at all.  Both the dongle and my phone are on the 'Three' network. Sometime one or other works, sometimes neither.  Better than nothing, but no where near fully functional.  The broadband is due to be fitted on Tuesday

Mumbling Free - Day 1 - This dog leads a charmed life

There was nothing free about the M25, it was overcrowded from the word go, by the time we hit the M4 we were already half an hour behind schedule.So we stopped at Reading services for lunch.  They have a nice dog walking area at the end of the car park.  In the rain it had become quite flooded with a number of pools large enough for Brody to splash through.  He had a good run and came back to the car both wet and tired. He refused to jump into his bed in the car, so we put the bed on the ground and lifted him into the car.  I'm not keen for him to jump until we know what is wrong with him, although he hasn't been limping today.  The traffic speed limit signs on the M4 were in crazy mode.  Here's how the readings went on one stretch of the motor way 60, 60, 50, off, max, 50, 40. There was heavy traffic that became stationary around the 40 sign. We move through it slowly.  Passing Swansea we stopped at Sainsbury's for supplies, and Brody had to be lifted into the car again.
We arrived at the house we are renting sometime around 6pm and began unloading then headed out for some food.  We found a place called Langland Brasserie in Langland bay.  The food was basic but well cooked and served nicely hot.  The presentation was very good and the prices matched the presentation more than the quality and quantity of food.  Brody was desperate to get onto the beach, but, of course, he is not allowed in the summer.  The weather in the west has been a lot better than in the east and people are still in the water at 8pm.  We, however, returned and went for a walk in the Mumbles Nature Reserve, which we had driven right around - completely unaware that it was there.
Now we are preparing to watch a football match on the extremely basic TV - England vs Italy in the World Cup.