Walking and Eating Through England and Wales

Rhosilli (3 nights)

On our second morning in Cardiff, I walked to the Pret across from the train station and got porridge and a chocolate croissant. Huge step up on the breakfast scale! We had a late morning train to Swansea, where we caught a bus to Rhosilli at the end of the Gower peninsula. But first, we stopped at Pret again to get sandwiches for lunch and dinner. I also got some chocolate mousse, which is the number one reason for my obsession with Pret. As forum member Mardee says, it is to die for!

There are not many places to stay in Rhosilli, so we rented a house outside the village with a beautiful view of the water in the distance. It was a splurge, so we only stayed three nights. Four would have been better. It started raining about an hour after we arrived, so we decided not to venture out. We really needed those Pret sandwiches! Rhosilli has just one restaurant with high prices and mediocre reviews, plus two cafes that close midafternoon. The nearest convenience store is two miles away, and the nearest grocery store is ten miles away.

Rhosilli is spectacular, and we had perfect weather for our two full days there – mid-fifties with clear blue skies and gentle winds. On our first morning, we walked down to the village and discovered it was low tide, which meant we could walk over the causeway to Worm’s Head, a tiny island off the coast. Why did they call it Worm’s Head (a very unappealing name for a beautiful place)? In Old English, wyrm means sea serpent.

It didn’t look that far or hard to walk over to Worm’s Head, but in fact it was pretty far and very hard. After a longish walk downhill, you come to the causeway, which is rocks upon rocks upon rocks of all sizes surrounded by scattered pools of water. It’s very tough on the ankles, and you have to watch every step carefully to keep from slipping or twisting an ankle. But it’s so neat! The climb up Worm’s Head is pretty steep but doesn’t take long, and it’s totally worth it. The views from the top are sensational! And you can walk along the ridge on blessedly smooth grass. Only it turns out you can’t get to the end of Worm’s Head without climbing down the hill and crossing another causeway. It looked shorter than the first causeway but appeared to be more treacherous with even bigger rocks.

We still had three hours until the rising tide would trap us on Worm’s Head. Although we had enough time, we decided we did not have enough energy to carry on. With some regret, we turned around and headed back to the village. It was the kind of smart decision we rarely make.

We were quite hungry by this point, so we headed to The View, which is aptly named. We got a table outside overlooking the gorgeous beach and had a late lunch of lamb and vegetable caul (stew) with crusty bread. Honestly, I can’t imagine a Michelin-starred restaurant could serve a more enjoyable meal.

We got back to our place by late afternoon so Bob could take a nap while I reviewed and edited my photos. Periodically one of us would cry out in agony due to sudden sharp leg cramps. Thank heavens we didn’t go the whole way on Worm’s Head!

We had another great hike, and great weather, the next day. We climbed up Rhossili Downs which are big hills overlooking the beach. But first we stopped at The View to get a brownie and flapjack to split. This was a much hillier walk than the previous day, but easier since the surface was mostly smooth. The views were just incredible. On the way back, we walked down to the beautiful beach which stretches for three miles. After our walk, it was back to The View for the same food and the same feeling of having earned every calorie.

Llandeilo (4 nights)

Our next stop was Llandeilo, a small town on the edge of Brecon Beacons National Park. It took two buses to get there with a change in Swansea. We chose this town because Bob’s great great grandfather was born here in 1823 and immigrated to the US in 1851. Llandeilo has plenty of nice shops and restaurants, but it’s not very touristy. It feels like a town people live in. We stayed in a house ten minutes from town and close to Dinefwr Park. With a car, it would be an excellent base for touring Brecon Beacons. We loved it even without a car.

The next day we walked to Carreg Cennen Castle. Built around 1300, it is perched dramatically on top of a limestone crag. We had driven by it on our first visit to Wales twelve years ago, but we didn’t have time to stop. I always regretted this, and I was determined to get there on this trip, even though it meant a five-mile walk each way with a significant (for us) elevation gain. We stopped at a tearoom at the foot of the castle to fortify ourselves before the final trek to the top. For most of the time, we were the only ones at the castle so we could explore on our own, which was so much fun. There is a lot to explore including a dark cave underneath. We were exhausted by the time we got back to our place, but it was a great day.

Without a car, I think three nights would be enough for Llandeilo. However, we were there for four, which was fine. We spent the next two days walking around Dinefwr Park, which is quite large. It has a neat castle perched on a cliff overlooking the river. It isn’t as large or dramatic as Carreg Cennen, but it’s still nice and it was much easier to get to!

Abergavenny (6 nights)

Our five-hour, two-train trip to Abergavenny turned into six hours after our second train was cancelled due to an “operational issue.” When I learned this, I immediately went online and bought tickets for the next train. Then it dawned on me that our advance tickets could be used on the next train since our train was cancelled. So, I got on the LNER app and applied for a refund using the reason “bought within the past two hours.” Two days later, the charge was credited to our credit card.

The views from the train were pretty, and we saw lots of sheep. A lot of them were running, including a big group running after a tractor. Since when do sheep run? While the train was stopped for a scheduled half hour at Llandrindod Wells, I went to the bathroom and pushed the emergency button by mistake, which activated a call for the conductor. How you do things like this when you have been travelling for as long as I have, I cannot explain. I was worried someone might come into the bathroom to rescue – or apprehend – me, so I quickly did my thing and rushed back to my seat. A recording about the emergency call played periodically for ten minutes before it finally stopped and I could relax.

We spent our first full day in Abergavenny hiking up Sugar Loaf. It was a great hike with fabulous 360 views – and lots of wind – at the top. We sat just over the crest where there was no wind and ate flapjacks, which are a delicious and filling hiking snack. We discovered flapjacks when we were in Devon last year, and they are right up there (well, close) with chocolate mousse from Pret.

Chepstow was our destinatioin for day two. It is the oldest stone castle in Wales and is just two short train rides from Abergavenny. I have read a lot of positive comments about Chepstow Castle on this forum, so it was a high priority for me. We loved it.

Tintern Abbey is just 17 minutes from Chepstow by bus. We went there on our last trip to Wales, but it was pouring rain that day. Since we were so close, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see it again in good weather. Bob didn’t want to go, so I went by myself. On the way to the bus station, I bought some honey roasted pecans since we hadn’t had any lunch. It was good that I did, as you will see.

I can’t say I was blown away by Tintern Abbey, but I enjoyed walking around taking pictures. I then waited for the 2:41 bus, which finally arrived ten minutes late. My happiness at seeing it approach was short lived because the driver told me she wasn’t going to Chepstow. She spoke English as a second language, so our conversation was challenging, to put it mildly. I was able to get that she had to pick up school students. Now I would have to wait an hour for the next bus. But she told me there would be no more buses that day because of a fire. I kept saying, “I have to get to Chepstow,” and she kept saying, “No buses.” I wasn’t 100% sure she was correct, or that I was correctly interpreting what she said, but I was beginning to panic.

It suddenly dawned on me that Chepstow was within walking distance. I checked Google Maps, and it showed 5.3 miles and two hours. I decided to start walking rather than waste time waiting for a bus that might not come or trying to come up with another option.

It was a long two hours, I’ll tell you that. (I often do five-mile walks, but not at 3:00 after I have been on my feet most of the day.) However, it could have been so much worse. I had water and food with me. (I ate every single one of those honey roasted pecans — all 940 calories of them!) My phone still had more than 50% battery charge left. The weather was perfect. It was pretty much one road the entire way and it wasn’t that hilly.

Abergavenny continued

I arrived at the rail station in Chepstow five minutes before a train for Newport was leaving, so I caught a break there. I had a 23-minute layover until the train for Abergavenny, but I could sit on a bench while I waited. Bob kindly met me at the Abergavenny station. I had asked him to bring me a stroller. Sadly, he was not able to deliver, so I had to walk back to our place, which was 25 minutes from the train station. Bob got us take out fish and chips, and I was in bed by 8:00!

Needless to say, I was not up for major walking on day three. In fact, I lounged around all morning while Bob went for a run. At noon we went to the weekly market, then we visited the castle ruins and the small castle museum. It was all very pleasant.

Day four was another easy and pleasant day. We took the train to Hereford (just a half hour ride) and walked around the town and along the River Wye. But our main goal (well, my main goal) was to see the Mappa Mundi in the Hereford Cathedral. I have wanted to see this map for years. It was created around 1300 and is the largest world map on vellum to survive the Middle Ages.

In addition to the original map, which is in Latin, they have a copy with all the labels in English. It was very helpful to know what we were seeing, because the map does not look anything like the world as we know it today. Asia is on the top, Europe is on the bottom left, and Africa is on the bottom right. Jerusalem is in the center, which reflects the world view of Christians at that time. I found it fascinating, but then I am a total map geek. The cathedral also has the largest chained library in the world. I am taking their word for it because it wasn’t all that large.

We found a small cafe in an old church – Bill’s Kitchen – that had the best quiche I’ve ever had (leek and cheese) with two delicious salads as sides. Bob ordered a vegetarian stew. Yes, that is correct — a VEGETARIAN stew (he is a confirmed carnivore). He loved it, which just goes to show you CAN teach an old dog new tricks.

On day five, our last day in Abergavenny, we took the bus to Brecon. We had stopped there the last time we were in Wales, but we didn’t have much time, so we thought it would be fun to revisit. Bob went to a military museum, and I went to the cathedral. We met for a quick lunch at an outside cafe, then we went for a walk up a small hill with great views over the town and a bunch of horses, including a new baby. Aww!

We got back to the bus stop five minutes after the 2:05 bus left. If I had been alone, I would have been checking the time every five minutes to make sure this didn’t happen. Bob hates it when I do this because he doesn’t want me hurrying him when we walk, which I get. Not that I agree with it, but I can see his point.

We walked around the town for nearly an hour until the next bus was due. It finally arrived, and guess what? It wasn’t going to Abergavenny; it had to do school runs! It was only going as far as Crickhowell, which is about two-thirds of the way to Abergavenny. Do you think this was indicated on the schedule or the website? It was not. By this I mean, it was not spelled out in bold red letters. I had neglected to pay attention to the SD and SH codes above some of the times, which indicated school days and school holidays. Lesson learned – those codes mean something; read the small print!

We had an hour and twenty minutes wait until the next bus. Ugh! But then I decided to take the bus to Crickhowell. We had stayed there on our last trip to Wales, so we got to revisit the places we remembered from that trip. I would say we made the best of a bad situation. But honestly, I would have preferred not to be in that situation.

Ludlow (3 nights)

Our next destination was Ludlow, which was only an hour from Abergavenny. I have to say after six nights in Abergavenny, I was beginning to tire of small towns, nice as they are. But happily, Ludlow was my favorite. It has interesting buildings (primarily Tudor and Georgian), lots of cute shops and bakeries, and a cool castle.

We spent our first full day in Ludlow taking a day trip to Shrewsbury, which was just a half hour train ride away. It’s an attractive town, similar to Ludlow. So why did we go there? Well, they have a military museum that I thought Bob would like. And it has a Pret a Manger that is very rare in this part of the country. I was on the fence about whether or not to go to Shrewsbury, but Bob said let’s go.

After we got off the train, we made a beeline to Pret. I was dying for their chocolate mousse, and I wanted to get the best selection of sandwiches. We spent $58, our largest Pret haul ever! We each got three sandwiches, which we planned to eat for lunch over three days. And of course, I got three chocolate mousses, which I thought showed admirable restraint. Bob insisted on taking a picture of me in the store with our haul. Then he told the cashier that we came all the way from Ludlow just so I could go to Pret. It was extremely embarrassing! But worth it for the chocolate mousse.

Once that mission was achieved, we walked over to the castle, which houses the Soldiers of Shropshire Museum. We found a bench, and I ate a chocolate croissant (I may have forgotten to mention that little item) and chocolate mousse. Bob had a cup of coffee. (Please note, Bob had a full — and huge — English breakfast that morning, while I just had porridge and yogurt.) The museum was nice, but Bob was more into it than me. After the museum we walked through the small castle park and up to a tower that looked over the town and river. Then we strolled along the river, which was delightful.

On day two, we took a nice hike in the country outside Ludlow. We debated between an easy/moderate hike and a longer one that was rated difficult. We are finally catching on to the fact that hikes rated moderate are fairly difficult for us. So, we went for the easy/moderate one. It had one long challenging climb up a hill where we were rewarded with…a walk through the woods. Definitely not worth it, but we enjoyed the rest of the walk a lot. The highlight was when we got lost in a huge field and could not find the gate cited in the directions we got at the TI. We walked all over the place before we finally found our way out. It was kind of a drag, except for a group of the sweetest cows that followed us around wherever we went. We fell in love, and I took tons of photos of them.

Church Stretton (4 nights)

I wish all our journeys were as easy as the one from Ludlow to Church Stretton – it was just a 15-minute train ride. Before we left, we spent the morning at Ludlow Castle. I thought I was getting castled-out, but it was a very nice castle and we really liked it.

I had originally planned to spend a week in Ludlow but decided to cut it short and spend four days with HF Holidays in Church Stretton. Lola promotes HFH a lot on this forum and Katy recommended the one in Church Stretton. I’m so glad we followed their recommendation. HFH is a cooperative member-owned company that buys country homes and turns them into hotels. You can select walking holidays of 3, 4 or 7 days in length. All meals are provided, including a packed lunch for walks. You can go with a guide or walk on your own using one of the walking guides they provide. We were happy we chose the self-guided walks so we could go at our own pace.

The walks were amazing, and we appreciated the detailed instructions with map and pictures. (So often walking instructions are confusing and lack detail.) I couldn’t get over how gorgeous the countryside around Church Stretton was. These were definitely our best hikes of the trip. The three we took had spectacular 360 views. We had two gorgeous days and one wet misty day. But even the misty day was fun – the moody skies and fierce winds added a lot of drama, and it was kind of fun battling the elements.

We also liked our fellow walkers. There were about 55-60 people, and we were the only Americans. The rest were all Brits who were uniformly nice and friendly. We had not had many opportunities to interact with the English or Welsh on this trip – the downside of rentals – so we really enjoyed the communal meals.

Moreton-in-Marsh (6 nights)

Our final destination was the Cotswolds. I have wanted to spend time here ever since we stopped briefly in Chipping Campden and Stow-on-the-Wold in 2002. I know many British people can’t understand Americans’ obsession with the Cotswolds, but I loved them. Yes, there are many other regions in the British Isles that just as nice or nicer – and I have been to a lot of them – but the Cotswolds are delightful! I love the warm honey-colored houses and gently rolling landscapes.

I chose to stay in Moreton-in-Marsh because of the train and bus routes. I would describe it as a nice and attractive town with lots of conveniences, but the traffic does detract somewhat from the atmosphere. A smaller and quieter village would have been more to my liking, but Moreton-in-Marsh worked well for us. We rented a tiny cottage ten minutes from the center of town, and we were happy with it.

On our first full day, Bob ran in the morning while I took it easy. We headed out at noon and walked on public footpaths for two hours or so. It was mostly flat, so easy walking; pretty, but nothing spectacular.

Our second day was Easter Sunday, and Bob christened it “The Sunday Roast Death March.”

When we arrived on Friday, I tried to get reservations for Sunday roast at the Horse and Groom, a restaurant three miles from Moreton. (I know I should have reserved earlier, but I hate planning meals ahead.) I was pleased and surprised when I got a reservation, since it is supposed to be one of the top restaurants in the Cotswolds. Later, when I put it in Google Maps, it showed it was 6.3 miles (2 hours and 20 minutes) away. It turns out my reservation was for the Horse and Groom in Upper Oddington. I wanted the Horse in Groom in Bourton-on-the-Hill. Unfortunately, the one I wanted was completely booked. So was every restaurant in Moreton. So, we decided to stick with the Horse and Groom in Upper Oddington.

The walk was not technically difficult – there were hardly any cars, and it wasn’t too hilly. But perhaps because it was sunny and hot, it seemed to take forever! We were tired and sweaty when we finally got there. The restaurant was old and full of character. We sat in a tiny pub room, with only two tables, and the service was excellent. Unfortunately, the food was just average, but it was nourishment we desperately needed. Surprisingly, the walk back zipped by fairly quickly. I think it’s because we expected it to be sheer hell, we were fortified with food and water, and it had gotten cloudy and cool. Even so, by the time we got back, we were exhausted.

Was the meal worth the death march? No, it was not.

BUT…we had an experience that was.

On the way TO the restaurant, we had seen a field of about 70-80 sheep. A few of them came over to us, but most of them went on with their business (eating grass). On the way BACK, we walked by the same field and saw one sheep on the other side of the gate. Bob said (sort of to her), “Sorry, we don’t have time to tarry.” But then he said to me, “We should go say hi.”

When we got to the gate, all the sheep stopped what they were doing and came over to see us. From every corner of the field, every one of them walked over and stood behind the gate. They came, they stared, they said, “Baa.” It was hilarious, and we were charmed. All the agony of the walk was worth it.

Moreton-in-Marsh continued

We were ready for an easier day the next day, so we took the train to Oxford (just 35 minutes). It was the kind of day you expect when you come to the British Isles, but that we had seen little of so far – gray with drizzles on and off. We had been to Oxford in 1982 but remembered very little, so we were anxious to see it again.

We did some walking around on our own, but our main activity in Oxford was a walking tour. We had an excellent guide, and we got a nice overview of Oxford and some of the students who have studied there. The architecture is fabulous, and I kept thinking how cool it would be to go to school there.

As if the history and architecture were not enough – to my surprise, there was a Pret in the Oxford train station! We got sandwiches for dinner that night and the following day, and of course, I got three chocolate mousses! Which I want to point out I did not eat all in one sitting.

The next day the beautiful weather was back. I went on the Secret Cotswolds day tour with Go Cotswolds. (Bob didn’t want to go, so he did a long run instead.) I absolutely loved the tour! We went to the Rollright Standing Stones, Burford, Guiting Power, Broadway, Stanton, and two churches. We had 70 minutes each in Burford and Guiting Power and 30 minutes each in the other two towns and the standing stones. We also visited two old, interesting churches and drove through Burton-on-the-Water and Snowshill. I loved it all.

A side note: Martin, our superb guide, was a retired police detective. According to him, all the British murder mysteries we’ve been watching on TV are not realistic. !??!

Our last day in the Cotswolds started out with drizzle, then alternated between white fluffy clouds and dark gray threatening clouds. We took the bus to Bourton-on-the-Water (25 minutes). It was just so picturesque and tranquil with hardly any people, presumably because of the weather. From there we walked to Lower and Upper Slaughter. It was a lovely walk, and the villages were quaint as could be. Finally, we walked to Stow-on-the-Wold, where we caught the bus back to Moreton-in-Marsh after half an hour ambling around the town. It was a great day, and we were happy to end our stay in the Cotswolds on a high note.

London (1 night)

The last day of our trip was a long one. We caught a 10:00 train to London then transferred to the Heathrow Express to get to our hotel at the airport. I hated to spend this kind of money, but we were short on time, and when we got off the train, it was right in front of us. We were able to check in early to our room at the Hilton Garden Inn, but we couldn’t linger because I had purchased tickets for the Churchill War Rooms. Our window for entry was 2:00-2:30. It took us an hour and 25 minutes to get there via the underground, and we only had ten minutes to spare. Then it took me several minutes to find my email confirmation, so we cut it way closer than I like. I was pretty stressed by the time we got in.

We had been here before in 2002, and I loved it. To walk through the underground rooms where Churchill and his cabinet directed the war effort was amazing. I knew they had expanded it and added a Churchill Museum, so I was anxious to see it again.

I wouldn’t say the reno was a success. In fact, I was really disappointed. You wander around with an audio guide and the commentary doesn’t always match what you are seeing. Then the museum is stuck in the middle of the tour, and it’s a giant jumble of stuff in no particular order, or maybe it just seemed that way because there were so many people milling around. Then you’re back wandering through the halls with your audio guide, which I had lost patience with. And there were way too many people clogging up the halls. It is not a place for the claustrophobic, I can tell you that. They save the best part for the end — the maps with the pins they used to track the progress of the war. But they are not in their original context as I recall (perhaps mistakenly) from our visit in 2002. By the time we got to the maps, my main thought was — Get me out of here!

Get out we did, and we walked over to Westminster Abbey for evensong. This I loved; it was very calming. After we exited the church, we stopped at a nearby Pret to get sandwiches for dinner Sadly, no chocolate mousse for me – I can’t eat chocolate at night if I want to sleep. But that wasn’t the end of my Pret adventures. We skipped breakfast at the Hilton the next morning in order to get to the airport three hours before our 9:20 flight, and we stopped at the Pret in Terminal 3. I got a chocolate croissant and one more chocolate mousse! Since this Pret was before security, I had to put the chocolate mousse in the bag with my liquids. And by bag, I mean those little ones they give you at Heathrow that are barely bigger than a sandwich bag. I always have to give Bob some of my liquids in British airports because they won’t all fit in my bag. On this day, I had to choose between my chocolate mousse and my excess liquids, and you can guess what I decided. My shampoo and sunscreen went in the trash, and I had one last chocolate mousse while we waited for our flight to board! Not a bad ending to a fun trip.

Carroll, thank you for sharing your detailed trip report. I like your writing style and your travel style--both inspire me to revisit Wales. I was there in 2023 and found it a bit limiting to rely on buses and trains rather than driving myself. But your car free travels make me hopeful that I can do it again.

I stayed a couple nights at the Worms Head Hotel in Rhossili and thought the Gower peninsula was gorgeous. I was there in May and saw lots of foals with their moms on the cliff. I watched hang gliders soar overhead--they looked like they were having a blast, and I would love to do that--while I enjoyed an alfresco lunch next to the hotel. I also splurged on a fancy afternoon tea at the Angel Hotel in Abergavenny, but for the next trip I might save my money and buy lots of Pret's chocolate mousse instead!

Oh gosh Carroll what a lively and funny report, thank you for sharing. This comment was particularly relatable:

(I ate every single one of those honey roasted pecans — all 940
calories of them!)

I also love Pret and plan to partake of their goodies in a summer trip to London. My niece is a picky eater but pretty sure chocolate mousse is on her ok list, yay!

Carroll, I’ve been waiting for your trip report and it was well worth the wait! I loved it and smiled and laughed through the whole thing, especially upon reading about all the chocolate mousses! Oh, now I’m missing them all over again! I need to find out if they can be shipped to the United States. And I almost died when I read about how you bought three at one time to be eaten over the next three meals. That made me laugh so hard! But I don’t blame you a bit! Get them while you can!

Your trip sounds like it was just so wonderful. I’m ready to jump up and head to Wales right now. It sounds like you got some great exercise in and walks, but it also sounded very relaxing and fun. Thanks for writing such a wonderful story about your travels! I really enjoyed it.

PS: I forgot to mention that I laughed again at the end when you threw away the shampoo in order to keep the chocolate mousse. Yes!!!!

Loved this whole report. So funny AND fun! And someday I hope to try a chocolate mousse. I’m like you tho and can’t have them at dinner time if I want to sleep. Thank you so much for sharing your trip with us!

Many thanks Carroll for your detailed trip report. You went to many interesting places that seem to be off the radar of Americans.

I think you should have spent a bit more time in Cardiff in order to see the 3 other castles within 8 miles of the city centre = St.Fagans, Caerphilly and Castell Coch. It also would have been easier to visit Chepstow from Cardiff (direct trains) rather than Abergavenny (requires change at Newport).

A shame about the bus situation at Tintern & you having to walk back to Chepstow. I hope you did not do it on the main A466? 2 walking routes are available although the shorter western one nay be a little steep in places. (I have only walked part of it to Eagle’s Nest Viewpoint).

The town of Llandeilo is going to have a by-pass which will make it more pleasant. Yes, Carreg Cennen Castle is fabulous and Newton House (NT) on the west side of Llandeilo is also worth seeing. For those with a car, I would also suggest visiting:> https://botanicgarden.wales
This garden is not far west of Llandeilo although I would not exactly rave about it:> https://aberglasney.org

Readers may like to know that you went form Llandeilo to Abergavenny via the Heart of Wales railway via a change at Craven Arms and this where you got stuck for a bit due to a cancelled train. Yes, even if you have booked advance tickets, it is not your fault that a train is cancelled and you do not buy another ticket - indeed, you can get compensation because they failed to deliver you on time.

Readers planning future visits to south east Wales may like to know that they now have contactless bank card tap in/out travel on Transport for Wales and Cross Country Trains in this area. So, taking Carroll’s trip from Abergavenny to Chepstow and back, buying a train ticket would cost £19.20 return (non Railcard price) yet using contactless - where you scan your bank card at start of journey and scan out at end - would only cost £8.40 return in this case. Further details - see:>
https://tfw.wales/ways-to-travel/rail/ticket-types/pay-as-you-go

Note: that if using contactless pay-as-you-go that you don’t have a ticket but if the guard request your ticket - you show your bank card & they have a gadget that shows you scanned in.

Not having a ticket as proof that you travelled by train means that you can’t get the 2 for 1 entry to historic monuments in the care of CADW in Wales. In the area of SE Wales covered by ‘contactless’ that includes Castell Coch, Caerphilly & Chepstow Castles. (Cardiff Castle is not under the administration of CADW). If needing to retain train tickets for 2 for 1 deals - do not put the ticket in an exit slot at the gate or it will disappear - see a member of staff and say that you wish to retain the ticket & they will let you through.

Oh - and :> https://www.pret.co.uk/en-GB

I absolutely love these mousse stories! 😂 Three in a row — that’s what I call a victory! Now I really want to try them myself, and honestly, I’d trade a bottle of shampoo for one too! 😄
To be honest, I’m not sure I could even resist one, let alone three. The way you described them makes them sound totally worth sacrificing space in your luggage. The part about tossing out shampoo to make room had me laughing out loud — that’s a whole new level of travel priorities! Thanks so much for sharing such a joyful and delicious piece of your trip. Pret is officially on my travel must-do list now. 😋

What a hilarious trip report! I have been to Pret in London but didn’t know about the chocolate mousse; now my life is changed! Next April I will be in London and the Cotswolds and I will be sampling the chocolate mousse there.

I loved your comment about the Worms Head hike - “it was the kind of smart decision we rarely make” about turning back! You saw there was a second causeway with even larger rocks to traverse.

Also, your comment about reading the fine print when there was no bus to Chepstow because of school bus pickups.

Thanks for sharing your trip with us, it was a pleasure to read.

Thanks for the fun trip report. All your hikes have left me exhausted. I think I need to find some Pret's chocolate mousse.

Now I thought I love Pret but you are on another level. Now maybe that is because I have yet to try their chocolate mousse!

Very much enjoyed your report. We have not had the nerve yet to drive on the “wrong” side of the road but was humbled by how much walking no car meant you did. We have not been to Wales yet where it sounds more challenging.

For those of you wondering what the Worm’s Head at Rhosilli looks like:>https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/rhosili-and-south-gower-coast/visiting-rhosili-and-south-gower-coast

Love, love your report! Thank you for taking the time to bring us along (or make us plan to go.) Totally agree about Pret - I walk in and hear the angels singing. And want to buy one of everything to eat.