Weather is not too hot today, this morning is a bit um.. wet.

So, after a thorough tidy of the motorhome, a few games of cards (I am terrible at cards!!) the weather decided to break for us and we went for a stroll up the canal.

Toby loved this, there were bridges across the canal that he was only too happy to help shift for the oncoming boats. It certainly made him feel helpful and important!! When I learn how to post videos on here I have one if him shoving the bridge that I’ll share..

shame it had to end somewhere, a beautiful and very successful trip all in all. We decided to stop in the way home at the services just west of Southampton. We found out that Robs van had been leaking oil for a while and luckily spotted it just as he was leaving. He made it home safely and all was well.

Thanks Wales, you are gorgeous. boo hiss back to work soon..

I would normally come up with a catchy title for a post on here, but nothing sprang to mind other than the beauty of the place we found for our nights stay here.

We were parked in a small car park on the opposing side of a reservoir to the main road. It wasn’t busy and it was quiet, a few cars arrived, people shone mobile phones here and there (more on that later) but the night sleep we had here was very quiet. Waking up to this though was a breath of fresh air.

Truly breathtaking.

Back, briefly, to the cars that arrived. Just after dusk people were arriving, walking down to the banks of the reservoir and shining their mobile phones to make, I assume, other people aware of their location. Now was this a nefarious sales pitch or a canine inspired late night activity I’m not sure, but it did heighten the worry a bit.

So a leisurely start today, didn’t particularly want to leave, so a brief wander up the banks and about half way round the reservoir. Then we decided to visit a historical mining site which turned out to be shut as they were filming a period piece there..

So, we turned our attention to Cardiff and headed for the seafront and after a prolonged car-park hunt, we finally managed to have a walk around and happened across the Doctor Who exhibition. Toby thought this was ace, the walk through was fantastic for him, he drove and assisted in steadying the Tardis and was selected to retrieve a crystal from a full size Dalek (I accompanied him and we were both bricking it). No sooner had he removed the crystal it woke up and scared us even more!! After the tour is the museum and there is just so much in there that it is difficult to take it all in.

After the Doctor left us, (insert Tardis noise here) we headed for home but thought we’d stop half way for the night.

You find us snuggled up in a Camping and Caravanning Site in Devises.

And so it was, leaving our pub on the water behind (there’s a song title in there somewhere). We headed into Wales, during the previous evening April had found a Coal Mine tour that we decided we would have a look into, near Blaenavon.

So, we packed up our things, and hit the road, I must say the beige mobile was holding together very well on it’s maiden voyage. we took a leisurely pace, up through Monmouthshire.

The mine was very interesting, UK Law disallows anything electric underground, so no photos of the actual mine, but here’s panorama of the place for your viewing pleasure.

Toby seemed to enjoy the ride down in the lift, but wasn’t happy with the role that would have been given to him if he had a job there. Holding candle at a horse entry/exit point for 8 hours isn’t something he feels equipped to do.

After the mine, we looked around the site, at the elevator winch and a number of abandoned machines they used to use we headed back to the motorhomes and had a fry up in their car park. During this normal event for us we planned where to spend the night. This time we though we’d try a wildcamp.. and we were not disappointed.

Jez found a wildcamp alongside a reservoir near Merthyr Tidfil and we set off. North up through Brecon and down through the valleys, a gorgeous part of the UK.

You find us on the banks of a reservoir right now, images and more in the next post.

So, with Cheddar sinking into the distance we drove through Bristol to grab the M48 to take the Old Bridge into Wales. We’d found a BritStop on the Severn waterfront that caught our eye.

So with the journey done and dusted, we arrived at a wonderful pub with quite a view of the Severn

So, we popped in the pub, had a swift pint and took a walk down the coast. We ended up underneath the road bridge we’d just come across towering above us..

Off into Way’els Proper tomorrow.. Nunight

Today we leave for a Wales extravaganza, our first stop is the caravan and camping club site in the Mendip hills, our journey was very wet and ended very foggy, we arrived when it was dark and were only staying for the one night, but it was a quiet experience and having the facilities on hand is very helpful. We were able to make sure the van was up to scratch for the next two nights were to be without power/water/toilet etc.

It was also to be our first trip with the beigemobile and Rob, his 1986 Renault tragic traffic was to be joining us for our journeys into the unknown valleys.