We cleaned up our cottage and set out for Wales. After just 30 minutes of driving we bid adieu to everything we thought we knew about the Roman alphabet and entered the land of words that appear as if they were invented by a cat walking across a keyboard.

We had originally planned to visit Cardiff but every time we told someone of this plan, they cocked their head to the side and asked why. We picked up the social cues and figured it might not be the best way to spend 3 days. Nick did some last minute research and found us a central village that is accessible to the many sights that Wales has to offer.

We started by visiting Pembrey beach. Driving up, it felt like an abandoned caravaner’s paradise. There was a ton of parking, closed down ice cream shops, and an out-of-service mini train. We parked and ventured up the sand dune in search of the sea.

As we walked over it, the crisp sea wind hit us. Millie didn’t care and asked to take her shoes off so she could run in the water. The water was very far away since it was low tide. At one point I looked at the map on my phone and showed us in the middle of the ocean, I assume because during high tide we would have been.

We finally reached the water, which was surprisingly warm. We walked along the shore for a while, Millie happily running ahead and then back again like a Labrador puppy.

The beach was full of razor clams and whatever these things are. Stepping on them was like stepping on a Pringle. Extremely satisfying.

We walked on and discovered many very large jellyfish. They were disgusting and fascinating. Millie enjoyed poking them with sticks and pretended to run a Jellyfish museum that we had to buy tickets for so she could give us a tour.

From our beach walk, we drove 15 minutes to Kidwelly castle. Wales is known for its castles and this one delivered.

The access within it was impressive. We were able to climb every tower and walk around the outer wall. Millie lost her mind with excitement and her imagination took off. She kept saying things like “I bet the queen slept here. I bet they kept the horses here. I bet they ate in here.” At one point she squealed “this is even better than the beach!” and it cured me of my guilt around pulling her out of school for a year.

They even had a throne for her to sit in.

We drove on and checked into our home for the next few nights. It’s in a small hilly village in the middle of Welsh farmland. The hallway is 5.5ft tall so please join me in prayer for Nick’s forehead.

Millie had a brief meltdown in which she kicked me in the stomach and told Nick she hated him, so it wasn’t a fully 10/10 day. Once she recovered we walked to dinner at the local pub. Tomorrow we will get groceries eat at home to save some money.

On that note, a budget update…

Last night Nick and I sat down and entered everything we’ve spent into the spreadsheet. Good news: we’re exactly on budget. Bad news: we’re exactly on budget despite the many nights we’ve stayed with friends for free. If we had paid for our own lodging every night, we’d be way over. This is somewhat okay since we know we’re in a high-cost part of the trip, but was still eye opening.

It was interesting to analyze what categories we’re spending on. Things like museum admission have been way higher than I expected – $75 to go to Stonehenge, $80 for the science museum in Bristol, $70 for the Roman baths, etc. These are non negotiable for us, so we’ll continue to see the sights we want to see. The other big piece of the pie chart was food, which has been super expensive even though we’ve been eating in mostly casual places. Admittedly we could have saved a bit if we didn’t get a pint every time we stepped foot in a pub but… when in Rome? So we’ve agreed: beers on weekends and we will cook at home as much as possible. Sorry for the boring money update, I’m a Capricorn and can’t help it.

I will leave you with this.