The long and winding road

Summer holiday 2023 day 1

It's starting to seem traditional now that we have a long drive on the first day of our family holiday with a random stop off on route.

This year it was just me and the boys for the journey down to South Wales -Louisa had to work and join us later. It was a 3 hour drive down, almost exclusively, windy country roads with Owen having a meltdown on the one dual carriageway around Carmarthen because he doesn't like big roads, "they're boring!".

We had a brief stop in Builth Wells before stopping properly at Dinefwr Castle. There's a house not far from the car park and the castle* up on top of a hill on a mile and a half walking route...of course Owen (and me) wanted to see the castle so Aaron, being the dutiful big brother* came with us.
I think we explored almost every part of it, even though I was inwardly terrified walking the battlements with Owen with just a thin railing between us and plunging to the ground. I think he was holding my hand for my support. 

Then it was back on the road for the final stretch to our holiday house, an old coaching inn, only to realise that Louisa, Geoff and Carole had the food and we had to fend for ourselves*.

It was nice to do that walk with the boys but weird not having Louisa with us. Running late, the others finally joined us at about half past 11.
Holiday time!