How Green Was My Valley

After we returned from London, we had one more day in and around Cardiff before going to West Wales. My grandparents, husband, and I decided to go slightly north and hang out around my Grampy's old haunts around the Brecon Beacons ~ he lived in the area as a child. I will always wistfully wish that I, too, had grown up there because, my friends, it is the most gorgeous countryside I have ever seen in my life.

My grandparents on our walk.

And, before anyone asks, no, these photos have not been altered in any way, shape, or form. It is really that green, and it was really that bright and sunny (unusual for the UK, I know). 

We parked at the trail head and we decide to take a walk next to the stream.

Past a few waterfalls. 

Until we reached the top. 

And the waterfall, with local students climbing underneath it for a class (I wish I had a class like that in school!).

On the way down, we continued to marvel at the beauty all around us. 

And talked about how fortunate people were to live around this unspoiled beauty. 

And were thankful that it was returned to its original splendor after generations of coal mining, at one point, turned the mountainside black. 

It was humbling to think of my grandfather's family living here. They may not have had much: picking edible berries off the mountainside to make a little bit of extra money, illegally fishing in these waters for food, but they still felt blessed. It makes you think about what we hold most dear nowadays. It makes me re-assess what I value most. 

After our leisurely stroll through the mountainside, we stopped in Brecon on our way back to Cardiff where I bought ingredients for dinner. Once back at the house, I made a tasty meal from my find at the market: sea bass, new potatoes, and green beans, all in season! 

After dinner, we met up with three of my cousins and their partners for a drink. I hadn't seen them for 10 years! That's right, 10. Thank God for Facebook, am I right? It was great catching up with them, and I was glad my husband was finally able to meet them. Now he only has a few more to meet before he has met all of the cousins in the UK. It was a great way to end our portion of the trip in south Wales.