Trelewis...

Time for an update! Monday was a wet-grey-wet-wet-grey sort of day, but Alun and Sandra took me out to see an area of the Rhondda I had not yet visited. We went through Aberfan, where the Pantglas School disaster occurred in 1966 (October 21st). A coal mine tip
collapsed and crushed the school. 144 people (mostly children) died in the disaster. In Aberfan there is a wonderful memorial to the children in the form of a series of arches in the cemetery there. Visiting the site is quite heart-rending as you walk along the rows reading the ages of the victims... 9...8...10...9...

I was feeling a little subdued, but we moved on, and visited Caerphilly Castle, walking around the outside as the afternoon was getting on and there were renovations happening which meant the main hall was closed anyway (Elsa - here's another place for us to visit next year!)

Tuesday started with a visit to Alun's workshop. He is a farrier and very skilled - I commented how he made the work look so easy, but he just pointed out "I've been doing it for a long time man!" Sandra, Ceris and Rhys took me into Cardiff to catch a train to Portsmouth (actually Havant but close enough) where I was met by Glenda...
(Read on in the next post!)

To Alun & Sandra, thank you so much for the last 8-9 days. Awesome! You showed me parts of Wales I would not have reached without you, and gave me the opportunity to meet family who would have been out of reach otherwise.

Thank you for hosting me!!