AN INTERESTING ADVENTURE

Pembrokeshire is full of surprises so before they leave the lovely old Swan Inn the Curious Man and friends go on a quest to discover the spot where Stonehenge's stones originated. Yes, just down the road  is the very spot scientists have determined is where our long ago ancestors dragged stones 176 miles to complete the building of Stonehenge.
Cmnff just had to see it.
The weather was a bit murky..

.. but CARRY ON REGARDLESS is CM's motto.

Leaving Cmnffw to hold the fort in the car, CM, Cmnff and the NW continued the journey on foot.

It was an interesting adventure..

"Norm, which way now?"

"Hmmm"

"I know I've got the map here somewhere"

"Here, this'll do."

and who knows if they found the right spot .. at least they'd got some exercise and NW found some nice wildflowers..

and there were faggots for tea...

And some words of wisdom from the innkeeper:

TICKING ALL THE BOXES

After a few days wandering about the edges of Wales, including a walk along Offas's Dyke and the exciting discovery of the Druid's tree and the Devil's Pulpit,

CM plays out his fantasies in the Druid's tree

The devil apparently liked to chuck stones  at Tintern Abbey from here.  You can just see it in the distance.  (He could have played cricket for England)

CM and co escape further into the the country to Pembrokeshire for six days at the Old Swan Inn. They are in raptures. As they say in that renowned TV show,  it "ticks all the boxes".
It's even got WiFi!

There's plenty to do around here.
You've heard of the Bayeux tapestry? Well just up the road is its lesser known British equivalent, The Fishguard Tapestry, hidden away in an upstairs room of the library. It commemorates the time, in 1797,  when Britain was last invaded.  By the French of course. Lots of shenanigans went on and thanks to the red cloaked grannies in the distance, off to do their shopping,  the French, thinking they were soldiers, were scared off. Next time you're in Fishguard, go see it.

For some outdoor sightseeing we  recommend St. Govan's chapel.

Dating back to the 6th century it was the home of St Govan the monk. He is said to have escaped from pirates here when a fissure in the cliff opened up to hide him. It must have ticked all the boxes for him because he made it his home. He died in 586 and made it his permanent home... There are lots of legends about him... The chapel dates back to the 13th century.
 CM&co spent many happy hours wandering about.

And with his superb camera skills, Cmnff even managed to capture a ghostly apparition on the chapel wall.

And on the way home, the NW got a shot of the world's most massive dog!

IN AND OUT AND IN AGAIN

The CM and friends decide to enjoy their first day in Wales by returning to England and taking a trip to Bath. Well it's not that far down the road. ...After a fascinating visit to the ancient Roman baths,

they realize that they're not that far from the enigmatic standing stones at Avebury.

Cmnff particularly enjoys studying these fascinating monoliths and NW carefully examines all the stones and decides that this is her favourite. It reminds her of someone...

It was dinner time by then so CM took his friends a bit further down the road to a nice little pub where Charles Dickens liked to hang out.

To get home, Saturnia, the satnav sends them back the long way via Gloucester just so the Cmnffnw can get a glimpse of the cathedral spires against the midnight sky. How thoughtful!

Bristol, Burgers, Brunel, Britannia and Banksy

The Curious Man is Off to Wales!

But first,  Bristol, where he and his NW will be collected from the airport by the Curious Man's Nice Friend and his Nice Friend's Nice Wife. (henceforth to be referred to in the Welsh Gaelic form: Cmnff and Cmnffnw).(2 "f's" make a "f' sound)

Cmnff is very interested in Bristol's examples of the works of engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. So is the CM, but his burgers take precedence.

After a multisensory experience at Brunel's ship Britannia (complete with shipboard sounds and smells of baking bread, horse manure and vomit from seasick passengers),

CM and Co track down a genuine Banksy:

then head for the hills of Wales, Blackthorne Lodge in Coed Y Paen, where there's no internet but plenty of reading material.

Flowers, Fotos and Fantasma

 Flowers, Fotos and Fantasma

With the sounds of crunching peanut shells underfoot, the Curious Man and his Nice Wife leave Raffles and depart for 'Gardens by the Bay' using Singapore's excellent rail system.
 CM's enthusiasm for photography and NW's passion for gardens means that this will be a win -win situation. They arrive at 2pm - perfect timing to explore the air-conditioned conservatories, take photos, ride the Garden Explorer, take photos, eat some cake, take photos, climb up to the SkyWay bridge and take photos, then relax back on the lawn to be dazzled by the light show (and take photos).
No more needs to be written,  the photos will speak for themselves..