WALES, YHA & A SPOT OF GOOD WEATHER
This weekend gone by I was lucky enough to go to Wales for the first time (well that I can actually remember anyway) with my wonderful family for a super mini holiday. It happened to be quite a co-incidence that this trip to Wales should happen after I've spent the best part of a year insulting my Welsh flatmate/ friend Scarlett about her Welsh-ness, and just taking the mickey out of everything Welsh and Wales itself in general even though I hadn't actually been to Wales properly and actually have absolutely nothing against Wales, as it turns out. It was a bit like stepping off my high horse, so to speak, because I was forced to venture into the country I've just spent the last year insulting, and really experience Wales and its culture for the first time. But you know what? I actually really enjoyed myself so, so much. In fact, I enjoyed myself so much that I think I'm going to make the conscious decision to stop insulting Wales and my little Welsh pally in future, because my opinion on Wales has changed entirely over the last weekend. I'm officially a convert. Wales is amazing.
So what did I get up to on my little adventure? Well after a seven hour drive from Derby to Broad Haven on the rather stunning Pembrokeshire coast, and a quick stop over in a gloomy Swansea, the fam and I checked into the local YHA where we stayed during our visit. We've been using Youth Hostels for the last couple of years because to put it simply, they are ruddy marvellous. Initially I used to be incredibly sceptical about using them, always opting for a hotel where I could just like most people I know. However now having stayed in numerous YHA hostels all over the country, I've completely changed my mind because they really are just fantastic, as well as being in so many great locations and so, so cheap too. The staff are angels, each hostel is so unique and with so much character, you get to mix with other people at the hostels so you aren't shut off in your room on your own, you can even make your own food, and like I just said, the prices are so reasonable and affordable, meaning it's so easy and justifiable to go on breaks around the UK with your loved ones. And I wanted to get that in there, all about the wonderful YHA, because I think they're such a fab idea that for some reason just aren't that well known, or there seems to be a bit of negative stigma or assumptions about staying in a youth hostel, when there really, really shouldn't be. Hostels are one of the world's best kept secrets, and I want to share that secret with you and urge you to consider them next time you want to take a holiday or a short break in the UK because you will not regret it.
And now onto our holiday. On the Saturday we drove down the weather was rather grey and rainy, so we stayed around the little villages of Broad Haven and Little Haven, had some tasty pub grub and then my sis and I spent Saturday evening singing and running and twirling around the beach in the rain. Sounds so simple but it was just so much fun and so liberating too, and it's true what they say, life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain *wink wink nudge nudge*. On the Sunday we were rewarded with stunning blue skies (as you can see in the main picture) that completely enhanced the sheer natural beauty of the Welsh countryside and coastline, and our day involved venturing up and down the Pembrokeshire coast. We managed to squeeze in visits to the super colourful and gorgeous Tenby, the cute little harbour at Solva, exploring the smallest city in the UK, St Davids, and then had tea at the only pub in Broad Haven, followed by the fam and I playing a spot of Sunday night badminton on the beach. It was so much fun and so nice to spend quality time together as a family. In spite of how much we complained about Wales initially (my sis is a complete city lover), I think all of us came to really appreciate the beauty of the country and really enjoyed doing such fun, simple things together, almost disconnected from the real world for a while. It was so lovely, and on the Monday we made our way back home, driving through the rainy Welsh countryside and stopping off at the cute town of Hay on Wye, which is stacked full of book shops and cafes (a real must if you love books!) and then the rather hilly but surprisingly pretty spa town of Malvern in Worcestershire.
So even though our trip was super short, we managed to fit so much into it and just had the most amazing time exploring a new country, lots of new places, and spending some time together as a family. And now I whole heartedly would recommend taking a break to Wales because it's actually quite a nice place as it turns out, or just a write a list of all the places you want to visit in the UK and just go explore them with loved ones for a weekend because it's so nice to spend time together, and defo take a nosy at the YHA too!
So yeah, I guess all that's left to say is VIVA LA WALES!!!
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PHOTOBOOK
Beautiful purple flowers
The vast expanse that is Broad Haven beach ft. grey skies
Cute lil' picnic bench surrounded by little flowers
Pastel painted buildings (always a fantastic idea in my opinion)
The family galdem- Mum, Sis & Me
The standard footwear shot. I wore my converses all weekend due to zee unpredictable weather!
Beautifully colourful flowers!
Being fly on da beach (can we share some appreciation for my incredibly curvacious legs plz)
I do love me an amusing sign
Pretty pink flowers in a jar
Broadhaven illuminated at night time
Retro boats moored on Little Haven beach
Nice cathedral in St Davids, the smallest city in the UK!
The brackets are aimed at my cynical little sister.
A shop in Hay on Wye dedicated to chandeliers (how awesome is that!)
Evening sunset reflected so serenely on the sand
A group of seagulls I found chilling by the sea
The vividly technicolour wonder that is Tenby town centre
A stunning view of the gorgeous Tenby beach!
I need a house on this street. Flowers & pastel colours as far as the eye can see is just heaven.
Sis getting windswept but still smiling anyways!
Welsh nature
Cute bike and flowers combo in St Davids town centre
Me and my super frizzy hair enjoying the evening sunset
To zee Youth Hostel we gooooooo
The rewarding view of Solva harbour after a tough old hike up some steep Welsh valleys
Casual spot of windsurfing by a local
Some pretty plants I found in St Davids
What a perfect way to end a Sunday :)
Simultaneous colour and ice cream appreciation
The YHA (youth hostel) where we stayed!
Insane colour combos in Tenby /// Beautiful treacle ice cream from Hay on Wye I had
Tenby is a real life rainbow, so prreeeetttyyy
An assortment of super colourful flags at a pub we went to for lunch
The squad assembled for a spot of Sunday evening badminton on Broadhaven beach
The sky in Broadhaven starting to brighten up a lil' bit
Sister luv on the beach on a rainy Saturday evening
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