travel updates

I'm back from my trip to Swansea and I didn't see any sheep. Or learn any Welsh. How disappointing.

Swansea Bay

Jenn and I stayed with this nice couple (who, unfortunately, were smokers--not so fun); they were also hosting a boy named Mohammed from Saudi Arabia who was there to learn English. This kid was so funny. He receives £1000 a month from the Saudi king, and he spends it all on alcohol and taxis to go out every night. He'd stumble in at midnight, going on about how many shots of tequila and gin he took and the clubs he went to, while Andy lectured him on how he shouldn't drink so much and he definitely shouldn't go to Wind Street because it was filled with "girls walking around with no clothes on!" We didn't go out at night, but a few others in our group did and apparently he was right. I heard reports that all of the girls were drunken messes in stripper costumes. Fun times.

Castle ruins

We did go to the beach which was very pretty, although it would have been nicer in warmer weather. We also went shopping--and funniest thing, I saw two friends of mine in Topshop that I haven't seen in years! What a random coincidence. I also learned how to make Welsh cakes from Julie. I think I'll try them with dried cranberries or golden raisins, because I get tired of raisins pretty quickly.

All in all, it was a pretty entertaining experience. Didn't get to watch the Portsmouth - Swansea FA Cup match because no one in the household liked football; I didn't want to be the annoying guest that forces people to watch her TV programs. But I did get to listen to some of the Arsenal - Cardiff match on the coach on the way back to London. Good weekend for Welsh football, not such a good weekend for the rest of us. Oh well, replay's at home so hopefully we won't be quite so incompetent.