(I'm going to try out a REL style entry)
Aidan and I have just returned from another lovely holiday in Wales. We stayed in Coed-Y-Brenin, right off one of the mountain bike trails there. We rented a cottage for the week, and had another couple come stay with us for the first half. We had amazing weather.. not a drop of rain until we were driving home on Sunday.
Here are the boys sorting out the BBQ. You can see Aidan is hard at work!
The sunset from our back porch.
Many of the days were filled with mountain biking, Aidan managed to hit three different trail centers during the week. No mountain biking for me this trip though!
Aside from deserting me to go mountain biking Aidan also did a big day of climbing along the north ridge of Cader Idris with Chris and Gail.
Going up!
Look for Aidan at the very bottom of the picture, clinging to the rock face.
Peek-A-Boo! (Or should that be Peak-A-Boo?) (Isn't he just the cutest thing you've ever seen?!)
My time was spent doing hikes with the dog, when everyone else was out having other adventures. He's pretty good company, and certainly keeps me fit. Here he is hunting Welsh rabbits.
We did a couple of big hikes.. the first one was up the Rhinogs with Chris and Gail, the couple who came to stay with us.
It was a beautiful day out, with perfect blue skies. The heather was all in bloom as well, which blanketed the area in a bed of purple.
Our friends Chris and Gail.
Melissa, Aidan, and Finn enjoying the view.
We also spent a day at Nant-Y-Aran, which has a mountain bike trail.. but also is a bit of a bird life refuge. The big draw is the Red Kite, which is a rare bird of prey.. and currently found mainly only in Wales. They feed them every afternoon, which is what attracted this large flock. It's amazing to see so many in one place.
A Red Kite
Getting a bit of sun (on my blinding white belly) while watching the Kites.
After Chris and Gail left, Aidan and I did a big hike up Cader Idris (from the South side).. we didn't go all the way up to the peak.. just the lake up in the center. It's a pretty good climb/hike up there.. Finn and I had to keep stopping to wait for Aidan to catch up! (The poor boy had done an hour and a half run and several hours mountain biking the day before.. so he wasn't even able to keep up with an eight-months pregnant woman and an over-heated lurcher).
Melissa and Finn. You can see the valley far below us, where we left the car.. we're not even a third of the way up yet.
Cooling off in the lake in the middle of the mountain. Aidan had a snooze while Finn and I explored the shoreline.
Melissa and Aidan, enjoying our pre-baby holiday.
We had an amazing time.. and made lots more Welsh memories. It's the best place in the world.. and so very special to both of us.
