We often begin the day without a particular destination in mind but today was even more extreme. We didn't know where we were at the end of the day! With the nice weather for walkers, the Royal Welsh Show and Olympic football beginning in Cardiff, rooms are scarce. So when we saw a "vacancy" sign in the window of a B&B we stopped, not knowing even what town we were in.
Barbara and Stan, Pencerreg B&B, Llandovery
As it turns out Pencerreg B&B is in Llandovery. Barbara and Stan, our hosts, are well-traveled and share our "What, me worry?" spontaneous travel attitude. Stan has a devilish way about him and Barbara looks like June Cleaver would in her 70s, neatly coiffed and always in a dress. Over a welcome tea she told us about her life in post-war Bryn Mawr, the mining town where she grew up and showed us many photos. Rather than searce out new lodgings with everything going on we decided to stay here in Llandovery and take day trips. After Australia nothing that Wales can offer seems daunting, distance-wise.
St. Davids is a cute little place, Britain's smallest city; a "city" being defined as having a cathedral. David was a devout monk, canonized for his actions rather than being a martyr. Consequently there is no relic of David, not a drop of blood, a hank of hair or a piece of bone for pilgrims to see. A sly bishop convinced a medieval pope to issue a papal bull proclaiming that two pilgrimages to St. Davids equals a pilgimage to the Vatican. Three such visits are equililent to a trip to the Holy City of Jerusalem. The revenue from all the pilgrims made it possible for the bishop to build the impressive Bishop's Palace, in ruins since Henry VIII's split with the church.
Tintern Abbey, two hours from Llandovery in the opposite direction, has a more traditional story. It was the largest Cistercian monestary in Wales and the second largest in Britain. It, too, fell afoul of Henry but its ruins stand prouldly along the river today.
