My last post showed how much I appreciated my recent escape to Wales.
Today I will present you a few other places which are worth a visit. All these places are still part of Pembrokeshire, in Southwest of Wales. And as you will see, there is no shortage of impressive places and stunning scenery in this part of the UK…!

TENBY ZOO

I had not visited a zoo for a long time. Even if my kids were regularly asking, I have to admit the occasion did not come. Until our arrival in Tenby, where the zoo appeared as a place not to be missed.
I reckon that all animals there seemed very happy and in very good health, which made a great impression on us.
The variety of animals and the general information provided by the zoo are very much appreciable.
These monkeys were really captivating: their gymnastic among the trees was the main attraction that day!
With a hint of humour and lovely rabbits, we had a great time at walking among animals.
Not only rabbits actually. We also felt like being in Australia for a bit with a bench of nice kangaroos surrounding us while we fed them…
We stayed until dark to make the most of the zoo.
Then we went to a warm pub in Tenby to prepare the next steps of our trip in Wales.
The Coach & Horses happens to be the oldest pub in Tenby. And it serves yummy Thai food!

ST DAVIDS

The following day we headed north west to St Davids.
The singularity of this town comes from the fact it hosts a surprisingly huge cathedral compared to the size of the town itself.
The town was named after St David, patron Saint of Wales. The Cathedral is home to the medieval Shrine of St David, which has been a focus for pilgrimage since the 12th century.
It was quite impressive to walk in there. The delicate sculptures, the colorful paintings, the devotion of the faithful… There was a special atmosphere and the kids were particularly focused on their discovery trail and it took us a while before leaving this beautiful place.

THE BUG FARM

It was a completely different atmosphere that was ahead of us after St Davids visit…
Indeed, before continuing our journey along the coast, we looked for a place called “The Bug Farm” in the countryside.
My husband wanted to get some fun and his appetite for bugs  that day was more linked to his plate than to the museum!
We sat into the Farm’s restaurant, which offered a “bugs degustation menu”. And of course we tried it (with more or less pleasure on our faces!). How weird as it may sound, some insects have no taste, some others are quite similar to salted nibbles. Anyway, they are said to provide proteins and are quite popular in Asia… (even though they are not my cup of tea).
Even in more traditional meals (like burgers) the Chef had added bugs to give them a creative touch …
For those allergic to even the idea of eating bugs, a few dishes were exempt of these little insects …
The rest of the visit aimed at knowing the insects better and in particular we could touch some of them and discuss their life and specificities with a member of the team. That was a funny part too!
Finally, we visited the small museum and had a close look to horrible insects (mind the spiders!).

WHITESANDS BEACH

We continued our journey with a visit to a neighboring beach: Whitesands. The weather was incertain that day, but that did not stop us from getting to the beach. And we were so grateful we did, because this beach is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen.
After walking (and playing!) through the sand dunes, we reached Whitesands beach and were immediately stunned by the scenery. And we almost had the beach for us, which made it worthier of interest…
Only a few dogs walkers shared the beach with us that day (usually the beach is quite popular among surfers too). And you could feel we all felt blessed being on such a beautiful beach.
Even the pebbles were the most beautiful I had ever seen! Their different shapes but same polished aspect and their varied colors : red, blue, grey, even immaculate white.. We took the time to look at them and wondered how long they had been there, drawing a line in between the beach and the sand dunes.

PEMBROKE CASTLE

On the last day of our stay in Wales, we decided to visit Pembroke Castle. This monument has a long history from its medieval construction until the birth of Harri Tudur in 1457, who became Henry VII and inaugurated the Tudor line of monarchs and to its status of “must-see place to visit” nowadays.
There are a few information panels in the big courtyard after crossing the Castle walls, which helps you understand the life of Pembroke Castle.
Even the tables at our disposal to have lunch are a valuable source of information as each one presents a different historical timeline!
Although it is mainly made of ruins, Pembroke Castle provides a few rooms with waxen models to explain some historical facts.
In this scene appeared an unexpected allusion to the artist Banksy (related to his recent events). Which proves that no matter how far away you think you are from the capital, you are never too far from topic issues…

CARDIFF

After we spent the last day in Pembrokeshire visiting Pembroke Castle, we (quite reluctantly) drove back to London.
But before leaving Wales, we stopped in Cardiff for a couple of hours.
We discovered a city newly built with a mix of classical buildings and modern facilities.
We wandered around the streets of Cardiff and walked passed the Castle, the National Museum, discovered beautiful arcades with appealing shops … Cardiff was a really nice way to end our stay in Wales.
Our holidays sadly came to an end after our visit of Cardiff. But stay tuned because that may not be the last time I will go to Wales!