We do live near some much bigger towns like Monmouth, Abergavenny, Cwmbran (biggest area and where we go to supermarket), Newport (main city). Caerleon where Joseph and Maddy go to school is about 20 minutes away by car, they catch the bus, this is a smaller village but has a very good school and if part of Newport, from there we can also get to Cwmbran (a triangle from here) on the A4 roads. Newport is the main railway station and city, not a popular place to be I have heard. We are also very close to Cardiff, Bristol and Bath - Cardiff being about a 1/2 train journey from Cwmbran, Bath and Bristol about an hour so easy day trips in and out. The first 4 photos are in Monmouth, the first being Maddy in the main street and the rest by the Monnow Bridge - the entrance into and out of the town, when first here 5 or so years ago this was still used and we drove through it, but now it appears to be closed off to traffic.
The last photo is of one of the many roundabouts we drive through to get places (12 or so to get to Cwmbran alone), seriously in front of the police car that small forest is the middle of the roundabout and the photo shows a third of it, they are round, small forests in the middle of the road and do not have any lane markings and you just take you luck on getting off at the right place (although extremely well signposted and signalled before you get to them), now not all are like this probably about 1/2 for our journey some are smaller and what we would recognise back in NZ as a large roundabout (for Tawa people the Welsh would laugh out loud at our roundabouts we complain about). The first few times driving through them was a nighmare, now I have to say I just don't think about it.
I can't believe we have been here for so long already, we have been booking some cheapy flights and holidays so looking forward to that - although not being a keen flyer not sure about these cheapy airlines but .... Looking forward to going to Italy to spend the week with Alberto and Alice, the kids have a mid-term break of a week so going then. Did I mention that Joseph has been put into Year 10 - meaning that he is preparing for GCSE's. And I wouldn't have mentioned that Maddy had a Welsh test yesterday and got 19/20 for it - only missed one because she spelt number 11 in Welsh incorrectly had the word just not correct spelling (a bit harsh I say).
Here is 1-20
un, dau, tri, pedwar, pump, chwech, saith, wyth, naw, deg, unarddeg, deuddeg, un deg tri, un deg pedwar, un deg pump, un deg chwech, un deg saith, un deg wyth, un deg naw, dau ddeg
(for those non-Welsh speaking at home the title above is "I live in Wales"
Joseph is definately enjoying school too and enjoying heading off into the village at lunchtime - this won't continue in Tawa I am sure.
This afternoon I have been invited next door to the neighbours as Jan has asked me if I would like to go over and French plait the onion crops with her - I have never done it before and said that if it was like French plaiting hair I would be OK but love to give it a go. They have a wonderful large garden and harvested a huge amount so should be a great time, looking forward to trying anyway.
All for now, will do more later.
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