Long weekend in Wales

A long weekend in wonderful Wales catching up with friends was just what the hubby and I needed.

We met Paul and Aisling on our last holiday before our wedding in lovely Greece and we became firm friends and have had mini breaks with them whenever possible ever since then.

Last year it was our long overdue turn to journey to Wales and with it being quite a trek from Newcastle we decided to fly.

We booked a few days off so we could enjoy a long weekend in Wales – Thursday to Sunday back in mid-October.

With no direct flights to Cardiff from Newcastle instead we flew to Bristol and Paul kindly picked us up from the airport and drove us the rest of the journey.

We spent Thursday evening catching up and enjoyed a takeaway at their house as we discussed the itinerary for the rest of the weekend.

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Friday

It was a first for me a Moo Music class with Ais and their little one. It was pirate day so we got to dress up and the music and activities were all pirate themed.

It was a lot of fun and I’m not sure who enjoyed it more – me or the bairn!

In the afternoon we all headed the short journey to Mumbles which is a well-loved area of Swansea.

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Mumbles

There’s lots to do in Mumbles – there’s a lovely lighthouse built in 1794, or like we did take a stroll along the Victorian Pier.

Oystermouth Castle looks well worth a visit which sits on a hilltop with fabulous views overlooking the sea – maybe next time!

We had a good look around and the weather was sunny if a little chilly at times.

No trip to the seaside is complete without a visit to the arcade. We played some retro bowling before giving into our rumbling tummies.

We headed to Croeso Lounge cafe bar for some lunch.

The menu is varied from brunch, salads, burgers and main courses to our favourite – tapas.

We decided to share tapas as couples as we had a fancy meal booked for later that evening.

Steve and I plumped for the Beef & Pork Meatballs in a rich tomato and red wine sauce (£3.95), Patatas Bravas with roasted garlic mayo (£3.95), Buttermilk Chicken with chipotle mayo dip (£3.95) and a bread basket. It was all delicious. 

This was Paul’s first ever taste of tapas and he seemed to enjoy it!

Of course we couldn’t resist having some tasty ice cream from Joe’s  which is Paul’s all-time favourite before we headed back home. It’s well worth a visit to one of their parlours if you’re in the area.

With the bairn dropped off with his aunty and uncle for a sleepover it was time for a night on the Swansea tiles!

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Night out in Swansea

We headed for food first at Madeira a Portuguese restaurant.

For my starter I had Gambas de Casa – large Prawns in wine and garlic sauce which were absolutely delicious.

I followed this with an 8oz Fillet Steak and shared vegetables with Steve. It was all really tasty and the steak was cooked to perfection.

After we’d settled the bill it was drinks o’clock. We headed out for cocktails with a view before we went to Coyote Ugly which was certainly an experience!

Steve even took on the bull ride – he lasted almost 30 seconds!

We had a good giggle and dance and then headed to the taxi rank.

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Saturday

We decided to blow away the cobwebs following Saturday night’s antics with a trip to Tenby.

The coastline in Wales is stunning and I was really taken with Tenby.

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Tenby

Tenby is a little harbour town and seaside resort and it’s really pretty!

We walked along Tenby’s South Beach towards Giltar Point and the start of the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path for fantastic views of Caldey Island.

Unfortunately we couldn’t take a trip over to Caldey Island as there weren’t any that day. It’s homes to monks and you can even buy some of the products they create on the island – maybe next time!

The coloured houses are definitely Insta-worthy and I really enjoyed walking through the cobbled streets.

After lots of walking we headed for a drink at The Lounge Coffee Bar. My hot chocolate really hit the spot.

For tea we headed to the Lifeboat Tavern where Steve and I tucked into a mammoth portion of fish and chips.

Be warned they only take cash – no card machine!

We headed back to the car and headed for a night at home enjoying each other’s company with a nice glass of gin!

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Sunday

We had an early afternoon flight so after tucking into a hearty cooked breakfast we were back in Paul’s car heading to the airport.

The flight is less than an hour and we even bumped into another friend who was sat in the row in front.

We had a wonderful long weekend in Wales and we hope to discover even more on our next visit.

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Have you visited Wales? What would you recommend we try next time we go? Let me know in the comments below.

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Other travel and food related posts

See what we thought of glamping at Hesleyside Huts Northumberland 

Here’s what we got up to during a long weekend in Edinburgh to celebrate my 30th birthday

See what we got up to during a mini break to the Lake District

Find out why Northumberland is the best UK holiday county to visit

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