A trip to the country with the Merluccis; Monmouthshire, Wales

We were so excited when Bethany and Dominick decided to squeeze in a visit to see us before baby #2 arrives.  After a whirlwind day and a half tour of the main sites and some of our favorite pubs in London, we drove out to Wales to show them a little bit of the British countryside.  Our first stop was in the Cotswolds, in the adorable town of Bourton-on-the-water, which Dan and I had visited last year.  We grabbed a quick lunch at a fish & chips shop before taking a stroll through town and doing a little shopping.

We then made our way to Llansantffraed Court Hotel, just outside Abergavenny in southwest Wales.  The hotel is a beautiful restored 14th century manor home set in gorgeous grounds and farmland.  It was bright and sunny when we arrived so we sat down for some tea on the patio and then took a stroll around the grounds.

After our walk we sat down for a drink outside before getting ready for dinner at the hotel.  The hotel has an excellent chef and a menu full of locally sourced food, which was all delicious.

The next morning we were up early for a lovely full welsh breakfast at the hotel before heading off for our canoe trip down the River Wye.  We met up at their shop in Symonds Yat and they drove us to the drop off point at Kerne Bridge.  From there we paddled about 6 miles downstream back to Symonds Yat.  Fortunately, the weather held out and although it wasn't sunny, it was dry and warm.  The current was slow so it took us almost 3 hours to make the trip but it was pretty easy going.  There wasn't much to see along the way but the scenery was beautiful and outdoor activities are always a nice change from city life.  The website had indicated that there were some pub stops along the way but since we went on a Sunday morning, none of them were open yet.  Although it was fun to have Henry with us, we quickly discovered that canoeing is not one of his favorite activities.  He was well behaved but whined most of the time, I think because he wanted to get in the water;)  Luckily for us he didn't jump in, although a dog in one of the other canoes in our group did!

Disappointed that we couldn't stop at any pubs along our canoe route, we made a beeline for the first pub we could come across for some lunch/Sunday roast.  We stopped at a cute place called The Ship Inn in the tiny town of Raglan and had some delicious roasts and pints.

After lunch we stopped at Raglan Castle, ruins of a 14th century castle built by a noble Welsh family.  It is set up on a hill with great views of the surrounding countryside.  We wandered around and explored every corner, including a pretty cool still standing moat.

We then made a quick stop at the hotel to freshen up before heading into Abergavenny for an afternoon tea at the Angel Hotel.  This tea was rated one of the top 20 in the UK and it definitely lived up to its reputation.  They had a huge selection of teas and the pastries were to die for.  We ate so much we could all barely stand up when we were done but it was well worth it.  Unfortunately, we will never be going back to this hotel because on our way out, after seeing some wooden wine crates stacked outside I mentioned that I have been wanting some of those to use for storage in our flat.  As Dom, Dan and I continued out to the car, Bethany came running up after us carrying one of the crates she stole for me!  It is now being used as a lovely scarf/hat/glove box by our front door:)

To walk off our tea, we took a stroll through the town of Abergavenny.  We first stopped at the castle ruins, not as impressive or as in tact as Raglan castle, but fun for a quick walk around.  Then we took a stroll down the main street and found our way into a local pub for a pint while Dan took a work call.  As Dom was at the bar ordering us drinks, a local noticed his accent and asked where he was from.  When he said "New York," she replied, "What are you doing here?!?!"  I'm guessing they don't get many international tourists;)

 a little dancing at the castle ruins:

The next morning we woke up to pouring rain so we headed back to London early after another lovely breakfast at the hotel.  It was a perfect country break and such fun to share it with Bethany and Dominick.