(A) Wales is famous for its castles, and we went to see one of them today. It’s just up the road from where we’re staying, and it’s called Abergavenny Castle.
It’s in ruins, as you can see. But it’s over 1,000 years old, so it’s understandable. Also, it’s seen a lot of action. In fact, William Camden once wrote that Abergavenny Castle “has been oftner stain'd with the infamy of treachery, than any other castle in Wales.”
You can walk around the ruins and read about how the castle would have looked back when it was occupied. There are also helpful pictures, for the more visual learners among us. It was a lovely day, and people were picnicking and laying out in the sun.
Next, we went to an escape room in Blackwood. If it appears to be a dock in a row of commercial storage units, that’s because it is. But inside, there are a few different rooms built up from which clever people can escape. We chose a wizard-themed room, which leaned pretty firmly on the Harry Potter franchise (but not so firmly that legal actions need take place). We managed to escape, but I’ll admit that we pressed the “hint” button a couple of times.
Oddly enough, we’re pretty sure that the guy who was running the escape room was also the guy who works at the cafe we visited for breakfast several days ago.
After that, we went to Los Reyes Tapas & Wine Bar. We ordered tapas (you know, appetizer-sized portions) and dug in. The food was fantastic, and so was the atmosphere. It felt as much like being in Spain as one can when one is in South Wales.
Well-fed and tired, we headed for “home”, where we aim to recharge ahead of another fun and beautiful day.
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