DAY 14 MON. JUNE 13 SWANSEA - CARDIFF - ABERGAVENNY

After a day of little action and no driving, we had a day of much action and too much driving.

We left Swansea in drizzle and mist. Were it not for the urban congestion, it might have been an evocative mood, but, alas, it simply put Swansea into the same league as St. John, New Brunswick.

We headed east successfully and all seemed well. You know, of course, what happened next. Cardiff, largest city in Wales, ate us up, but we've accepted the fact that driving in the UK makes no sense to North Americans, and simply tried to survive. We found a car park, and successfully walked to the tourist info centre, arrogantly thinking we had Cardiff in the bag: hell, the sun was even shining ! That should have been our clue.

We met Ben Korczynski's dopple-ganger, a fine and helpful young man named Ryan, who cheerily told us that a huge concert and a "Cardiff BBC World Singer" contest ( the Brits love these ) were ongoing, and that Cardiff and the surrounding 30 miles were fully booked. As Ryan gamely tried a couple of hotels, Lou and I went instantly into a JTF-2 like mode, quickly calculating new tactics. Ryan, to give him his due, remained positive and suggested several new spots for us: all in England. I immediately nixed that, in an anti-English "been there, done that" sneer which immediately raised us in Ryan's estimation. A new Canada-Wales alliance established, Ryan instantly became our co-pilot and we plotted a new itinerary for the week. I looked at the map and chose Abergavenny as our new destination. Why? I liked the sound of the name.

Ryan, our man in Cardiff, now took control and phoned the Abergavenny tourist office to arrange a booking. Now that our Welsh insiders were fully on the case, Lou and I wento to a coffee shop to enjoy a break in the stress. The weather got even hotter, so you know what's coming !

We returned and our man Ryan had come through for us with a lovely B and B "just outside" Abergavenny. He even printed off Google directions for us: wonderful !! A new way to foul up ! Which is, of course, exactly what we did. We tried, I mean we really tried to avoid geeting turned around, but the travel gods made playthings of us. We twisted and turned, but finally made it to Abergavenny. We wasted much time and fuel doing so. Our B and B, however, islovely, set in a completely pastoral setting on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park, with a nice Welsh garden for Lou to explore and a pub right across a narrow Welsh road that could double as pit row for the Michigan International Speedway.

So Ryan came through for us. Our promise in this little entente is that we will return to Cardiff later in the week, after the concerts and contests have subsided.

Just one thing is bothering me: when I began to write this, the skies were grey and threatening. Now, the sun is shining. Oh, shit !!