Is Ya Packin' Alright?......

As we approached the cashier at the checkout she looked at Clyde and asked," is ya packin' alright?"  He said, "yes, " and smiled as he turned toward me.  She was merely asking him IF he wanted to purchase a plastic grocery bag for 5 pence, something required by law here.  There are no free bags throughout the whole UK so we usually have with us the reusable type.

The Morgan, our hotel in Swansea

The ceiling in the hotel dining room

Swansea

While the main language spoken here in Wales is English, it's barely something we can understand. In fact much of the time we think they are speaking Welsh but after tuning in more carefully we pick up a few words that we know. After all these years of speaking English we consider ourselves to have a good handle on the language, although perhaps not quite fluent yet? Or at least not they way it's spoken here.

Swansea Bay

Lighthouse Boat

We are in Maesteg, Wales, a smaller town located less than an hour from the more well known city of Cardiff. While chatting to the homeowners who relocated from South Africa, they mentioned a fellow American girl that works in the nearby grocery store. Thinking that she might enjoy meeting another American they suggested that we might stop in to say hi while doing our shopping. Clyde approached an employee and asked if the young woman was working today. The employee turned to him and said, "yeah she be here but then she go, ok?" Well alrighty then we thought as we walked away with a smile. The store by the way is ASDA owned by the American retail giant Wal-Mart.

Our Temporary Home in Maesteg

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WOW!  What views!

Over the past week we relocated from England into Wales for our current house sit.  With a few days free in between sits we explored castles, the seacoast, small villages and large cities along the way. Last Friday we enjoyed the sights of the lovely seaside city of Swansea.  With a day of perfect weather, we sat lazily on a bench taking in the beauty of the Swansea Bay Front.  Cuddled up to Clyde I lay my head over on his shoulder and enjoyed the unusual flicker of sunshine that is so rarely seen here. We literally must have looked like homeless people to those passing by. But little did they know that we really are homeless, although by choice, as we travel the world house sitting.

My new buddies:  Henry and Dave
Henry is the slut
Holly is on the other couch

 

That was the last we have seen of the sunshine as the rains poured down for the past few days. But fortunately we do have a splendid view of the countryside below from our temporary home that sits high up on a hill. The arduous task before us here is to cuddle and care for three dogs while their owners are away on holiday. Hopefully the sun will come out  tomorrow so we can hit the road to immerse ourselves in the Welsh countryside, castles and culture that's all around us.......along the gringo trail.

Terry and Clyde are able to "Travel The World House Sitting"  and so can you!  We have created a website to help people who want to learn about house sitting.    Information for both the prospective house sitter and for someone who needs a house sitter.

the New Website                          -->  CLICK HERE

How to Get Your First House Sit -->  CLICK HERE

How to find a house sitter          ---->  CLICK HERE