Busy Easter with family.

Easter is always busy with children and grandchildren visiting.  This year they didn't all visit together, which would be nice but we don't have enough beds!

As Sophia was going away to Istanbul for Easter she visited the weekend before.  We had a day out shopping in Cardiff on the Saturday.  All I bought was and summer waterproof jacket and some kitchen storage jars but we did have a good look round.  Also took some photos, a bit like a tourist!

Saw this in St David's shopping centre, not seen an ambulance like this before.

St Mary Street looking towards Cardiff Castle

There are lots of lovely shopping arcades in Cardiff which have little independent shops and cafes in them.

This is the open top tourist but standing outside the castle entrance

 Cardiff Castle clock tower which is well worth a visit if you are ever in Cardiff. 

On Sunday we visited Llanyravon Manor spring fayre and took along grandson Stuart.  The weather was lovely and it was very busy with lots of craft and food stalls and there was entertainment too.  Unfortunately I went without my camera which is practically unheard of :-(.   Sophia shared a few of her photos with me though.  

Stuart trying out a gnome seat for size. These are made at Blaen Bran Community Woodland by the woodland manager with wood from the woodland and are sold to raise money for woodland maintenance.

There were some animals there from Greenmeadow Community farm which also local to us. 

Little black lambs with their mother

and a smiling goat!

There were Morris dancers there to entertain and apparently Welsh dancers too but we didn't see them.

 We also missed the Maypole dancing. 

Don't know where Stuart found the hat but it looked good on him. I thought of Stan Laurel but Sophie said more like Odd Job from James Bond

I bought a carved fairy house for my garden and some signs for my new herb bed.  Sophie bought some earrings and a cushion and Stuart had a wood fired pizza which he took home for his lunch!

I will post the rest of Easter in installments as my posts do get rather long.  And there will be more about my herb garden soon. 

Easter Monday.

Another cold day but the children still wanted to be out somewhere so we decided to visit Caerleon which is the site of a Roman legionary fortress and only 5 or 6 miles from where I live.  First we visited the ruins of the amphitheatre.  These spectacular ruins date to about 90AD.

                           

  Jasmine explored with her mum

 whilst the boys were running round imagining that they were Roman soldiers. 

 We thought the structure below might be an oven but the red brick arch above was not covered in soot like I would have expected it to be if there had been a fire below it. 

Next we went over the stile to the ruins of the Roman barracks where, according to the boys, the soldiers were stored.  

 

Below Jasmine is exploring the communal latrines at the barracks.  We learned that the soldiers cleaned themselves with sponges that were soaked in vinegar, which the children found very amusing. 

The adults were feeling very cold by now so we decided a visit to the

Museum was next on the agenda. Lots of Roman relics from the archeological sites we had visited and also from other sites nearby. These included a part skeleton in a stone coffin which had been dug up by a man with a JCB whilst he was working on the nearby college extension in the 1990s. Must have been a shock to him finding that.  

The boys enjoyed dressing up in Roman armour in the museum.

The shield was rather large .

Next we had lunch and then visited the Ffwrwm Arts & Crafts centre.  The children were pleased to find that there was an egg hunt going on there.  

  

Stuart relaxing

 Egg find on the dragon, Jakob looks like he is ready for a sleep. 

 Jasmine found the one by the otter

But didn't have a good view of this one.

They all had a prize of chocolate or eggs, as if they didn't have enough already.  Then we went home and I think they had all enjoyed their day.