We started out with Pendine Sands, famous as the venue for many car / motorcycle races and speed trials on the beach itself. See Wikipedia entry. Then we moved on to Laugharne. A lovely spot, famous as the home and also last resting place of Dylan Thomas the "welsh bard" - a poet and writer. For more info on the town, see Laugharne Wikipedia entry. If you don't know about Dylan Thomas, look at the link in the Wikipedia entry.
The town has a great castle down on the waterfront:
Sadly, it needs a few repairs:
Dylan Thomas's writing room, a little shack looking over the harbour area, above the house he lived in:
And the recreated interior (not a great photo, through glass and reflections, sorry):
The captain can still remember big chunks of "Under Milk Wood", a book he studied for O level English more years ago than should be mentioned. Apparently Llareggub, the town in the book, was based on Laugharne. For those who don't know the book or anything of the author, just read the fictional town's name backwards. It will give you some idea of how his amazing mind worked. Then go and read it / listen to the Richard Burton recording of it.
Here is the family house and an idea of the lovely setting:
He is buried in the local churchyard:
and despite an "interesting" marriage, his wife Caitlin is in the same grave:
Their rather modest resting place looks somehow tasteful compared to the other "over the top" commemorative stones in the same area:
So, Welsh culture duly and happily consumed.
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Thanks for your ideas / cheek / corrections / whatever! They should hit the blog shortly after the system checks them to make sure they will not put us or you in jail.....