The end of Friday

On Friday we went to the sea. It was in a very nice area and was right on the way to the restaurant where we wanted to spend our last dinner. You can see from the place that many people go here. There were others here with us, even in the water. But there were some who just lay on the grass and enjoyed doing nothing. We just looked at the place, and then we went on. to the restaurant.

In recent days I have been in a car in many places, sitting on the side where, according to my habit, the steering wheel is usually located. It feels very strange that they drive on the other side of the road here, than where I have been used to my whole life. It is strange, for example, that I do not see what I should see in the mirror. The roundabouts are still difficult for me to interpret after days. Also the turns onto another road. After a few days, the situation is somewhat familiar, but I think it takes some practice to get used to this system. Not to mention that the roads are extremely narrow and in many places the roads are impossible to see. According to my friends, this is compounded by the fact that many people who drive have little experience, so reversing can be a problem, for example. And, if that were not enough, there are extremely steep streets in Abertillery and the surrounding towns. Based on this, I think that driving a car here as a beginner on the left is a real challenge. I was in London with my daughters last year, when we discussed renting a car. So in retrospect, I think it was a good decision not to do that.

Anyway, I wasn’t driving, so there were no problems on the road. We walked a bit before arriving at the restaurant. The Welsh towns are very atmospheric. The restaurant was typically the kind you see in movies set in England. In England, it is common practice for everyone to order online at a restaurant. On the tables there is a QR code that leads to the restaurant’s ordering system, with which we can order food based on the table number, and we can even take advantage of order discounts immediately.

The other culinary experience that I encountered here for the first time was the vinegar-salted chips. Now, while sitting on the train, I bought one. This also gives me a special taste experience that I haven’t even seen at home. So, despite the fact that “The gastronomic revolution eluded me”, I can enjoy these special experiences. After the substantial dinner, we also ate an excellent ice cream that a Ukrainian lady makes in her own shop in the city. It would have been a shame to miss this one too.

The rest of Friday was spent relaxing. There was reason to believe that I had beautiful dreams that night.

Saturday

I’m slowly getting used to waking up without a clock. Not to mention that English electrical sockets are not the same as ours. So at my friend’s house I could only plug my charger in the living room, meaning my phone hasn’t been resting where I am at night for days. So I was able to achieve without any problems that I don’t check my phone before falling asleep. Although there was an alarm clock in my room, I didn’t even think to use it. So I always woke up on time.

After we all woke up, we discussed the plan for the last day. One last breakfast, a visit to a museum in Bristol and goodbye.

We had a typical English breakfast at one of the Wetherspoon restaurants. I’ve had English breakfasts many times, for example in London last year, and on board the Nomad Cruise several times. The good thing is that there are no surprises. Nevertheless, the surprise was successful here, because my friends asked me for a black pudding, which is not made with rice here, but – if I remember correctly – with barley. In addition, I tried a few sauces for breakfast, so overall I still managed to experience some unknown and good flavors.

This is the second time in the past year and a half that I have been to England and only today did I encounter English rain for the first time. So I hear that it always rains here. I didn’t experience that. Today’s rain didn’t cause any problems either, it was actually just a gentle drizzle. Anyway, we got in the car and went to Bristol together.

Bristol Aerospace

I read this about this museum beforehand:

Visit Aerospace Bristol and journey through over a century of aviation history discovering aeroplanes, helicopters, engines, space technology and more!

You’ll have the chance to step aboard the world’s fastest passenger jet, Concorde Alpha Foxtrot, the last of the supersonic jets ever to be built and fly! Glimpse into the cockpit and walk through the passenger cabin to see how Concorde passengers would travel in style.

Aerospace Bristol offers a fun family day out for all ages with interactive exhibits, children’s trails and a stunning audio-visual show projected onto the outside of the iconic Concorde. Don’t miss out!

The train station was not far from here, from where I could take the familiar route back to London. Here I said goodbye to my friends, saying that, quite by chance, we would meet again in Hungary in a week and a half.

Direct route to London

It could have been direct! But in the end it wasn’t…

I got on the wrong train in Bristol. What happened was that I arrived at the right track when the train arrived. They told me where it was going, but because I don’t know the area, it’s as if they hadn’t told me anything. I got on. Then, since it left immediately, it took me a few minutes to realize that it was too early.

Then it turned out that I wouldn’t be able to get to Paddington with this train, but I could get off in Cheltenham instead, in half an hour.

I immediately contacted the conductor, who was extremely helpful. He helped me figure out what to do. I would have to get off in Cheltenham, from there I would be able to get to Paddington. I had already seen the time plane.

I think I have a chance of missing my plane for the first time in my life. If all goes well, I will be at Luton Airport Parkway by 7:15 PM, from there I will have to get to the airport in a short time, where I will have to go through security and photo ID. I have until 7:45 PM to get on the plane, so my time is pretty tight.

I went to the information desk in Cheltenham, where I explained what had happened to me. It was a cheap consolation that what had happened to me often happens even to locals. In any case, the ladies were very helpful and understanding. They almost held my hand, we agreed on how long to meet, because unfortunately I still had some idle time until the next train left. It was as if the plane was waiting for me… As time passed, we went to the train manager together, who was understanding of my problem and assured me that I could safely board the train. Now I am sitting here, waiting for us to arrive in Paddington.

I don’t want to think about what will happen if I miss the plane right now. If that’s the case, I’ll have to work out Plan B there. This – I think – is a good practice in real life for what can await me during my upcoming travels. There’s no tension or worry, somehow I’ll definitely get back to Hungary. Even if I don’t want to.

Did I catch the plane?

After such a question, I hope everyone is anxious about whether they finally managed to catch the flight home or not.

I don’t want to break anyone’s nerves in a way that is incompatible with life, so I will tell you that I will finish these writings that I started on the train while sitting here on the plane. It didn’t take much, but I finally managed to miss the experience of being late.

The train arrived in Paddington on time. It was an interesting feeling to arrive at a train station for the second time in my life, where I now knew exactly where I had to run. Literally running, because I knew that in this game everything probably depends on minutes. I didn’t want to make a mistake, so as soon as I saw an employee, I immediately asked for directions. I was lucky, this time it proved that help is close at hand in times of trouble, and that people in this country are really nice. When I told the guy I spoke to that I was in a hurry, he pointed me to another subway line that would take me to the next station faster.

After the subway ride, a long train was waiting for me. I felt the train was moving slowly enough to feel that success would really be a matter of minutes in the end. On the train, I had time to rest and see the colorful bustle of suburban life. I had the opportunity to observe all kinds of people, and I enjoyed the trip.

I was happy to experience that I managed to maintain my composure throughout. I wasn’t nervous about missing my plane. I wasn’t thinking about what I was going to do at the airport if I had to stay there. I wouldn’t have been happy at all if I had to buy another ticket, but I wasn’t worried about it for a moment. All I really had in mind was that if I missed my flight, I would find a solution after a short rest. But until then, I had nothing to do.

So the train was moving quite slowly. But the airport was within sight. The penultimate stop on the line was Luton Airport Parkway, which I already knew, and the last stop was Luton. Seeing this, I was a little happy that I could go straight to the airport, but the routine had already worked in me. With the help of ChatGPT, I found out that the final station of Luton is not the same as Luton Airport. So in the last quarter of an hour of the train journey, I decided to buy my ticket for the DART line in advance, in order to save time after landing. It was a good decision, I feel, because I had to press my phone quite a lot before I solved this task. After using an unnecessarily downloaded app, I finally managed to buy the ticket online. This made me feel prepared for the final rush.

I almost bled to death getting off the train. In England, you can’t really flash the train or the Tube. You can get in and out of the station using a ticket. So, if you want to do tricks, it’s not enough to get on the train, you can also bang your ankle on the way out by not being able to open the gate. And the security guards are there at every gate. Of course, they don’t just guard it, they also help. So, I almost couldn’t get through Luton Airport Parkway because I wanted to use the DART ticket to open the gate there, even though the train ticket was still required at that gate. 30 meters later, at the next gate, I already had to use the DART ticket.

From there on, my luck really depended on luck. The DART train was standing there as I jumped on it, and it was already leaving. Luckily, I knew the way to the airport. When the train arrived, I still had 12 minutes until the gate of my plane closed. I had already booked it here that I had managed to miss the plane, but I didn’t give up. I wanted to fight.

Luckily, everything is well signposted at the airport. So when I ran from the train and entered the door, I immediately saw where the security check was. And they were barely there. So, panting, but within a minute, I was throwing my stuff into the inspection box. For some reason, fate wanted to teach me patience here, because they took me out from behind the scanner and I had to play the living statue in all kinds of poses so that the security guard could grope me around and measure me with a hand-held scanner. At times like these, I know there’s no point in getting hysterical about me being in a hurry. I realized that I was running out of time. And lo and behold, they suddenly signaled that the track was mine. I didn’t have time to put my belt back on, so I had to keep running by constantly pulling my pants up with one hand while running. It was a lot of fun. And I was so happy, because even though it was already written on my plane that my gate was in “last call” status, it also became clear that it wasn’t on the other side of the airport. It was relatively close, but to get there, I had to sprint through all sorts of duty shops, then worry about not messing up a single turn in empty corridors. The gate was open until 19:45. So, when I turned into the finish line at 19:42 and saw that there were still two people at the gate, hope was already shining. They also saw me running and were waiting with a smile. So 2 minutes before the gate closed, I heard the words spoken with a smile: “You made it!”

I didn’t have to wait for anything to get on the plane. Sweating like a horse, I was finally able to sit down calmly.

I took a nap after takeoff, and I’m finishing this article with a lot of good feelings. It was great to be in Wals, it was a great experience to spend time with my friends. I’ve gathered a lot of positive energy again, and I’ll arrive home satisfied. At midnight I’ll be sitting in my car and smilingly thinking back on today.

The post 109. | Wales 2 first appeared on Digital Nomad Blog.

I left for the airport at 2:30, arrived here according to the usual schedule: I parked at the parking company (it is always exciting to squeeze into narrow spaces surrounded by cars), they brought me to the airport, I went through security (they now searched my palms and waist for gunpowder traces (but they did not find any!)), I had breakfast, I entered the correct gate. Now I am just waiting to be allowed on the plane. So I have time to start this post, because the plane doesn’t take off until 32 minutes later.

This trip to England provides a good introductory exercise in dealing with the uncertainties hidden in the digital nomad lifestyle, in applying the problem-solving ability. This is England, the rules here are obviously different than elsewhere. And now I’m not just thinking about driving on the left. (By the way, I wanted to mention in my post about Valletta that they drive on the left side of the road there too.) It is a minor inconvenience for the unsuspecting visitor that here we don’t just get off the plane and then jump into England. Here, you have to go through passport control even upon landing. I don’t really understand this, since I had already gone through the same control in Budapest. There and here, the machine scanned my passport, and then a facial recognition system compared my current face with the one in the passport. That is, by the time I could set foot on the holy land of the king, I had already gone through airport security, a passport check and facial recognition, a boarding pass and passport check before the plane, and finally a repeated passport check and facial recognition. No matter what I wanted to do wrong, I don’t think I would have had a chance. I can’t even imagine what would have happened if the routine check in Budapest had found gunpowder traces on my hands or stomach…

After finally leaving the airport after a long queue, the first steps were easy. I quickly got to Luton Airport Parkway station by the so-called DART train. The train arrived for what I expected according to ChatGPT: 4.90 GBP and the trains fly to the destination about every 5 minutes.

Well, the situation at Parkway station was not so rosy, and so was my picture. Based on the AI, I was prepared to get to Bristol from there for 25 GPB. The unpleasant surprise was that the ticket was 90 GBP. I called my friend to help me figure out where the mistake could be. It was then that I realized that the train is so expensive in England that he and his wife, for example, didn’t even travel here much by train. The bus is the recommended solution, it would indeed be available at the price suggested by AI, but it would not be a 2.5-hour trip, but a 6-7-hour one. I took note of this bug and bought the ticket.

The only information on it was that it goes from Luton Airport Parkway to Bristol Parkway. And that I could travel in normal class as an adult. So I stood there with a small piece of paper the size of a business card in my hand and didn’t know where to go. When I visited London last year, the situation wasn’t so complicated: my daughters and I easily got everywhere. Now, either I lack the magic power of girls, or getting from London to Bristol isn’t that easy.

Fortunately, Google helped. Although it’s quite embarrassing that I have to get information this way. The following simple route emerged.

• Luton Airport Parkway – West Hampstead by train
• walk to tube
• West Hampstead – Baker Street by tube
• walk
• Baker Street – Paddington by tube
• walk
• Paddington Station – Bristol Parkway by train
• Bristol – Abertillery by car, I’m picking up my friend in Bristol

So, I had to put a lot of effort into my phone to make this trip go smoothly. Plus, I made a big mistake at home, forgetting to charge my phone before I left. I couldn’t even make up for this lag while sitting in the car. So, by the time I got on the train, my phone was only 7% charged. I would have been in trouble if it had run out.

At that moment, the conductor came up to me, politely asked for my ticket and asked how I was feeling. You know, he’s my best friend. I asked him too, so we mutually assured each other that everything was fine. Watching his face and his tone, I believe him.

It’s obvious that I’m writing on the train, the train that left on time, so I expect it to arrive on time, 50 minutes from now, at 12:02. The train was a little late, and after getting off and greetings we set off for Abertillery, which is located in Wales. It is an hour’s drive from Bristol.

Abertillery

Abertillery is a town and community in Blaenau Gwent County Borough, Wales. It is located in the Ebbw Fach valley, and the historic county of Monmouthshire. Abertillery’s traditional-style town centre mainly developed in the late 19th century and as such has some interesting Victorian architecture. Spread over 4 main streets the town in its heyday had two department stores and a covered Victorian arcade linking two of the main shopping areas.

Major industry came to the area in 1843 when the locality’s first deep coal mine was sunk at Tir Nicholas Farm, Cwmtillery. The town developed rapidly thereafter and played a major part in the South Wales coalfield. Its population rose steeply, being 10,846 in the 1891 census and 21,945 ten years later. The population peaked just short of 40,000 around the beginning of the 1930s. Eventually there were six deep coal mines, numerous small coal levels, a tin works, brick works, iron foundry and light engineering businesses in the area. Just one of the coal mines, Cwmtillery, produced over 32 million tons of coal in its lifetime and at its height employed 2760 men and boys.

The Welsh language

Everything is written in two languages ​​here, as the official languages ​​are English and Welsh. I read a little about the language, and it was also interesting to see the inscriptions. I will show you a few examples to show the uniqueness of this language.

Basic greetings and courtesies

• Helo – Hello
• Sut wyt ti? – How are you? (friendly)
• Sut ydyth chi? – How are you? (polite)
• Da iawn, diolch. – Very well, thank you.
• Diolch yn fawr. – Thank you very much.
• Croeso. – Welcome / Welcome
• Hwyl fawr! – Goodbye!
• Nos da. – Good night

Basic communication

• Dwi ddim yn deall. – I don’t understand.
• Wyt ti’n siarad Cymraeg? – Do you speak Welsh?
• Dwi’n dysgu Cymraeg. – I am learning Welsh.
• Beth yw dy enw di? – What is your name?
• Fy enw i ydy… – My name is…

Places and directions

• Ble mae’r ár ár trésor dren? – Where is the train station?
• Mae’n agos. – It is close.
• Mae’n bell. – It is far.
• Trowch i’r dde. – Turn right.
• Ewch yn syth ayf. – Go straight ahead.

Expressions of feelings, opinions

• Dwi’n hoffi coffi. – I like coffee.
• Dwi’n caru ti. – I love you.
• Mae’n braf heddiw. – The weather is nice today.
• Mae gen i ofn. – I am afraid.
• Dwi’n hapus. – I am happy.

A little bit of fun (Welsh national saying)

• Cymru am byth! – Wales forever!

On Tuesday, the first day, we wandered around the city a bit, but we spent more time talking. There were plenty of topics to talk about, so the day simply ended.

Túra a hegyekben

On the second day (Wednesday), we did a big hike in the area. It took 4 hours, covered a distance of 18.5 km, and climbed 600 meters in the process.

We set off for the hike in very good weather. It was a trip in shorts and a T-shirt. The hike started right after stepping out into the street. I can honestly say that by the time we reached the end of the village, I felt sufficiently warmed up. Also, the air seemed to be scarce. We then had to fight our way up a fairly high mountain. However, the beauty of the landscape – as they say – made up for everything. This country is beautiful, I can now say this based on experience.

We didn’t meet many people during the hike. We ran into a man and his three dogs at the beginning, this was near Abertillery. Needless to say, we also exchanged a few words with the complete stranger.

On the other side of the mountains we were in a very frank little pub, where we drank cider. Let’s say I also had a Guinness.

Then we arrived in the bright sunshine at the Big Pit mining museum. Here, after a little waiting and resting, they took us underground, about 100 meters deep. We were given a lamp before descending. Also, they took away all devices capable of causing sparks from us. My watch and phone had to be handed over. This is simply a very serious precaution due to the risk of explosion. In vain, methane is no joke. In fact, we were all given a gas mask to use against carbon monoxide poisoning. And down below, we had to follow a lot of rules.

We learned a lot about the history and importance of mining in the area. Abertillery was an important coal mining centre in South Wales in the 19th and 20th centuries. The town’s rapid growth was linked to the coal industry and the mines. There were several coal mines in the Abertillery area, such as the Six Bells Colliery. Tens of thousands of people worked in the mines, which were the engines of the British Industrial Revolution. From the 1960s onwards, the coal industry began to decline and the mines closed one after another. Today, Abertillery commemorates its industrial heritage with museums and memorials, such as the Six Bells Miners’ Memorial. (Roedd Abertyleri yn ganolfan bwysig ar gyfer glofeydd yn ne Cymru yn ystod y 19eg a’r 20fed ganrif. Tyfodd y dref yn gyflym oherwydd y diwydiant glo a’r pyllau glo. Roedd sawl pwll glo yn ardal Abertyleri, megis Pwll Glo Six Bells. Roedd degau o filoedd yn gweithio yn y pyllau, oedd yn bwerus yn ystod Chwyldro Diwydiannol Prydain. Dechreuodd y diwydiant glo ddirywio o’r 1960au ymlaen, ac fe gaewyd y pyllau glo un ar ôl y llall. Heddiw, mae Abertyleri yn cofio ei hetifeddiaeth ddiwydiannol gyda hamgueddfeydd a chofadeiliau, megis cofeb y glowyr yn Six Bells.)

When we got back to the surface, we visited the mining museum. The list of attractions is very carefully put together. They guided us very nicely through every layer of mining life.

We took a different route on the way home, so I only had to think about the consequences of coughing up blood twice. Despite this, I didn’t regret making this trip for a minute. The scenery was beautiful, the company was good, the sights were interesting, and overall the day was filled with very good things.

We didn’t have to take a nap in the evening.

Relaxation

We spent Thursday carefully exploring the city. But gastronomy also took its place. I got to know some of the products of the Mr. Kipling company. I ate Flap Jack, French Fancies, and all sorts of other interesting things. Again, it was no surprise that the salespeople were nice to us in the shops everywhere. All this despite the fact that, based on the peculiarities of the history of the place, people have their own reasons for turning inward. They can still be nice to each other.

In addition to wandering, we basically dedicated the day to friendship. It was as if we had a thousand other topics to discuss. The atmosphere of the evening was somehow especially floating – everything slowed down, and laughter came somehow more easily. Something green inspired us that day – thoughts flowed more freely than usual. The night had a strange depth and serenity – as if the world had become quieter, but at the same time funnier. It was as if reality had softened a little – all tastes, colors, and sounds had somehow become more vivid. The closeness of nature and the cheerfulness of the company brought an evening that we will remember with a smile for a long time. Light clouds floated through our thoughts – we talked, listened, and everything fell into place.

Our day started off leisurely on Friday. We went to Porthcawl around noon. Porthcawl is located in the south of Wales and is located on the Atlantic coast, more precisely on the shore of the Bristol Channel, which is a tributary of the Atlantic Ocean. That is, – according to my most accurate memories – today I swam in an ocean for the first time in my life. I was not prepared for this, I am now facing this experience, as I described.

I’m finishing writing now. Today we still have a sea-eye trip and dinner to do. Tomorrow we have a joint program in Bristol, but then I have to think about how to get back to London somehow.

Tomorrow at midnight I’ll be back in Hungary. I don’t know if I’ll wait…

The post 108. | Wales first appeared on Digital Nomad Blog.