http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/

We were up as dawn rose this morning to walk down through the valley down by the river with Spot and Stripe. It is cold and crisp with a dusting of frost underfoot. The sunrise threw scarlet and gold fronds across the horizon and the fields glowed, incandescent in the early morning light. We are expecting some sunny spells, although it will be staying cold so time to wrap up warm. I am starting to plan for Christmas and over the weekend found some great presents in Carmarthen. We are having some visitors over the festive season this year travelling up from the Westcountry for a real Welsh country Christmas. Christmas trees, lights, goose, turkey: it is the best time of year.

Carmarthenshire in South Wales is absolutely beautiful at every time of year, but at the weekend we set off for a taste of the big city. We drove over the pick up the train at Newport and then took the train to London. It took just 3 hours door to door. As we only go once a year we pre-booked a couple of first class seats and were spoiled with coffee and complimentary newspapers. Arriving on the Saturday morning it was a beautiful day, dry and cold, and the taxi sped us over to the gorgeous Milestone Hotel. The concierge recommended Maggie Jones for lunch. From the outside it is unprepossessing, but when you enter the ambiance is enigmatic - British to the core with artifacts from between the wars and candlelight, it is such a nostalgia trip. The food could have prepared with recipes from my grandmother's kitchen when we used to visit her in London as children in the fifties. After a revitalising snooze, it was off to the Albert Hall for a concert, then back to Bwlch Tre Banau http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/ on Sunday. No matter where we travel, it is always the best feeling in the world when entering the driveway and looking down over the valleys and out to the magnificent Brecon Beacons. When people ask "How come you live out in the wilds of Carmarthenshire" and I always tell them that it is the most utterly idyllic spot in the United Kingdom. When they come to see it for themselves, they have to agree.

Yesterday there were 6 for lunch. I picked some greens and leeks from the garden and parsley from the greenhouse, then shredded it all and braised it in a little butter. A few potatoes freshly dug from the polytunnel, quickly cubed and then tossed in a little butter and sauteed strips of salmon and lunch was in the table in just 10 minutes. When they rolled in from working in the orangery and the greenhouses they tucked in and pronounced it delicious. Followed by pancakes with our own apple and blackcurrant and a little ice cream (I confess here I did not make the ice cream, but I often do) it made a quick and healthy lunch. http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/

Joyce and John are off home on Saturday after putting so much effort into to making the Bwlch Tre Banau Estate's glass houses spic and span. Everything now works and is spotlessly clean. Don't know what we would do without their visits.

Everyone's efforts see the brick paved paths brushed and free from leaves, windows cleaned and ground prepared for more planting. Guests are due in on Saturday in Barley Cottage may be in for a couple of hours of snow - not much is forecast, but it is still going to be exciting - love those snowflakes dusting the landscape.

With guests arriving at the weekend the place is spotless. Autumn leaves have been raked up, walkways and pathways brushed with the small tractor and brush, Amanda has polished and cleaned the cottage until it glows and the heating has been turned up to air it.  http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/

Lots of hard work, but the whole place looks great. All we need is some sunshine and with the colder spell arriving this may well be on the cards.

This morning we are up bright and early to go logging. Sustainable heat provided by burning logs in our woodburners is not just ecologically sound, everyone loves the fires. There is something really homely about sitting by a log fire in the evening and other forms or heating just don't cut it. The majority of our heating systems are underfloor and they provide a good all over background heat. Bathrooms here at the Bwlch Tre Banau Estate are always warm and cosy with heated towel rails and guests have a liberal supply of white fluffy towels. http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/

Last evening at the fireside I was researching Florida for a forthcoming trip and came across a really interesting map site called www.luddist.com Loads of facts and figures and historical information of Florida.

Anyway, must run, the sun is streaming through the window and it is just too good to stay indoors. I'm off out side to feed the chickens, check the geese and take Spot and Stripe over the top of the Banc. The view today is going to be spectacular, 360 degree panoramic views over the Brecon Beacons to the south and the southern tip of the mid Wales mountains visible in the far distance to the north.
Wikipedia says "The Cambrian Mountains are a series of mountain ranges in Wales, reaching from, and including, the South Wales mountains of the Brecon Beacons, north Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion, to Snowdonia in North Wales.

Originally the term "Cambrian Mountains" was applied in a general sense to most of upland Wales. Since the 1950s, its application has become increasingly (and arguably illogically) localised to the geographically homogeneous Mid Wales uplands known in the Welsh language as the Elerydd (which extend from Pumlumon to Mynydd Mallaen).

This barren and sparsely populated wilderness is often referred to affectionately as the Desert of Wales.

The highest point of the range is Pumlumon. The area includes the source of the River Severn and River Wye, and has been proposed as a National Park. It is the type of locality of the Cambrian period of the Paleozoic era (542-488Ma).

Cefn Croes, the site of a controversial wind farm project, is in the Cambrian Mountains, just south of the A44 road between Aberystwyth and Llangurig.[1], [2],[3]

The Cambrian Mountains also holds the Elan Valley Reservoirs and Llyn Brianne reservoir, Which hold water for the English West Midlands, and South Wales respectively. It also holds Clywedog reservoir and Nant y Moch Reservoir." So now you know everything there is to know about the Cambrian Mountains. Better jump on the internet and make a reservation at the Bwlch Tre Banau Estate and experience some of it first hand!

The weather forecast is for colder brighter weather so we are looking forward to getting out with the dogs for some serious walking. The last batch of eggs did not hatch out and Trevor, our farmer neighbour, says that it is due to a thunderstorm that came by a while ago. It is his view that thunder causes problems with hatching. http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/

Frosty mornings are on their way. I love waking up to those bright days when it is crispy underfoot. We are tearing ourselves away from the Estate to go to a concert in London on Saturday so Joyce and John have agreed to stay for a while longer to look after the ducks, chickens and geese. They really revel in the rural idyll and Joyce has been enjoying the company of the robin in the Orangery while she has been working. He is getting quite brave and hops around just a few feet away from her while she is trimming the plants and cleaning the windows.

Yesterday being Sunday, I decided to take a day off. I drove over the the village of Pumpsaint and picked up The Sunday Times for us, The Sun Telegraph for John and the Guardian for Tim and Chloe. I picked vegetables from the kitchen garden, fresh leeks and crispy cabbage to shred and braise in a little butter, a large sprig of rosemary from beside the rockery slowly baked in the oven with a shoulder of Welsh lamb and we found some potatoes in the polytunnel to roast in olive oil until they were really crispy. Desert was raspberries that I picked in the summer cooked with a little golden sugar and stored in the freezer to make quick and delicious puddings.

John took his Telegraph over to the Orangery, we sat in front of the inglenook fireplace enjoying the warmth of a log fire. Joyce just kept on working, she is a one woman dynamo. The orangery has never looked so pristine, not one leaf out of place. Tim and Chloe took off on a long walk around the Estate, I think they have enjoyed their stay. http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/

I love fresh orange juice so today I am going over to Mixon Fruit Farms in Bradenton for a juice fest! I am not a health nut, but if things taste good and do me good then I am all for it. To quote their web site "Florida Navel Oranges, Tangerines and Pink Grapefruit are always a treat and healthy too. Health food never tasted better; full of vitamin C, sodium free, cholesterol free and high in fiber" Well, in that case that for me.

One of the best things about Florida is the orange juice. Nothing beats freshly squeezed juice and it only takes a feew second to produce with a juicer. In my view it helps beat colds and flu, its good for the skin and tastes like nectar. http://www.amisland.com/

Tonight I am aiming to go down to Euphemia Haye, one of Longboat's best restaurants. Their food is stunning. On the internet is says that Chef Raymond Arpke, co-owner, with his wife, D'Arcy is the culinary inspiration of Euphemia Haye and now a cookbook author, integrating classical training, an innovative flair, and a love for fresh foods to provide consistently outstanding, American, global, slow cooked food. Breads, stocks, sauces, soups, dressings and desserts are homemade on the premises. I think he is one of America's most talented chefs, we are so lucky that he opened his restaurant here.

Last evening four of us took a 20 minute drive over to Llanwrtyd Wells, the smallest town in the UK, for dinner at Lasswade. Located in an attractive Victorian House, we had read good comments about the food. The chef/owner has won many awards for his food and changes the menu daily, sourcing his ingredients locally where ever possible. It certainly lived up to expectations. On arrival we enjoyed some very good sherry and locally brewed beer on comfortable sofas. There were 3 choices of starter, mains and desserts. We plumped for the chef's assiette of starters (heavenly), followed pork in a cream and pepper sauce and then finished up with the best variation of apple strudel I have ever tasted. We were offered a small glass of sherry with dessert that is reputed to be the very best that Spain has to offer and I have to admit it was delicious. During the drive home Joyce commented that it was the best food she had ever eaten in a restaurant, praise indeed. The service was discreet yet friendly and we will definitely put it on our list of recommended fine dining restaurants. Their 2 AA rosettes are well deserved. http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/

Today we are going to take a drive down past Swansea to the Mumbles. The Bwlch Tre Banau Estate is just an hour from some of the UKs most beautiful beaches and The Mumbles is home to one of our favourite restaurants, Patricks. Right on the seafront you can stroll along before lunch to work up an appetite or mooch around the small individual quality shops in the main street that leads at right angles away from the sands. The perfect day trip. http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/

Spot and Stripe are going to stay back on the Estate with Joyce, John and their dog friend Candy. Tonight we have booked a table at Llaswade in order to say thanks to them for coming up from the West Country to help out with organising the self opening windows and the plants in the orangery. They are both 80 years young but very nimble and full of life. I hope I have half the stamina at their age.

Tim is coming in tomorrow with his family to stay in Wheatsheaf Cottage for the weekend, I went in to light the fire for them in the woodburner and then realised that they arriving tomorrow. Oh well, it will be beautifully warm and cozy when they arrive. The heated Victorian towels rails in the bathrooms, underfloor heating and the log fire create a warm, comfortable and cheerful welcoming atmosphere when guests first arrive. We stacked plenty of logs in the nook under the staircase, together with firelighters and lighting wood. Amanda the Housekeeper had prepared Wheatsheaf Cottage http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/ for the new arrivals with freshly laundered sheets and plenty of fluffy white towels in the bathrooms. Joyce and John are still working in the Orangery and it is looking beautiful. We are going to spend some time there on Sunday morning with the newspapers and a cup of coffee, catching up on the news. The dollar has not been as strong against the pound for years so we are expecting some visitors to The Bwlch Tre Banau Estate from the other side of the Atlantic. We are going to advertise on http://www.amisland.com/ as it is a great website with high viewing figures.

Friends have just arrived from the West Country and we are enjoying evenings around the dining table catching up on their news and enjoying post dinner chatter in the warmth of the kitchen. Later on we retire down to sit around the inglenook fireplace in the lower living room for a glass of Cointreau or a snifter of brandy.

While they here John is working on the Orangery and greenhouse self opening windows that regulate the air flow, temperature and humidity and Joyce has been busying about in the glasshouses. Although both in their late 70s they enjoy life to the full and are either travelling or working on some new project. They stop by on the Bwlch Tre Banau Estate several times a year and by the time they leave they always leave us in better shape than when they arrived. http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/

Stripe and Spot are pretty thrilled as well as roll up with border collie Candy,an old and much loved friend to do dog stuff with like sniffing around and exploring every corner of the orchard together. Happy days.

Its Sunday this morning stayed in bed longer than usual here on the Bwlch Tre Banau Estate Lit both of the inglenook fires, on at each end of the house, and settled down for breakfast on the huge comfortable sofa pulled up in front of the woodburner in the old kitchen. This is the oldest room in the house and it is also my favourite room for Sunday mornings. it is the original house on the Bwlch Tre Banau Estate. Stone built and dating from the 16th century, it has a massive 3 tier fireplace and a cathedral ceiling. The woodburner is a Jotul from Scandinavia. Just settled down with a glass of home made blackcurrant juice made with fruit picked from down in the orchard and about to put a spoon in the porridge when Trevor, the neighbouring farmer from Tre Banau arrived, so quickly finished eating and put the kettle on for him. Trevor keeps us up to speed with the local news as he knows everyone and usually runs by on on his quad bike on Sunday morning for a yarn and a cuppa. http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/

The chickens are still laying well and the eggs are useful for baking. I use them to make the best bread and butter puddings - crispy on top and golden because the yolks are such a beautiful color - they taste divine and don't hang about in the kitchen for long.

Stripe and Spot helped yesterday rounding up some rogue young chickens who escaped from the paddock and caused havoc in the greenhouse. The 2 dogs thoroughly enjoyed helping to round them up and escort them back to the acre of green meadow they have to scratch around in and call home.

During the Winter evenings while sitting by a roaring log fire with a nice glass of something warming I have started a project on Florida history. Wales is a country of castles and legends so I am also reading up on its many castles. They have fascinating histories and I have already visited quite a few of them so I am adding some more to the list for next Spring and Summer. Bwlch Tre Banau itself has quite a history: it is said to have belonged to the Prices who were descended from a Welsh prince. http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/

Going over to Brecon today. It's an interesting town - in fact it is the town where we first saw The Bwlch Tre Banau Estate advertised in an Estate Agent's window five years ago. We were touring in Wales and happened to stop in Brecon for a restorative cappuccino. The town is so pretty we thought we would have a wander around. The rest is history. http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/

Just half an hour away,Brecon has a great little theatre, a working canal, loads of interesting shops and a genuinely historic atmosphere specific to this part of South Wales. Perched on the edge of the Brecon Beacons, the scenery as you drive from the Estate to Brecon is of course spectacular. On the way to Brecon pass through Crickhowell - another great spot to mooch along the high street and stop off for lunch.

http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/

Carmarthenshire and the Brecon Beacons have castles galore but the most dramatic is Carreg Cennen. Just a half hour drive from The Bwlch Tre Banau Estate, there are few castles in Wales that boast a more spectacular location. Its romantic and atmospheric weatherbeaten ruins crown a sheer limestone crag overlooking the remote black Mountain in the western corner of the Brecon Beacons. Perched on the edge of a sheer 100 meter cliff on the far side, it is ingeniously adapted to its rocky hilltop. Its centre is a high walled, strongly towered enclosure, protected by a succession of pits, drawbridges and gatehouses. The first castle at Carreg Cennen would probably have been built by the Welsh Prince Rhys Ap Gryffydd in the 12th and 13th Centuries, though there is some evidence of prehistoric and Roman occupation. Legend suggests that the original fortress dates back to the Dark Ages and the Welsh Knight Urien Rheged and his son Owain who were knights during the reign of King Arthur. A history like this makes it an exciting place to visit. Stop off on the way back to the estate at the Plough in Rhosmaen for lunch or supper. They are known for providing the best traditional Welsh Sunday lunch in the area (book ahead if you want a table). Alternatively go into Llandeilo town to The Angel or the Cawdor Arms. If I am in town then I can never resist a quick look in the incredible kitchen shop, a visit to the tiny delicatessen and an espresso or cappuccino in the smart cafe down by the church. http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/

One of our favorite days out is to drive down Highway 41 to Myakka State Park. It is only about 40 minutes drive from Anna Maria island and is one of the oldest and largest state parks. Covering 58 square miles of lakes, wetlands prairies, hammocks and pinelands, visitors can enjoy watching wildlife from a boardwalk that stretches out over Upper Myakka Lake or take to the treetops with a stroll along the canopy walkway. You can walk or drive slowly along the main paved road that travels through the park. Pause at the bridge to look down onto the lake to see alligators sunning themselves on the banks and gliding through the waters. Along the route catch glimpses of deer, wild boar and Florida birds. Go boating, freshwater fishing, kyaking or canoeing, ride on the State's largest air-boat and from May through mid-December take an tram ride through the park's back-country. Take some burgers or steaks in a cooler and cook out on the barbecue grills provided in the picnic area. Eating out in the fresh air beside the lake, food never tasted so good. If you don't want to cook out, then just take a quick trip to Publix grocery store before you leave - take a whole cooked lemon pepper or barbecue chicken, one of their house salads and some delicious breads and pastries. This is a day out that all the family will enjoy. Writing this reminds me of the time we went out to the park when it was flooded after a massive rain. We went out onto the boardwalk and on our way back were concerned to see that a small alligator, about 3 feet in length, had parked himself on the end right across our way off. We waited for about 5 minutes and threw a piece of vegetation in his direction to scare him off. He slid off the boardwalk and swam away. Just as we were passing the spot where he had been, one of our party who is a real prankster was lagging behind suddenly started screaming and running. Nobody looked back, we just all took off together through the flooded banks as fast as our legs could carry us. Of course it was nothing and we all ended up with the giggles. I still laugh about it now. http://www.amisland.com/

Marsha emailed me from Florida to say that her new web site was now up and running. We lit a roaring fire in the inglenook fireplace down in the lower living room and spent some time going though the new site. It is really quite informative. http://www.amisland.com/

Received a lovely email from Sarah and her family saying how they enjoyed Wheatsheaf Cottage and their visit to Carmarthenshire. It is so rewarding to receive positive comments about The Bwlch Tre Banau Estate. http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/

I have just looked on the internet and find that the gallery has moved to The Bridge Gallery, The Corner House, 38 Quay St., Ammanford. As this is just across the Llandeilo bridge and a further 15 minutes drive I will try to make time to visit them today. It's worth skipping lunch for! http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/

I have to go down to Llandeilo this morning so will stop off at my favourite coffee shop by the church for some of their reviving cappuccino and one of their delicious cakes or pastries. An art gallery just up the main street has many pieces of artwork that I covet. The Bridge Art Gallery in Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire West Wales showcases the work of Welsh watercolour landscape artists. I will drop some very large hints in the Bwlch Tre Banau kitchen with suggestions for Christmas.

The landscape and wildlife prints of works by Wendy Powell Jones, Jenny Keal and David Bellamy are evocative of days spent walking in the Carmarthenshire hills http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/.

Sunrise is beautiful here at Bwlch Tre Banau http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/,the sun comes up over the hill to the East and lights up the sky. It's quite a sight to wake up to, bathing the landscape with silvery pink and golden light. If there is mist in the valley below it is like a carpet over the trees and then as it lifts, dissipating in the morning sunshine.you can gradually make out the ancient woodlands beneath the haze. It is a sight not to be missed and is well worth rising early for.

A red kite was swooping over the chicken run today. I think all our chickens are too big for him so perhaps he was looking field mice. He is such a beautiful bird. A few years ago one was living near the road between The Bwlch Tre Banau Estate http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/ and the small village of Siloh and often when I drove down through the canopy of trees he would fly into the road in front of the Rangerover and fly in front of my vehicle for about 50 yards before veering off. This went on for quite a few months, then one day he was gone and I have not seen him since. It was an incredible experience.

This area of Wales is home to one of the smallest distilleries in the world. The Penderyn Distillery is located in the Brecon Beacons National Park and draws water exclusively from its own well. Only this water is used in the distilling and blending process and is a key ingredient in their malt whisky. The distillery also produces gin and vodka, plus a Merlyn Liqueur that sounds delicious

I found this description on their website
"Rich warming creamy texture and fudge toffee is overlaid with the tingling aroma of fresh clean spirit. Gradually these give way to vanilla, hints of banana and exotic fruits – and even rose petals – all lingering gently in the background.

In the mouth the fruits are more intense and intermingle with the vanilla. When swallowed the combination of fresh cream and complex spirit produce a mysterious depth which is difficult to describe but encourages the next mouthful."

Sound magical - perfect for serving at Christmas at Bwlch Tre Banau http://www.walesholidaycottages.com/. Wales has some superb products including Welsh wine and a fine selection of local cheeses sold in the greengrocer/delicatessen in Llandovery. Succulent Welsh lamb and Welsh Black beef raised in the gently rolling hills of Carmarthenshire is second to none. Our free range eggs and vegetables are second to none.

The postman rolled up in his red van with a postcard from Florida sporting a cheerful picture of an idyllic beachfront property http://www.amisland.com/ I have put it up in the farmhouse kitchen to remind me of the time we spent on Florida's west coast. Anyway back to reality, must go and feed the chickens and pick up the new laid eggs.