A Cottage on the Wye

We have a regular spot we stay during the Hay festival - a roomy 2 br cottage in Newbridge on Wye called Orchard House (much recommended). Not only is it well set up and surrounded by a lovely garden (with herbs, peonies, old roses and apple trees), it is also a very short hop to the River Wye. And they make you feel very welcome - when we arrived, we found a freshly baked loaf, speckled eggs, milk, Welsh butter, home made preserves, a bottle of wine and even cupcakes waiting on the table...

Perfectly positioned for walkers, fisherpeople, and people like us who fossick about, talk to sheep, look out for fish rising in the river, make arty arrangements of river stones and take copious photos in the hope that some will look suitably idyllic.. Of course, a certain little boy was in heaven, and arrived home muddy, tired and soaked after each walk, carting a big stick with him.

I was content to look for interesting stones (I always come back with heavy pockets) and sit on a sunny boulder drinking in the peace, the sound of the river and the sunshine. Also, it has to be said, stalking the ewe and her lambs (OK, NZ sheep farming background - I had pet lambs as a kid and they still make me laugh).

Quite a lot of impromptu art therapy from Auntie Jojo too. Secret graffiti - writing on the undersides of stones with wet mud, and finding stones that 'spoke to us'. (It was that or keep fishing  the 6 yr old out of the river - what is it about kids and deep water??? And sticks, come to think of it?). 

The 25 min drive to Hay was very doable, and there was some light entertainment along the way, with a biker rally held in Builth Wells down the road.  Whenever we drove through, we passed a line of beefy bikers and their colourful girlfriends walking from the campsite to the pub.  But all seemed very peaceful - very well behaved, and the bonus was that we saw some excellent hogs on the road...

Looking forward to next year...