The Blog has been sadly neglected of late. The reason? I have spent the week 'doing' rather than writing. Its been a fun but exhausting week but it has been fantastic to get out of Cornwall for the first time in 6 months...erm yeah 6 months! What a little Country Mouse I have become.
Mr S invited me to his for the bank holiday weekend and we enjoyed lots of good food and great music but I'll Blog about my musical education, and how it is coming along, another time. He lives in Swansea and as my elderly grandmother lives in Cardiff, I made arrangements to visit her on the way back.
I had travelled to Swansea in the relative calm of the late afternoon and I don't think I even changed gear until I got to the Severn Bridge. Can you believe they charge you £5.50 to get into Wales these days! I haven't been over the border in 10 years but driving across the bridge still gave me the same thrill as it did when I was a child. Upon arriving in Wales I had to cope with lots of signs in an unknown language, as well as trying to get in the right lane. I haven't even driven on a motorway for years, never mind a foreign one! I fear I am going to get slapped for that! My ancestors looking down upon me with frowns on their faces. I am only joking, I am bloody proud to be a Celt and a Welsh Dragon resides upon the back of The Shoe Carrier, something The Git insists upon.
I digress. It was good to be home and I regret not coming back before. I was surprised how emotional I felt. As this was a spur of the moment trip, I rang my parents to tell them where I was. It's only fair that I checked in as they were looking after The Git. "Oh that's wonderful" said my mother and followed through with "if you come back without Clarks Pies and Cockles I will disown you!"
Tuesday morning arrived and grumpily I set off for Cardiff at 7.30 in the morning. Dear God, I was in shock, it was so early even the locals had the sense to stay in bed. WRONG! I confidently swooped (actually I was in shoe carrier, that should read stuttered) onto the motorway and found myself in road rage hell. Hellish traffic, all doing 60ish with no power to get me out of trouble as the wide boys swooped in and out of lanes. This drive wasn't about confidence it was about horse power and I had none, driving the 1000cc Shoe Carrier. It was a baptism of fire, did me good but set my road rage management back a good three years. I used to live that life and did not question it. How lucky I am to live where I do.
I had arranged to meet my nanny at my Aunts house in Gabalfa, where she was staying. Got the map (Ta Mr S), no problem, it looked simple enough, junction 33 and Dave's your Uncle. My Nan actually lives in Grangetown, where both my parents grew up but I didn't want to drive there as was worried about hitting the city centre in error. Now, unbeknown to me Gabalfa has been renamed Llandaff North. I was happily mis-placed for a while (muses don't get lost) and thinking, I am sure I must have passed the turning when I drove past Cardiff Castle in all its glory. Oh shit! City Centre, here I come.
It was okay, no pase nada and all I could think was "just pretend you are driving in Plymouth". The brain then did an odd thing and told me turn left. Hmmm...why? Ah, all became clear as The Brains railway bridge came into view and I found myself on Clare road, opposite the flat that my mother had lived in with her parents, just around the corner from my Nanny's house. Penarth lights, everything made sense and I was home, just a little homing pigeon coming back to its roost.
I hesitantly rang my Aunt. "Erm..guess where I am" I said. "Lost" she replied. "Umm Clare Rd and I have no idea how I got here". Gales of laughter followed. "Stay there, go to Nanny's house and we'll be there soon", she said through her laughter. All of a sudden I wasn't 46, I was 5 again!
I spent a happy hour with my family, hugged and kissed my beautiful nanny. Wandered through the house, touching the piano, looking at paintings and remembering many happy childhood visits. It was all too brief and I want to return soon.
I drove home through awful traffic and fog on the A30.... Bodmin Moor didn't let me down. I rang my Aunt to tell her I was home. Loud voice in the background "Are you sure she in Bodmin, not Grangetown"! Very funny Uncle Dave. Yep, its going to take me years to live this one down!
Be Kind to each other. Nos Da.
Muse x
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