A Sightseeing Slowdown in Southern Wales

After a couple of months in the UK, much of which was on-the-go and full of sightseeing, we kind of needed a break and a slower pace. The southern coast of Wales offered just such an opportunity.

When we originally planned to visit Wales, it was to be nestled in between three-four weeks in Ireland and a couple of final weeks in England. But, last year, we divorced the Irish trip from the UK trip and did it in late August. That was the right call and it also meant that our planned route through Wales would need to be re-routed. We were planning to land from Ireland in Fishguard, visit that area and hit the cities of Cardigan and Cardiff with one, or maybe two, rural stops along the way. Now, dropping in from northwest England, we were able to visit Northern Wales and then headed south.

A canceled Airbnb near Fishguard, forced yet another change to the plan and we spent our entire time in southwest Wales along the southern coast, first in Tenby and then in the Mumbles.

Tenby. I am a sucker for rows of colorful buildings. I am entranced by them and spend way too long taking way too many photos of them. So much so that I’m pretty sure that my better half has nightmares about colorful villages and her just standing around endlessly waiting for me to move on. Well, if villages with rows of colorful buildings are up your alley, then southern Wales, and Tenby in particular, is the place for you.

We stayed right on the beach during scaffolding season, just after the height of summer, when many owners of hotels or rental properties are trying to squeeze in off-season work before winter arrives. Our building was no exception, but the metal bars and wood planks couldn’t detract from the stunning beach and colorful port beyond.

Other than strolling the beaches and winding through the town, we did, well… nothing. Unless you call watching the tides roll in and out action. It was just what the doctor ordered. And if you’re in the mood for fresh seafood, beeline straight for the shack of Simply Seafoods Fishmongers for an unbelievably low-priced lobster roll (about $12-15) chocked full of fresh lobster meat caught by the family selling it on a fresh baguette bun.

Mwmblws. Named by the French sailors who thought that, from sea, the land masses around the port looked a bit like mamelles (French for breasts), “mumbles” (or mwmblws in Welsh) is a corruption of the French word.

It’s all Welsh to me.

From our Airbnb overlooking the harbor, we again spent time watching the tides. We hit the Mumbles pubs: The White Rose for some Saturday Ryder Cup action (better luck next time Team USA) and for a post-Turkish dinner (at The Mediterranean, delicious and highly rated for a reason) at The Waterloo Tavern for “open mic night” which turned out to be a hired band (Calon) playing some incredible electric ukeleles which I didn’t even know was a thing.

If we were to move to Wales, Mwmblws would top our list and not just because we love the vowel-less Welsh spelling and want to be Catherine Zeta-Jones’ neighbor.