I've done it once before, in the Lakes, and this was just as good. I often enthuse about 3 week holidays and one is about to begin for us. Yet 24 hour breaks are in some ways just as good. Adam and I reached Pontrhydryfen or Pont-rhyd-y-fen [does how you write it alter how you pronounce it? I think that it does, but am not sure... any Welsh speakers out there] at about 6.15pm, Vicky gave the kids their tea and then we headed up the river [pictured] and, what a surprise, I ended up in the water and then Nick followed [also hardly surprising]; the children wouldn't go above their knees, at least not deliberately. It was as wnderful as it looks.We got back to Dr Who, and later good food and wine and company. The next morning Nick and I headed out at 7 up into the Forest www.afanforestpark.co.uk . After about 2 miles of steady uphill, with little talking, I said, 'You're setting a fast pace' to which Nick replied, 'I'm just keeping up with you'. 'Shall we slow down? ...No.' Or at least not until we got to slopes that were not designed to be run, except by the seriously fit, and insane.
We headed off the the yard and the Ponies and then on to Big Pit www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/bigpit which was one of the most amazing and most powerful museums that I have ever been to; terrifing, awesome, moving, tragic, great for both adults and kids and so many, many stories; and the guides [all former miners] have the most wicked, dry sense of humour. But the idea that 10 year olds spent 12 hours a day, 50 weeks a year in the pitch black is one that is hard to forget, as is the pride of the miners and their vivid memories of the pits and their closure. I'd recommend it to anyone.
Fish and Chips came next before driving home. A great 24 hour break.
