Cottage Cheese!

After a very long year, Christmas arrived to mixed emotions. While we were very glad to have a break, we were of course, very homesick for our families, not to mention the New Zealand summer.

 

We had booked a beautiful little cottage in Snowdonia, Wales back in May to help take our minds off being away from home over Christmas; however, when it came time to leave last week, we weren’t really fussed. In fact, I’d even teared up at work with homesickness! That said, we were absolutely blown away five hours later when we pulled up at what has to be the most quaint, beautiful cottage we had ever seen – and it was all ours for a full four nights!

 

Cae Adda (www.caeadda.co.uk) is situated in Snowdonia Wales, right in the middle of the National Park and while it sleeps six, we had the house for the three of us – yours truly and our best friend Jess. Perfect! It is a 16^th century cottage which sits right on the bank of Trawsfynydd Lake, and we mean right on the bank – the lake was quite literally on our doorstep!

 

Armed with a car full of groceries, games, DVDs and presents, we were all set for a relaxing four days of hibernation and this is exactly what was had. Food, naps, books and enough cheese platters to feed France – our time there was glorious!

 

We left the cottage just a few times – the first to walk across farmland and a 500m footbridge to the neighbouring village, trekking through sheep and mud to pick up some sausages and of course, more sheep! Jess and I also managed to get a run in – again, across farmland and dodging sheep!

 

Christmas Day was spent eating, skyping and opening delightful present after present! Way back when the weather was warmer and we were joking around, we had decided that we each had to take a dip in the frozen lake before any presents were to be opened. Of course, Jess and I chickened out as soon as we arrived, but Brad, true to his word, took a quick dip before breakfast. Don't believe me? Here's the proof!

 

Brad and I also decided to make the most of our lakeside location and brave the cold, to watch the sunset with a glass of wine (at 3.30pm!).

 

We really couldn’t have picked a better spot to spend our third Christmas away from home and dragging ourselves away to head back to grey London was difficult to say the least! We are now home for a few days before we head off to Russia on Sunday!

 

 

Merry Christmas to all our whanau – next time you’ll be reading this blog, it’ll be 2013!