Cymru

The UK has introduced me to two new things I love. (I know, they've already given us so much, right? Digestive biscuits, Shakespeare, The Vicar of Dibley, crumpets (I ate three today). They're a nation of givers. Except for the bus driver who gouged us on Monday, telling me the fare to Machynlleth was 2.40 instead of 2.00, so I had to go rummaging through my bag for my envelope of coins--Romanian coins, European coins, Turkish coins, British coins--which, naturally ripped apart when I pulled it from my bag, scattering coins ALL over the bus floor and delaying our departure, when really the fare IS 2.00 and I could have purchased a second delicious treat at the bakery with that 40p he charged me and maintained my dignity on the morning bus. Except for him, they're a nation of givers.)

1. Fuchsias--Somehow, I don't think I've ever seen these flowers before, but they're all over Wales.

2. Seaweed Peanut Crackers--I imagine that these did not actually originate in Britain, but it's where I found them and came to love them. They're little ball-shaped crackers and there's a single peanut inside each one. They're fantastic. Unless they're in your backpack during a terrible storm at Harlech Castle and they get wet. A soggy seaweed peanut cracker is no good at all.

Completely unrelated--I met a sheep farmer and quizzed him about his sheep dogs. He doesn't enter them in trials, because they refuse to run uphill. They jump on the ATV in the morning and then herd DOWN.

Saturday I'm off to Scotland and then I'll be back in the US with a USB drive and all the promised pictures from the trip will actually appear on the blog.