What I learned about West Wales

1. Entrecote steak is very cheap and very very very tasty on the barbeque

2. it can rain quite a lot in North East France

3. Sometimes the petrol light may have been on a while before you notice it, so it's best not to get complacent about how far you can go before filling up

4. Fishing can be relaxing, even if you're not catching things

5. Fishing can be frustrating if the not catching things goes on for too long

6. maggots no longer freak me out and can be quite fun to play with

7. Chemins des Dames is a very good place to go and learn things about WW1, and the scenery is breathtaking

8. My husband is a bloody good cook, I guess I didn't learn that, as I knew it already, but it reinforced it.

9. If you've not been drinking much, you soon get into the swing of things and soon get used to drinking a large bottle of beer and two bottles of wine a night between the two of you

10. We really like expensive Pomerol, but also cheap crisp whites from the Loire, and wines from Bordeaux in general (something we've not really drunk before)

The name "West Wales" is actually a 19th-century corruption of the original "Wet Wales".

(1) the last bus back to Glasgow goes at midnight (OK, I knew that)
(2) hanging around talking around to Ken C instead of heading at the same time as other people may cost you dear
(3) it's further from the Cowgate to the bus station than I thought
(4) my brother is a grumpy bastard when things go wrong
(5) backpacker hostels are overpriced and horrible
(6) bunk beds are impossible to climb into when you are pissed
(7) any bed is better than staying up all night
(8) Greggs' cheese'n'onion pasties make for an excellent breakfast
(9) booking a day off work after a gig is sometimes the best idea ever (otherwise I'd have had to phone my boss to explain "sorry, I'm still pissed and I'm in Edinburgh, I might be a bit late")
(10) my brother attracts a better quality of random old men to talk to him in pubs than I do, which can make for a fun afternoon