Beaches and Bakes.....

I've just spent a lovely week in South Wales with the family, and despite it being a holiday, I've managed to fit some training in ready for the 'Cotswold Challenge' that SS and I have entered on the 24th September.

The 'Cotswold Challenge' (a marathon) starts and ends at Birdlip village hall (so there should be cake!!)and if you don't know where it is, I shall inform you that it is VERY high up in Gloucestershire.....high up as in hill not posh......

It is on a beacon, and the 'challenge' takes in several beacons so the route is going to be 'undulating' to say the least, hence the need for some training whilst on holiday.....

We holidayed on the Gower , staying at Caswell Bay, and this is fast becoming my favourite UK holiday spot, dare I say it, perhaps beating Aberdovey...which was my number one...
In fact, according to the National Trust Magazine that I read in the Coffee shop at Three Cliffs Bay, Rhossili Beach on the Gower has just been voted Britain's Best Beach for 2011, beating Tresco on the Scilly Isles...it was in the Cadburys Flake beach awards, but you can't argue with Cadburys now can you?

Rhossili Bay, The Gower.

Caswell Bay, and coast path.

No Surf!!

Segfredo coffee....mmmmmm!!

Anyways, Caswell has a lovely bay with a coast path leading to the next bay at Langland and a route along this, and round the golf course back to our chalet is about 3.5 miles, so I ran it 4 mornings and walked it twice, what made it more worthwhile, apart from the spectacular views, was the coffee shop on the sea front which served Segfredo coffee and the best Welsh cakes I've ever tasted...

I even had a go at surfing...just to get some more exercise in...and this was .....well......pants really! We waited all week for the waves to pick up but the sea was soooo flat! On Thursday we went in anyway and tried a few waves but we resorted back to the bodyboards and just kicked our legs.....I have  never known the sea so still, a big contrast to when we where last there in February......mind you, all that salt water is still thirsty work so it's a good job there's a coffee shop on the beach.....

So, a weeks holiday, and now back home to washing, ironing, and meeting up with SS on Monday to start training again......however...we did have one last day of 'holiday' in the form of a 30th birthday party this afternoon!

It was our friend Lissie's 30th, and she was having an 'afternoon tea party'. Her mum had spent the last few days cooking everything in the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook, so it was, as they say, a 'veritable feast' of goodies....... and very educational........
I learnt, for instance, that Anna, a Duchess, introduced afternoon tea as she got rather peckish between lunch at midday and dinner in the evening.....wanting a cuppa and a sarnie......this then led on to 'High Tea' which was to become something 'more substantial'.....cake, cake, cake,cake....

Substantial has always been good in my book, so I tried, rocky road, red velvet cup cake, lavender cup cake, lemon drizzle cake, and something with rice crispies and marshmellows which was scrummy......Lissie and Christine I thank you, but fear I may not be able to run or even walk for a few days......!!