Preamble

I have a hard time remembering when this trip started coming into focus, but it certainly started with Mom. Summer 2018 was a tough one; my mom, breast cancer survivor, had also just finished treatment for colon cancer and received devastating news that her cancer was incurable. I still remember those days well, and the hazy memories of not knowing exactly what to do or say, and perhaps worse, never knowing what new emotion may flood over you in the coming minutes, hours, days. But relatively soon after this new reality, Mom was resolute that she wanted to go to Wales -- where her paternal grandparents were from -- with her girls (me, Anne my sister, and Josephine (Joey), my daughter and her eldest grandchild), so we set to it… at least in theory. Since then, her cancer became indolent and she was able to take a 3-month break from chemo, scheduled for Summer 2019. We checked Joey’s school calendar and set the dates. Initial bookings (airfare, early lodging) and an early sketch itinerary of the cities to visit were made in March, which is when I think she truly believed this was happening. This was a bucket list trip, through and through, and we planned accordingly. We didn’t mind a budget too strictly, and our main priority was enjoying the adventure (and by adventure I mean relaxing, slow paced travel). 

As we went, I took notes about things we did, saw, and ate, but not too closely. What follows from those notes is a summary of our trip here that I hope will provide a record for us to remember, and for others to live it with us in the years to come. A note: I have never had a reputation for brevity, nor did I intentionally edit myself very much here, a disastrous combination for length. I put the New Yorker longform articles to shame with far worse writing. But with that disclaimer in mind, I hope you enjoy hearing the story of 4 multi-generational Americans traipsing through Wales in the heart of summer.