Chepstow

We're in Chepstow, having driven through Forest of Dean, Mallard Pike Pond near Blakeney, to Tintern Abbey. The children almost enjoyed exploring the ruins, until we mentioned the possibility of hot chocolate. It was rather chilly walking around in the open. We took the audio tour option, where we walked around with little voices in our heads telling us what we were looking at. We were invited to walk into the church imagining that we were following the monks' procession, and then explored the church, night stairs, dining hall, chapter house, infirmary, etc.

(Afterwards, we discovered a more child-"accessible" part of Tintern! And nearby, we managed to see what is probably the ugliest pig in the world.)

We've just come back from the Big Pit, an underground coal & iron ore mine near Blaenavon, where we were taken (for free!) 90m underground, for a look at the stables, tunnels, drams, engines, etc. They wouldn't let us take cameras, phones, or even electronic watches underground, due to the requirement for absence of spark producing devices.

There were some interesting ducks in the Forest of Dean - I don't think I've ever seen such fancy ones before.

We explored the town looking for dinner venues - mostly in pubs - and eventually found a reasonable one. Tomorrow morning we'll visit Chepstow Castle, although since it doesn't open until 11am, we'll either have a very leisurely breakfast, or consider venturing further away for tourism. Newport's cathedral is supposed to be the smallest of all the English and Welsh ones. The 10:30 choral service isn't quite compatible with the rest of the day's schedule, but we'll see. Driving mapless through Newport may also be a challenge - although I suppose there's always Google Maps!