When I think about a holiday my mind automatically thinks "location, location, location" but this time this short break wasn't about location it was about company. The principal aim of going to Wales was to go and meet my old village friends, make fun of everything, pass wicked comments and referee the never ending male vs female debate. The expectations about Wales were virtually none, and considering I barely knew in what part of England Wales was located there was very little I could expect. This self sought ignorance served two purposed; it allowed me to be positively surprised at the bird watching opportunities Skomer Island offered, and it avoid me knowing enough to want disrupt any pre-planned itinerary of my pals.

My phobia of getting caught in Dublin's traffic compelled me to catch the 6.20am bus to the airport and off course there wasn't any traffic and I arrived 2 ½ hours before the flight. I fought my morning blues trying to read about New Zealand but I ended up getting some quizzical looks when waiting at the Aer Araan gate to board the flight to Cardiff with a NZ Lonely Planet.

The flight lasted about 50 minutes on the propeller power aircraft which considering I still working in an Airline environment I ought to know what model the plan was. Cardiff's airport is very small and bare and where it not for the weather and some European touches I compared it to a local South American airport. The accessibility and transport options are much better though, as it was only a matter of minutes till I got the shuttle bus to take me to the airport train station that takes you to Cardiff Central Station from where I got the noon train to Haverfordwest. (I told you I did nothing for this holiday, in fact one of my friends had to find the train for me – Thanks).

As I got out of the train station and put my backpack on the floor I noticed two familiar faces approaching in a Ford 7-seater van and the honking soon confirmed my visual understanding - my pals came to pick me with perfect timing. The rest of the group was busy (frustrated & pissed) trying to find an accommodation after the cottage they had pre-booked was oversold with the effect of us losing our booking. At least because of the inconvenience this caused, the lady who owned the place gave us the contact of another cottage which had room for 7 people, and since the Tourist Information Office couldn't find any better alternative we decided to go there.

It was nice meeting my friends again even though I had seen them a few days before while I was on a short visit. In the two months I've been away thankfully nobody changed; nobody grew bald, turned into a pixie or matured into a boring old moron, and their laugher is still contagious. Before the holiday I told myself that I should try to observant of my surroundings, takes lots of picture and notes to be able to write a good blog post, but I preferred chatting and enjoying my friends than playing the reporter.

The name of the cottage was Church View in Rosemarket and it turned out to be a great comfortable cottage and on the cheaper side considering everything (at £20 per person per night). The owner Owen greeted us with his friendly nature and we soon made friends with him and his black cocker spaniel Cody.

The cottage was spacious with three bed rooms, a kitchen and a sitting room with a TV not to separate me from the World Cup buzz of the moment. Behind the main building detached from our cottage there was also a laundry room and a playroom lots of books, table soccer, table hockey, play station and garden sized games like dominos and tic-tac-toe. Since I'm now traveling alone and there was no room specifically for me I had to be a killjoy to another couple. They assured me that it didn't matter and I assured them that I sleep very quick and very deeply so a compromise was easily reached.

At the back of the cottage there was a big back garden with some sheep and mountain goats and an animal that generated lost of controversy - the Lamas (or something remarkably similar). Some of us were amused by the fury scruffy animals but most of the ladies were disgusted. The lamas become such a cult that when M was being naughty she was being sent to "watch the lamas", which she later re-created in her own inimitable way. At the back there was also a small photogenic graveyard which made a good picture …

  

We spent the rest of the evening chilling out in the cottage feasting on Tesco easy cooking foods like pre packed Sushi (@ £1.99 for pieces), Tesco Pizza and a variety of English beers.