St Mary the Virgin Anglican Church

“The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.”
Anna Quindlan
Collecting a visitor in Cardiff today, a friend of K2’s from Switzerland who’s coming to stay for a couple of nights. Unfortunately K1 not feeling that great so I get to be chauffeur, tour guide and companion for the day on a visit to Hay, K2’s ‘spiritual home’ and called “The Woodstock of the Mind” by Bill Clinton
Did the sightseeing tour bit up the A470 and through Bannau Brycheiniog, under the watchful eye of a brooding Pen-y-Fan, grey and mysterious under the morning cloud. Past Brecon and the Black Mountains, my father’s childhood home, to Hay-on-Wye with its’ newly restored castle and more bookshops than you can shake a stick at. An hour or so for L to orientate herself and have a wander while I checked out vegan options for lunch. The Granary, opposite the clock tower, scored on all counts – enough space for us to be comfortable but with plenty of others to give the place a buzz and with a varied menu that didn’t feel like it was catering for special diets. The food was delicious, and this from a grumpy sixty something carnivore, I opted for the spicy beans (not baked) on toast and L said she was spoiled for choice. We parted company for a couple of hours to give her chance to explore, while I headed for St Mary the Virgin church, the only one I could find open, for a meditation. I was warmly welcomed by a small choir practising, and soon after, as I was settling for my ‘practise’, one of them stopped and asked if I was ok. So sweet of her to ask, so I explained and they all left me for some peaceful reflection. Despite telling myself I wasn't going to buy any books, one insisted I take it home with me, so who am I to argue. Returned home via Crickhowell which gave me the chance to show L some of the other Welsh landscapes past Abergavenny. Life doesn’t get much richer.