I took a lot of books with me, but I hardly read anything that week. Part of each day I walked on the towpath, because the barge goes at walking speed. I also steered the boat, made tea for the tillerman, and worked the locks and other stuff. The main disadvantage - apart from the slow pace if you don't like that kind of thing - is that the barge is kind of narrow and basic inside. A bit like Das Boot.
We were sorry to leave, but the Brecons were also very nice, and our apartment was very comfy, with its own sauna and gymn and stuff. It wasn't a farmhouse (I misunderstood), but part of the complex at Dan-Yr-Ogof caves. These were once thought to be the entrance to the world of the dead, and they are surrounded by standing stones, burial mounds, and ritual avenues. The atmosphere is slightly spoiled these days by the Plastic Dinosaur exhibition. We adopted the resident tomcat, who lived in the laundry and ate the wicked mice, assuring us that they thoroughly deserved it.
