The Gower Peninsula and Swansea City adventure...

This past weekend the international student group got the opportunity to visit Gower and Swansea City.  Gower is a peninsula with miles of gorgeous beaches and rocky terrain located about an hour and a half, by way of car, south of Carmarthen and just west of Swansea.  The moment we arrived we were met with the typical rainy weather of the season and cold blustery wind but that quickly faded as our jaws hit the soft grass in awe of the picturesque landscape.

As we walked along the grassy and muddy path, we were met with many sheep and their many, many presents they left for us.  Despite the animal landmines, we pressed on to the rocky coast and eventually the site of a seemingly endless ocean.  It was then the sun tore through the clouds and warmed our frozen faces which now bore broad smiles of wonder.

Unfortunately, by the time some of the group reached the shore, it was time to turn around and head back to the bus to travel to Swansea.  However, on the way back it felt as if we had been watching a black and white television and someone decided to switch the program to full color.  The grass was a gorgeous green and the sky became a beautiful blue-jaws back down to the floor.  Personally, all I could say was "wow" over and over.

After a short bus ride we arrived at Swansea.  Most of us famished ended up at McDonalds and ate whatever we could.  To be honest, I have no idea what I ate.  Hunger satisfaction aside, we began to stroll through town and the idea of a group photo scavenger hunt came about including photo-bombing a couple, stand behind a till, and storming a castle-all of which we accomplished with ease.  A couple hours later, however, it was time to say so long to Swansea and come back to our second homes in Carmarthen.

What was only a short day seemed like several hours, even days because of how much fun and inspiring it was to be in such a beautiful place.  This coming weekend there isn't a planned trip and the next weekend we go to Bath where I plan on sketching the architecture as best as I can.  In the mean time, I also plan on starting my first oil painting here in Wales and I couldn't be more excited! It's been a life changing couple of weeks here in Wales and I wouldn't trade this experience for the world.