SATURDAY SATURDAY SATURDAY!

There are some great houses in the Welsh countryside

This Saturday (7th Sept) was quite a lazy day. I woke up too late for breakfast which was just as well, because after five days of food from the same dining hall, everybody needs some change! I ended up going into Llantwit for some food (ice cream and gluten free almond cake... yummy...) and groceries with my house mate Yuko, from Japan. 

A lovely summer morning

The first stop was the local pharmacy, Boots. I needed to get a couple of pharmaceutical products (saline solution, etc.) and Yuko had a couple of items she needed to knock off her shopping list as well. I also signed up for my Boots card and am awaiting the thrill of receiving it by post! Cheap thrill, I know, but it's fun to look out for and actually receive post in the 'mailboxes' we have. 

The 'long' walk to Llantwit

Anyways, back to a detailed recount of my shopping trip, we then headed to 'the co-operative' or more simply 'co-op' which is a grocery store. We got a couple of things each, I had already done my shopping the night before (you'll have to read my last post (; ) and so I was helping one of my roommates get a couple of things. We didn't spend a long time there because we didn't need much, and the next stop was more interesting anyways... MARIO'S! 

A mini farm in Llantwit, comes complete with chickens and sheep!

 
But I am not going to talk about Mario's here, it deserves a post of its own, so does The Cornerhouse Tearooms which has the most amazing gluten-free cakes and good coffee! So you'll see posts about those two places as soon as I can go into Llantwit and get good pictures of the shops. 

Where we wait for the hourly bus

After that, we went back to the campus. Before I knew it, it was time for the Buddy Hunt. Now what is a Buddy Hunt, you might be wondering. Basically, it's an opportunity for first and second years to get to know each other better. How is this done? Well, each second year is paired with a first year, put into a group and given a list of clues. We are then supposed to find the locations the clues are intended for and collect points upon figuring out the location. There was a lot of pressure riding on this hunt. A time limit of 45 minutes, the campus is huge, and the stakes were so high... a WHOLE CHOCOLATE CAKE... 

A natural tunnel, if only more underpasses were made of trees...

That was the most exercise I have done since coming to AC! I was so exhausted by the end of it! Though we did not leave victoriously 'chocolatey', I had so much fun and got to know a couple of second years better! If you thought my day was going to end there; that I was going to take a leisurely stroll back to my house, take a long, soothing shower and then hop into bed... Well, you're far off tangent! 

The streets of Llantwit!

Powys was having our house bonding that night. I was glad that we ended up having it in our dayroom instead of the usual fields (which are named after countries, e.g. Cambodia) because I might have passed out on the walk to the field from extreme energy depletion. But I am so glad I didn't pass out because house bonding was so enjoyable. Just sitting on the couches and lounging on the floor playing card games or just talking to people.

It's the UK, I have to have a shot of a pub!

It was after house bonding that I finally got to close my tired eyes. Saturday had been a long day, but Sunday, I had a gut feeling that Sunday might just be able to beat it!

Shrouded in nature

'Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting, get a little action in. I get about as oiled as a diesel train, gonna set this dance alight.' - Saturday Night's Alright, Elton John

Do I see cows???