stable

Last week M and me spent a few days in a converted stable at a farm in the Monmouthshire countryside. The original plan had been to get away from things for a short while - what with it being the bleakest time of the year. And for a while back there it seemed as though we'd got away from everything: as we drove through blizzards and deserted country roads, everywhere covered white, it felt as though we were the only people left in Wales...

On our way up the snow was so thick that we had to abandon the car a mile from the farm and be picked up by the owners in their 4-wheel drive. The stressful journey proved worth it, however, as we were treated to a luxurious oak-beamed cottage with views of the countryside and a roll top bath in the upstairs open-plan bedroom. Even if we hadn't been snowbound it would have been the kind of place you'd be happy to spend your time stuck indoors... so that's pretty much what we did. After more snowfall the following morning the sun emerged and we ventured out for a short walk and a bit of snowball-throwing. But for most of the time it was definitely preferential to stay curled up in the warm, indoors...