A surprising walk

I suggested a walk to Keith about 11am. He was finished with the China team and the US teams were still a bit from the start of their work day. It was brightly cloudy and the wind had died down. We went a new direction, toward the river, but turned right for the first time. As we walked along, talking about what to do with our now few weekends remaining in Wales, we were admiring doors. The terraced houses ALL have been individualized by their owners. Some have fancy house numbers, some have cool stone door steps, and they all seem to have a different door, with a matching front window. I took pictures, but kept thinking that if they have the neighborhood app here there will a post about “did anyone see the strange woman out taking pictures of doors?! Warning! Warning!” Hopefully that is just a Woodbury thing.

We found a little bridge over the train track and we were really on a new path. We climbed the hill a bit on the other side – renewing my belief that I could climb up one of these mountain hills. I tried taking pictures but they all look lame. Everything is covered with moss. Probably because it rains here. It makes things look cool. We saw lots of holly, which seems very British (we are not in England. We are in Wales).

Keith thought we should head back for working, which seemed reasonable, so after coming back down the hill and back over the train track, I headed for home. And he veered. He is not usually the veering one. We followed the Rhondda river west for a bit. It was a industrial area (next to the train, checks out) with a very nice path. As we walked, I was looking ahead (as you do, or you walk into people)(There really were no people to run into). I said, look at those circles way up there. It looks like a curbside laundromat. (The laundry is drying very nicely, thank you for wondering. I guess I am just going to hang up wet things now, even at home.) Keith agreed. We got busy talking about possible weekend plans, possible plans to go to Amsterdam, possibles all over the place, and approached the distant circles without actually paying attention. When I did notice them again, I just stopped right where I was. It IS a curbside laundromat – with a very giant dryer. It was like coming upon the holy grail or the ark of covenant (big fan of those movies back in the day). Keith kept saying how is there an outdoor laundry in a place where it rains all the time? I told him there is an overhang and to leave my laundromat alone. Like I said, laundry is going fine at our place, but knowing I could walk only pretty-far-but-not-really-far-but-farther-carrying-laundry-far to do laundry if I needed to is great. And who thought of this? And who did it? I love it!! I absolutely love it.

We went just a little bit farther and walked past a secret food truck. Mmmm. Why do I call it a secret food truck, you ask? Well. We were really nowhere. Next to some trees, just past an outdoor laundromat, which itself was in the middle of nowhere, just before a little strip mall type building that seemed to be a car fixing place. And some more trees. There, amid this not hustle and bustle, is a completely grey food truck. I people were not in it, talking, I would never have noticed it. We walked by. I saw a sign that said double cheeseburger. I stopped and looked at Keith. We like food trucks. We really like to support independent businesses. “Want something?” “Sure.” We waited while they chef-ed up a burger with onions. They asked Keith if he wanted sauce. I was sure he would say brown sauce, because he likes brown sauce (I like it’s name)(what is it? I don’t know), but he said BBQ sauce. We have that at home. Lame choice. (I told him so and he admitted he panicked.)

One more look at the oasis landromat, we turned the corner, and headed for home.