On the August bank holiday weekend, my Taiwanese friend Jessi visited again and we headed off for a weekend away in Wales.

I live in the border county of Gloucestershire, so it takes well under an hour to leave England. It's strange to travel such a short distance and to genuinely feel you're in a different country. The road signs are bilingual, the terrain becomes mountainous and bold, and the place names have lots of double Ls. Wales can be very bleak, but it's beautiful in the summer and, despite what you may think, we got a warm and friendly welcome from the people.

On the Saturday morning we left Cheltenham and headed for South Wales via the Forest Of Dean. We stopped at a boaties gathering on the Monmouth & Brecon Canal and Jessi was able to see why canal boats need to be so narrow!

In the afternoon we took a ride on the Brecon Mountains steam railway. Our engine was a little 1930s American puffer which had seen service in South Africa before running away driverless and being written off. Not for the first time, Jessi made friends with some local kids (she's a teaching director) and they waved at her as we puffed away from the station.

In the evening we set up camp - Jessi bravely agreed to sleep under canvas in the Brecon Beacons - and went back into Tresebont (?) for a very nice but posh dinner.

I slept quite well, with the fresh mountain air and the sound only of sheep, but we were both very cold. If I were to go again I'd take a blanket!

On Sunday we toured the beautiful Pembrokeshire coast. We visited many different beaches (and quite a variety too) and had an afternoon cream tea in a remote fishing village. I listened to the conclusion of the cricket - England scraping a sensational lead in the Ashes - as I sat overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and a working lighthouse, before starting the long and wearisome drive home.

Apologies to Jessi for being a bit miserable and snappy this weekend!