One of the best things about living away from your family is that you always have somewhere to go for a free holiday. Last week, Poppy and I headed off on a girls-only adventure down to Pembrokeshire. It was very much needed, after a hectic end to the school term and in advance of lots of necessary prep work for the new term ahead.

We headed down to Pembrokeshire last Tuesday, leaving behind a sunny Oxfordshire, heading into cloudy Wales and making our way straight to my favourite beach, Freshwater West. The tide was out, which meant for lots of exploring the rock pools, which is one of Poppy’s favourite things. She’s not that keen on swimming or paddling in the sea but loves to explore the rocks. Freshwater West has always been my favourite beach. As kids, it was always one we would go to, as it’s really long and wasn’t as popular with tourists as lots of other beaches so was nice and quiet during the summer holidays. Perfect!

I had planned on doing a spot of geocaching while we were, but sadly, a lack of signal put paid to that. So Poppy and I had a long walk along the beach, with spot of rock climbing and rock pooling fun thrown in to the mix. There was only a little bit of drizzle, which didn’t deter us, or the hoards of surfers, enjoying the waves.

I’m not sure who enjoys walking on the beach more, Poppy or me. I love being by the coast, it is my most favourite place. There’s something about being covered in salt that does wonders for my relaxation. This was the start of lots of walks, lots of coast exploration and lots of bad hair caused by the coastal breeze!