Meirion was also on the bus, so we got off at the plaza in Gaiman together and walked across to the chapels, being pretty much the first to arrive, about an hour before the ceremony.

As bards and tourists started to assemble, we were given the task of folding the programme of events (me important!) and handing them out to people.

I had planned to take lots of photos, but my batteries failed. Grr. So I had to content myself with taking a couple of shots and then just watching it all take place.

I followed the procession around from the chapel to the Gorsedd stones, with about 300 people present for the ceremony, including the governor Das Neves, who gave me a wave later on ;)

After going through the rituals, the introduction of the new bards and some singing, I realised that I was very, very tired and went to go back home on the bus, but both Meirion and I were offered a lift. Which was nice.

Got home, went for a siesta and then at 4ish went off to get myself some gear for the folk dancing on the weekend - new shoes being the priority.

I got some long white socks first and then went to a shop to buy some shoes.

I went for the cheapest pair, as you do, but they told me that they didn`t have them in my size. They had some others which I might like, they said, and brought out a different pair. Quite nice. Fitted. Ok, I said, I`ll take them.

The price rang up. $109. Nearly three times the price of the pair that I had asked for. I pointed this out and they looked confused as to why this would be a problem. Bollocks to that, I said, and walked out of the shop.

Still needed some shoes though. Granny came to the rescue, suggesting a shop called El Revoltijo, which, oddly, had pretty much the same shoes but at the original price. They fitted. I bought them. Far easier.

After a quick bite to eat, I went to the cyber cafe for the welsh premier chat and overheard two people opposite speaking in English, talking about the Eisteddfod.

When the guy called the lady, Susan, I thought that I would take a stab in the dark and ask if she was the Susan Wilkinson from Canada whose paper I had been translating. Turned out that it was, and that her friend was Bruno Derrick from London who was also giving a paper at the Welsh Forum next week.

We went for a coffee and a conversation in San Javier for an hour, discussing the forum and the eisteddfod, before I had to rush off and get ready for our final pre-Eisteddfod dancing practice.

Nearly everyone was there as we went round in circles for an hour or two, getting our steps pretty much right. Fingers crossed for the big day!

After that, I braved the rain and the slippy pavements to go and find Hywel and Pete, who were deep in discussion with a Welsh descended waitress in Margaritas.

Ironically, in the middle of Eisteddfod week and hundreds of Welsh tourists, Trelew`s most upmarket restaurant was having an Italian night. Even more bizarrely, they were having an Italian night without any vegetarian food.

So as we sat there we were treated to some traditional Italian dancing and singing, while the waitress wore her Cymru Patagonia t-shirt for us. How sweet!