Walking and not walking

Day 16

I walked alone. The hot, humid weather is playing havoc with S's breathing.

My walk began in fog which hung around until lunch time.

There might be a dramatic view of wild cliffs, but I didn't see it.

Eventually, a line of islands appeared with a flashing light on one. The Strumble Head lighthouse.

My view as I ate my lunch.

The fog disappeared after lunch. It was hot in the sun as I toiled up hill after hill. I found a tiny bit of shade beside a monument commemorating the 1797 invasion.

Mid-afternoon, I entered Goodwick passing houses and walked a metal-caged walkway above where vehicles line up to board the ferry to Ireland. Maybe it would be cooler in Ireland?

The Ocean Lab cafe raises money for marine conservation. I bought an icecream and watched locals swimming at the beach.

A large mosaic to commemorate that invasion.

One last walk around a headland took me into Fishguard where we stayed for four nights.

HEAT DAY

Thursday, 25 July. A day of unprecedented heat. 35 degrees forecast for Fishguard which is in one of the tiny corners on the map below that are still white, outside the warning areas.we decided to rest. We did go out, to see the invasion tapestry and to a cafe. But no air-con anywhere except the supermarket. By 11am, it was too hot. We retreated to our cottage with no air-con or fans. Would we boil or bake?

Am I really in Wales? Wearing a skirt?

Fortunately, the downstairs living room stayed a reasonable temperature and we found things to watch on tv. It took a little longer in the evening for our upstairs bedrooms to cool down enough to sleep. There was an almighty thunderstorm at midnight.

DAY 17

A lovely day of walking and varied scenery. Lower hills. Still warm. We took a bus to Newport to walk back to Fishguard. Sheryl left me after lunch and took a bus back while I contined alone.

The old harbour at Newport.

Medium height cliffs. Easy walking. 

Cwn-yr-Eglwys (valley of the Church) Once big enough to hold 300 people, most of the church has been lost to the weather due to severe storm damage and erosion. Only one end of the building remains on the edge of the beach.

Pwllgwelod beach where ate lunch and parted company.

The track did become a bit more challenging but clouds helped keep the temperature manageable. In December, 2025, the coast claimed the 24 metre long guard boat, the Resolute. She is firmly stuck on the rocks.

I arrived in Fishguard at low tide.

DAY 18

Another solo walk. Sheryl bussed to meet me at new accomodation.

A group of local women headed into the sea to swim as I sweated ny way up the first steep climb.

Clear skies, dramatic cliffs and a stiff wind to help me stay warm, but not too hot.

Tomorrow is the final day of walking the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. Will Sheryl be able to do it?

Happy birthday (not mine)

 Knock and the door shall be opened....

A day off from walking. Happy birthday to Sheryl.

St David's Cathedral. Most churches are located in prominent places, designed to be seen. Not St David's. It is hidden in a hollow, not visible until you are right there.

St David lived in the 6th century and is the patron saint of Wales. It was said that two pilgrimages to St David's Cathderal were worth one to Rome.

The ceilings! Beautiful, and very high.

The floor tiles.

A few other details.

It is a stunningly interesting place. An active place of worship and a place of peace. They also have a great cafe where we enjoyed lunch.

Then we caught a local bus to our next home at Fishguard. It was stifling with no air-con and full of school kids. But our cottage was lovely and just up the hill we found The Royal Oak for an excellent dinner. Relaxed, characterful and historic. This pub is where a peace treaty was signed in 1797, following the last invasion of Britain by a foreign country, the French.

Local women played their part, armed with pitchforks.

In the library there is an amazing tapestry that tells the story. Created to celebrate the 200th anniversay of the invasion, it is very well done. No photos allowed so here is the signage downstairs.

As we were about to leave the pub, we noticed muscians arriving in the front room, so we stayed another hour listening to them play folk music.

A fabulous end to Sheryl's birthday.

Welsh weather should be wet

 DAY 11

Back on the path. After 3 nights in a b&b in Marloes, we walked all day to new accomodation. 

Little wonders you only see when you walk. 

Butterflies landing on the track, taking off to land again in front of your feet or on leaves next to the track.

Two Six Spotted Burnett moths doing what nature calls them to do.

Picnic lunch at St Brides Bay.

We arrived at Little Haven in the late afternoon.

And walked the long sandy beach to Broadhaven, passing a huge sea cave.

I liked the way they did the menu at the cafe in the Broadhaven YHA. A delicious and easy end to our day 

DAY 12

A damp showery day. More cliff top walking.

A croquet house converted into an off-grid holiday cottage. Very cute, and what a view.

This house built into the hillside featured on an episode of Grand Designs.

We walked along another sandy beach beside the shingle storm bank into Newgale.

A walker's lunch. We had earned our scones.

More cliff top walking into the very pretty village of Solva and dinner at our hotel.

DAY 13

The weather changed. A bit warm at times but good walking weather at the harbour of Solva as we left in the morning.

Meandering along cliffs.

St Non was a female saint who gave birth to the patron saint of Wales, St David, to whose cathedral city we were headed. This is St Non's chapel, built near where she gave birth to St David.

St Non's well, reputed to have healing water.

More interesting geology.

Porthclais. Just in a bit further at the top of the tiny harbour, we discovered a little National Trust cafe. Unexpected. Delightful! Toasted sandwiches, coffee and lemon drizzle cake for lunch. Yum!

We are going to buy this cottage. Well, we can dream.

Porthlysgi, in the middle of nowhere with no road access and no facilities.

But when we got down to beach people were swimming. An artist was painting and...

A group of escaped sheep were enjoying the sweet grass on the other side of their paddock fence, on our path.

Rounding a headland we saw Ramsey Island.

Those black rocks in front of the house, are The Bitches. They have claimed many boats. The tide rushes through the strait at up to 7 knots.

A seal watched us from water as we approached St Justinians where tourist boats depart from the ramp of the lifeboat station.

Our day ended with an icecream at Whitesands while waiting for a bus to take us to St Davids where we based ourselves for three nights.

DAY 14

An interesting walk around St Davids Head. We passed through the ancient defensive wall into an area with several large hut circles, the foundations of Iron Age huts.

Neolithic burial chamer

Very relaxed and contented ponies. They are used in many places to control vegetation and increase biodiversity.

Stunning views.

Then the day got hot, too hot to be comfortable. We found a small stream to cool our feet while eating lunch before tackling yet another steep climb.

Porthgain once exported slate and roadstone.

Abereiddy Quarry, now known as the Blue Lagoon, is now a popular swimming place.

DAY 15

Another too hot day. 

I think she wanted me to open the gate so she could graze the next section along the track.

Her friend enjoyed a head scratch.

An old corn mill with a view.

Careg Samson, the remains of the entry to a 5,000 year old burial chamber.

Abermawr. We walked along the shingle and then up a road to wait for the bus.

Waiting at the Tregwynt Woollen Mill was a delight. 

The mill was interesting, but the cafe was the best thing after our very hot walk.

Berry icecream pavlova and elderberry press. Wow!

A record heat wave is coming....