Friday 6th September 2024

Day 5 – Port Talbot to Porthcawl

At this morning’s initial planning discussion, Steve suggested that we had a choice between the high road or the low road on leaving Port Talbot. Of course, we immediately burst into song with Ros giving us a wonderfully melodic rendition of this old Scottish song … whilst laying the breakfast table I might add.

We had the same taxi driver as yesterday take us to Port Talbot so the day started off with some fine banter – what a jolly chap! He dropped us off at the train station and the choice had been made to take the ‘low road.’ Seeing the hills towering over us we felt we had made the right decision but the low road did involve 5 miles of industrial grimness (steel works and power station) plus walking alongside a busy road, including lorries, with no coastline visible!

The steel works, due to close!

Plus it was literally pouring with rain … one of those days when you really think `’why?? what’s wrong with us!!??’

But, lo and behold, it got better and better. We eventually took a countryside path that led us to sand dunes. Not always my favourite terrain but sand means that the beach is getting nearer and industrial gloom and busy roads are being left behind. The rain eased up too. After 6.5 miles of walking we found the perfect spot to sit and dangle our legs in the dunes, with sea views, for today’s yummy picnic. And the rain had completely vanished.

The sand dunes gradually became grass covered so positively luxurious to walk on and then we were treated to a long stretch of boardwalk – they’re making life so easy for us in these parts. Finally we reached the promenade that led us to our destination in Porthcawl.

Having been deprived of any coffee stops all day (not a cafe in sight), we had an ice-cream on the prom, a cream tea when we got home and takeaway fish and chips for dinner. As Mr. Punch says “that’s the way to do it.”

12 more miles in the bag.

Saturday 7th September 2024

Started the day with a run and ended the day with a swim …can’t be bad!

After a night of heavy rain, thunder and lightening, this morning was dry … the five of us set off eagerly to join the Porthcawl parkrun – a pleasant 5k out and back along the promenade. An arranged late check out enabled us to go back and shower before moving on to our new destination. A beautiful drive along the coast, through Swansea and the Mumbles to reach our swanky sea view apartment in Langland Bay. And the sea was definitely calling … well for some of us anyway … a fabulous swim and it’s like a bath!!

And the good new is that my recent blogs seem to have been reinstated on Facebook. I’ve been forgiven for whatever it was I did. If the ‘sensitive information’ I allegedly gathered was Ros and David’s kissing gate embrace, I can assure you that I had full permission … and I captured only one of several incidents of this each walking day! Or as my son Tom said, possibly I could be arrested for ‘being old fashioned’ – referring to my description of tucking into our picnic lunch on Day 1.

Who knows? – quoting Toyah Wilcox .. “it’s a mystery”.