Saturday 27th August – Friday 2nd September 2022

A quiet week for us pensioner house-sitters – have not been out and about apart from shopping … oh and church on Sunday.

River Doree Grace Church is an Anglican Church in our village and easily walkable. Mass was at 9.30am and we had agreed to meet Betyann outside, so we got there for about 9.15am – it seems that ‘punctual’ is not a word here … most people, including Betyann, wandered in from 9.35am onwards! They were such a welcoming congregation, so much so that the priest at one point asked Steve and I to stand up and introduce ourselves and after some questions we received huge applause. I guess we did stand out a bit! The Anglican service seemed identical to the Catholic mass and so I wandered up to take communion … the priest afterwards confirmed that I was most welcome to receive communion but google seems to disagree! The hymns were all familiar although sung at the highest soprano pitch ever .. we still enjoyed warbling along. A couple of differences to back home (1) when they say ‘Jesus,’ rather than nod their head as we used to do in UK, they do this slight bend of the knee thing (it looks so funny en masse) and (2) t’s very high tech – the readings are done from their mobile phones!

This Sunday the mass starts at 7.00am (it alternates), so we’ve opted to join Betyann for a 10.00am service at the Mission Church. This promises lots of lively singing, dancing and whirling around – right up our street.

As I say, besides this there’s just been a couple of shopping trips. We’ve walked to our local supermarket a few times now – it’s a mile each way so between the heat and the precariousness of roadside walking we only go if essential i.e. milk, bread and wine! We did need more of a major stock up this week though so booked Presley to take us to the larger supermarket in Vieux Fort. Just the taxi fare alone came to £50, besides the substantial cost of the food shopping. Being budget travellers, we really have picked on the wrong part of the world here. I’m not exaggerating in saying that everything is at least double if not three times the prices back home. Which is the reason why, while we’re staying in this remote part of the island, we’re opting to stay home-based, live simply, forego the more active life temporarily (apart from Youtube workouts and aqua aerobics), learn to chill with a book and assume that learnt Lockdown state of spending 24/7 alone. Luckily we love each other’s company but we are social animals too and I think we’ll both admit to wishing we had some others to share this with. Especially in the evenings when we’ve had a glass of wine – there’s a massive kitchen/diner floor and a fabulous juke box and just the two of us to boogie. We’ve jived on the verandah after dinner, we’ve sipped wine at dusk watching the fireflies in the trees, we enjoy gorgeous meals which Steve creates out of local produce, we chat over dinner and play board games … and then it’s still only 7.30pm, so we feel forced into doing battle with the array of TV remote controls!

We do have some visitors. Betyann comes once a week to clean and we manage to pack in a whole load of chatting during that time. Paul the gardener comes twice a week and is lovely but quiet – he has a coffee and then trundles off with his wheelbarrow and machete. We also have Ethan the Egret who particularly loves to play ‘catch me’ games with Steve when he’s on the mower. Then’s there’s Glenda geko and all her many pals (who love to leave little parcels), teeny tiny ants too numerous to mention and the odd frog. Lots of visiting birds too, none of which we recognise, except the hummingbirds. There’s plenty of night wildlife – the fireflies are such a spectacle and there’s a continuous blanket of sound from dusk till dawn – it’s like being in a jungle. Ironically, just as I’m typing (and it’s mid-afternoon), a wild dog, resembling a hyena, has just run through the garden – he looked a bit scary but luckily he ran off when he saw Big Steve!

And of course, we have the two beautiful cats – Tabby and Bebe – to entertain us. Tabby is very old (and fat!), walks very slowly and is prone to coughing … desperately hoping she lasts for the next few weeks. 

Steve’s had some England v South Africa cricket to keep him entertained and still manages to tune into the Wycombe football game every Saturday. Feeling so sad at the news of Bill Turnbull’s death this week at the young age of 66 – a wonderful BBC presenter and legendary Wycombe Wanderers’ supporter. 

We’ve had a couple of family zooms this week too – so reminiscent of Covid times – maybe we’ll get to quizzing by the end of our stay here. As Alice said, we’ve got plenty of time on our hands to set some quiz questions! 

As the days go by we begin to list the things we won’t miss but almost feel guilty suggesting it whilst living in such beauty and lavishness. So thought I’d do it in a praise sandwich, as we do in education and training!!

Things that are marvellous:

1. Our outdoor shower – absolute love washing in cold water with blue sky or stars overhead.
2. Fresh mangos for breakfast and fresh limes for my G&T in the evening.
3. The sit on lawn mower and the two acres of lawn to keep looking splendid.
4. A perfect temperature swimming pool from early morning. 

Things that we won’t miss:

1. Struggling to dress because constantly sticky (no AC)!!
2. Bitey things!
3. Lack of company (at times)!!
4. Expensive wine! … and expensive everything!!

Finishing off on a positive, of course:

1. Who wouldn’t want to hang out their washing with the view of the Caribbean Sea at the bottom of the garden?
2. Who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by natural colour and beauty in abundance?
3. Who wouldn’t want sunshine to fill their day?

And a whole host of colour to admire each day, without leaving the garden:

So yes, we are glad we took this house-sitting assignment. Our retirement project was to experience living in different places and cultures and this is certainly one to embrace. Less than three weeks to go here before we move to the north of the island and then on to Martinique and Barbados. We’re pretty mellow right now – it’s 7.45pm, we’ve had dinner, we’ve had wine … I’ve finished the blog and Netflix here we come. 

It’s Saturday tomorrow – do you think anyone will come knocking!?

Wednesday 24th August 2022

Today we broke loose and ventured out on an island trip with a fabulous driver named ‘Presley’ – recommended by the Doc – a very lovely, witty man who took us to some interesting places in the south of the island and knew all there was to know. He kept us entertained. And the best thing ever … he was such a careful driver, particularly as the roads are a bit hairy – couldn’t believe how relaxed I felt.

We selected to be picked up at 8.00am rather than 9.00am, thinking of the heat. As it turned out it was a great decision, as at each spot we seemed to be leaving just as coach parties were arriving, having done all that we wanted to do. We’re so used to being alone now that crowds of tourists seemed so alien!

Our house is on the outskirts of a town called Choiseul so we first had a little look at the main town area, taking the opportunity to visit the Catholic Church.

Right from the off, we had magnificent views of the Pitons – Gross Piton being right on our doorstep. Presley had climbed Gros Piton when he was younger and said he recommended it but it was tough. We’d love to have a go but it’s at least a four mile walk and we think it would be impossible for us in this heat – even though as our name suggests, we love a ramble. Petite Piton, although not quite as high, is even harder as it requires ropes. So this time round we’ll just admire them from a distance and appreciate their magnificence.

We headed on to the town of Soufriere, stopping on the way at the Sulphur Springs – the only drive through volcano in the Caribbean. The smell hits you long before you arrive and takes some getting used to. It supposedly clears your sinuses – I should say it does … and more. It last erupted in the 1700s and is thought to be dormant – though bubbling away like a good’un. We had such a sweet guide called Suzette who was so knowledgeable on volcanos and sang to us as we walked too. We relished her company as we toured around and she introduced us to the gardener, Junior … who gave a huge toothless grin when Steve called out his name. It felt so good to have other people in our lives!! But very soon a whole stream of tourists arrived – it felt novel at first as we haven’t seen any non-Lucian people since being in St. Lucia – but as more and more arrived we decided the quiet life was preferential.

A couple of hundred metres downstream from the springs, the water temperature is still hot (about 45 degrees celsius) but cool enough for tourists to enjoy a mud bath. Well, whilst in Rome and all that …!! So, off with the clothes and into the excruciatingly HOT muddy water we went – questioning ourselves as to why. Then, we were encouraged to cake our faces and body with further mud supplied in buckets … said to heal sunburn, eczema, arthritis, sore joints and more. Despite not having any of these conditions we did as we were told and joined in with the throng of others experiencing this strangest of exercises. It was fun, and different, except the water was so hot that my heart was racing big time. Walking up the hill to the car in the heat afterwards I started to feel dizzy but luckily enough made it back in time to rehydrate and bask in the car’s air-conditioning.

Our next stop was the opposite extreme. Presley drove us to the Toraille Waterfall where we could shower off properly … in freezing water. Although painful in its force, we much preferred the water temperature here and again were lucky to beat the crowds. A beautiful peaceful spot to enjoy.

Suitably refreshed and re-clothed, we drove on into the town of Soufriere, which sits on the West Coast of the island, overlooked by the Pitons. We took a little look around the town and it’s beautiful harbour before joining Presley for a traditional lunch.

We had lunch in this brightly painted first floor restaurant, overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Lunch consisted of tuna, saltfish, creole chicken, yam, plantain, avocado and salads, washed down with Piton beer. We loved it.

We were home by 2.00pm, exhausted after our day’s release! Managed to fit in some swimming and chilling before dinner.

And the rest of the week has been more relaxation, swimming, reading, writing, some chores plus regular Youtube exercise sessions. We took a hot walk down to our local beach but unfortunately it’s not that inviting – the river meets the sea and so is churned up and murky – decided to return to our beautiful pool instead. While we were there though, we did see an elderly, very slight Rastafarian man, inch his way down the hill from his hut, on his bottom, fully naked … casually diving in for a swim. We’ve since learned that his name is Rambo … wouldn’t have been the first nickname to spring to mind.

And the mowing commenced this week … and, despite some heavy duty tropical rainstorms, Steve managed to complete the exercise over three days, choosing early morning hours to avoid the strong sunshine. The lawn looks great … and he so enjoyed the ride.

We’ve been here a week today – 5 of those days we’ve been alone! And we are still marvelling at the splendour of it all – both inside and out. Views of the Caribbean Sea from the verandah, fresh fruit in abundance in the garden, luscious green plantation, tall palm trees, tequila plants, a perfect swimming pool literally steps away from our bed, a spacious indoors fabulously furnished, dream kitchen … and we can just pretend it’s all ours for 5 weeks!!

So, we’ve barely left the house since the Doc left on Wednesday – and not hugely feeling the need to do so. For one, there’s plenty of chores to keep us busy … it’s a working holiday you know!! There’s the cats to look after – the gorgeous Tabby and Bebe, the large number of verandah plants to water, some swimming pool maintenance and keeping the very extensive verandah all around the house clear of webs, bug life, frog and bird poo … the latter being very time consuming. Steve has yet to do his first stint of lawn mowing.

I know I shouldn’t complain but the bugs are the big downside. We can take the gekos, the moths, the grasshoppers, the beetles …. but it’s the ants and the mosquitos that can just drive you to distraction. The doc says there are no mosquitos but something is biting us good and proper … and all day long! Getting through gallons of repellant and after-bite – please send supplies!!! However, come the evening when we’re all tucked up inside, the itching goes away and it’s fine during the night – so, could be worse (Egypt springs to mind)!!

The gardener Paul comes here on Mondays and Thursdays – this involves us setting the alarm as we have to open the gates for him by 7.00am … well, I say ‘we’ … Steve does!! He’s a chilled sort of guy, fit for his age (70) but not in any rush!! He brought us some coconut water on Monday – very thirst quenching. Waiting for the mangoes to ripen.

And after the chores are done there’s plenty of time to relax. Steve has not been out running again .. (1) because it’s either too hot or too wet (between the soaring heat there are some huge downpours going on) and (2) because I feel I’d be a bit nervous here alone and just worried about being apart … safety in numbers. We have to be honest, we were quite anxious the first couple of nights here alone, it gets dark at 6.00pm and it just feels like we’re in the middle of nowhere. Beer and wine has helped to relax us come evening … and we’re getting more used to it now.

My main sport of the day is being chased around in the water by the pool cleaner ….no, not some hunky Lucian … a rather clever little robot who seems to make a beeline for me every time I enter the water … and I always shower!

I also try to do a daily aqua aerobics session (can’t get Steve to join in) … which always reminds me of our lovely friend Ebraam from the Badawai Hotel in Sharm El Sheik …. such fun days.

Plus plenty of time for reading, writing, watching Wycombe games – the days whizz by in a oh so non-frantic way. Every afternoon we glance up to see the daily BA flight arriving … and then it’s back to chilling.

The only time we’ve ventured out this week is up the overgrown lane to a local store called Masseys – to top up on some essentials. It’s just over a mile each way so requires a 7.00am outing before the real heat sets in. At the top of the lane we walk along a stretch of what we would call country road but the cars seem to move at motorway speed … and there’s no pavement so we have to keep our eyes peeled. We’ve already witnessed one accident! But this small store seems to have most of what we need and some interesting products too. It really is expensive here though – more expensive than England. Another reason we’re quite content to make the most of our lovely accommodation is that taxis and rental cars cost a fortune. Today we met the lovely housekeeper – Betyann – who comes to clean once a week and she was telling us how St.Lucia is really struggling with this economic crisis and short supplies of goods. She tucked into some of our food before she left … and dropped lots of hints about other things she likes – chicken breast, cake, orange juice etc.

Once it’s dark, Steve locks up the house … and then we only venture outside to admire the amazing constellations. Haven’t yet tried swimming in the dark although the pool area is lit up – think we might get braver. The Doc suggested that we might like to skinny dip but there’s CCTV cameras everywhere so we’re feeling a bit shy!

Steve likes to cook so I write or simply relax with a G+T as all colonial ladies do! We love the jukebox and there’s so much space for dancing … but we miss our fellow dancers (you know who you are)!!! We’ve had a few chess battles, suffice to say I’ve come second every time. And then there’s the TV – it’s the fanciest thing with millions of channels and five remotes …. but although the Doc showed us, we haven’t got a flipping clue – desperately need a young person.

On Wednesday we’ve booked a trip out with a driver called ‘Presley’ to take us on a tour of the island and visit some hot spots – looking forward to that. And next Sunday we’re meeting Betyann at the local church for a sing song plus she’s recommended the local beach where she goes to cook her lunch most days. So, we’re dipping our toes in the water so to speak.

But at the moment, there’s no place like home … even though it’s just borrowed.

Monday 15th August 2022

Today we arrived on the island of St. Lucia after a smooth flight from Gatwick. Just a couple of mishaps since leaving home – (1) I left my travelling clothes and sunhat on the back seat of Tom’s car when he dropped us at the hotel on Sunday night . He is officially the best son in the world as he insisted on turning around and bringing them to me despite it adding 2 hours to his journey! Love you Tom and (2) I left my phone charger in the hotel room! Could have been worse I guess.

The house-owner, Jay … known locally as the Doc … met us at the airport and we had a jolly chatty ride back to his house – he really is a jolly and extremely chatty chap. Having left a parched UK, St. Lucia seemed so green and luscious with prettily coloured houses – we immediately fell in love with it. We are staying in the south of the island which is not a tourist area, so life here is interestingly simple and we’re living amongst local Lucian folk. We took all this in on the 20 minute journey to Doc’s house, culminating in a drive down a long overgrown path till we reached the gates … and there the splendour of his magnificent house and grounds. Jaw-dropping, even the photos we had seen had not done it justice.

We had a tour of the house, met the cats and met Jack, Jay’s friend visiting from the USA. Jack is a well-built Italian New Yorker (with a dodgy background!) but a sweet guy … and his meatballs and pasta were delicious. After lots of chat and explanations about the house-sitting requirements we hit the sack at a reasonable hour.

When Steve and I were finally alone we couldn’t help but laugh at the enormity of what we’ve taken on. The house is even more remote than we imagined, there’s a fair amount of chores and nothing simple in terms of reaching amenities. It’s hot, humid and the house has no air-conditioning! But besides all that, it is going to be our biggest adventure to date and we’re well up for it.

Tuesday 16th August 2022

Quite a fitful night between the heat and the new night noises that I’m sure we’ll become accustomed to (a selection of crickets, beetles, frogs and birds). But we woke up relatively fresh all the same. Steve set out at 6.45am to attempt a run – he managed a three mile hot, humid and hilly run – jury’s out on whether or not this will be repeated. I got up early and headed for the pool instead – right outside our bedroom we have the most gorgeous swimming pool with perfect temperature – this is where I’ll be mostly hanging out for the next 5 weeks.

After breakfast Jay drove us out for a local tour and shopping expedition. We are not going to have a car while we’re here so wanted to take the opportunity to stock up while we had the Doc and his car. So, first stop … the liquor store!! Numerous cases of beer and wine later we moved on to the supermarket – I always love this experience in a new country. Jay was on hand to give us tips about what and what not to buy … mostly imported food sadly and some very expensive. We decided to ‘invest’ in some fresh milk but thinking this will be a one off. Stocked up well on groceries though as it’s an hour’s drive away. Hoping to rely on local stores from now on. Stopped at our nearest (walkable) fruit stall on the way back and purchased all she had on offer which was bananas, tomatoes and cucumber … it’s going to be an interesting diet.

In the afternoon, Steve had his sit on lawnmower lesson and took to it like a pro. Jay then showed us around the ‘yard’ as he calls it – two acres of luscious garden and fruit trees. The gardener will apparently bring us ripe fruit twice a week – lemons, limes, mangoes, wax apples, coconut and we can help ourselves to thyme, rosemary and even paracetamol plant!

As it was Jay and Jack’s last night, they wanted to treat us to dinner out at a local Caribbean restaurant – ‘Mama Tilly’s’ in Laborie Village. What an experience, Mama Tilly was hilarious and the food tasty and plentiful – pork, chicken, tuna, salads, rice and potatoes, rounded off with homemade rum and raisin ice-cream. There’s no menu, it’s just what she happens to have that day. And plenty of beer and rum consumed.

Wednesday 17th August 2022

Jay and Jack left this morning for the USA and we are now officially alone – yikes!! Daunting and exciting all mixed together. Sure we’ll get into a routine of chores, leisure and local exploration soon. We have two beautiful cats to look after – Tabby and Bebe plus the Doc’s estate.

Today we’ve fully unpacked and basically taken over the joint. A lot of relaxation, swimming, and reading this afternoon. I’m sat on the veranda blogging now, overlooking gorgeousness and feeling SO lucky to have this opportunity. Steve in the meantime is having a nap!!

Big first night alone tonight, we’ll lock ourselves in tightly once it gets dark. We’re cooking chicken curry, tucking into some wine (it’s dead expensive here too so a treat) and later we’re going to have a play around with the jukebox. As many of you know … the Roses love to kitchen dance!!

Missing you all. Wish you were here xx

9 – 13th July 2022

Days 19 -23

No long walks on these days … but a whole load of fun in sunny Tywyn. Some chilling but mostly active in one way or another …. swimming a couple of times a day, paddle boarding, body boarding on wavy days, boules, cricket, frisbee, running (Steve and Alice that is) and tennis tournaments. Not to mention long board game sessions in the evenings – have loved every minute. It’s been Steve and I, Alice and Jon all week, Anne joined us on Sunday and Matt arrived on Monday – we’re the Tywyn Six!

And the hot tub soothed our aching bones after all the activity … and just became a place to hang out and chat.

We’ve mostly stayed in Tywyn as have everything we need on our doorstep – but we had an outing to Portmeirion one day, travelling there by train. Beautiful Italian lunch in the most stunning of settings. This village is so worth a visit – exquisitely designed, like a fairytale – you imagine yourself on the Riviera.

14th July 2022

Day 24

Anne decided to climb Mount Snowdon today – we all declined as we had done it on our visit here in November. Matt had to work so it was just the four of us who decided to fit in one little coastal walk … Steve got planning. We picked up on a little gap … Llwyngwril to Barmouth.

We caught the train to Llwyngwril and had the lovely surprise on arriving to find it is the Knitted Village – amazing creations everywhere.

The three mile uphill climb at the start was tough but well rewarded with views. The sun was shining, plenty of sheep to keep us company, easy enough terrain … all good.

And then a steady 3 mile climb down through lanes and woodland – a little loose underfoot in places but we managed to avoid too much slippage.

Finished off with 3 miles of flat walking, along Fairbourne Beach, across Barmouth bridge (a grade II listed – Brunel designed – single-track wooden railway viaduct) and into the lovely seaside town of Barmouth. This completed 9 miles walking … and we loved it.

The only snag to the day was that our train back to Tywyn was cancelled and could have involved hanging around for another two hours. So we took the option to walk back over Barmouth Bridge to catch a bus …. what’s an extra 2 miles between friends!?

But the hero of the day was Anne who climbed all the way up Snowdon – solo – hats off to her.

15th July 2022

Day 25 – our last full day so it was a chilled one.

We played tennis late afternoon and I had a spectacular fall resulting in a few minor injuries … but the margaritas helped later and had us all up dancing even before our final dinner together!!

16th July 2022

Driving home today after nearly 4 weeks in Wales. It really has been spectacular. We’ll miss everything about it especially the views of sea and mountains … and the company of family and friends. We’ve covered another 174 miles of coastline in this time – not too shabby!! No doubt we’ll be back for more!

8th July 2022

Day 18

Once again we left the studio flat just after 9am to walk to Pwllheli Station – we’ve become quite the regulars on this 9.34am train! Our destination was Llandanwg – this time walking in the other direction to the seaside town of Barmouth – and we started off on a hill going down.

A lot cooler today and, I must say, easy flat paths. To start off with a bit of road walking, country lanes, around an airfield and into woodland. There was a lot of wild camping going on in the woods and nearby fields … we were fascinated with the equipment people have these days – three piece suites, toilet tents, major dining areas!

And this led us onto Morfa Dyffryn Beach – absolutely glorious.

Every day we feel so blessed that we have these amazing views all around us … the sea, the sand dunes, mountain backdrops and miles and miles of green farmland – we are literally spoilt for choice. Today our viewing took on a little difference however. About a mile into the beach walking we couldn’t help but notice an elderly chap sunbathing with no clothes on – well except his hat! We couldn’t help but have ourselves a little giggle. But as we moved on it oh soooo gradually dawned on us that we were on a naturist beach. Mostly men I must say but a couple of ladies too … but all sitting alone and separated along a sizeable stretch of the beach, sheltered by the dunes. Mostly just sitting or lying but some wandering around in the sand dunes (including one man who looked like he was expecting twins!), some wandering down to the sea for a swim and some lying in odd positions to maximise the suntan!! Once the penny dropped, it was us that became self-conscious … of being highly overdressed … we tried to slip by inconspicuously!!

We wondered if someone from the Coastal Path people had read the blog yesterday because today we were practically overwhelmed with signs – hardly had to refer to the app at all. And as well as it being a flat day it was a really easy path today – nothing overgrown, nasty or precarious. Just a couple of stone stiles that were designed for long limbed and dexterous people – that’s my only beef.

And from there a steady walk into Barmouth, finishing the 13 miles with road and then promenade walking. A good long walk today but so manageable – certainly one I’d recommend.

Now, apparently this is going to be our last bit of coastal walking for a while. We’re heading further down the coast tomorrow to Tywyn for a ‘leisurely’ beach week – let’s see!?

Saturday 9th July 2022

Day 19

We’ve now arrived at our rented beach house for the week to be joined by Alice and Jon later today and my best chum Anne tomorrow. Anne has travelled all over the world but has never been to Wales. I think it might be a fun week … and the sun is shining big time. Must go, the sea is beckoning!

7 July 2022

Day 17

So many days, after Steve’s done his planning, he’ll say “it’s a long walk tomorrow but it’s pretty flat” … and I fall for it every time. Today, however, he wasn’t far off the mark. It was scenically stunning with the Welsh mountains as a backdrop all day but the few inclines we had were nothing compared to the mountain paths that were in view. A road hill right at the beginning and another road hill right at the end were the two worst offenders … so mustn’t grumble!

We got the train to Llandanwg and the plan was to walk 11 miles or so back to Minffordd. By the time we got off the train it was already hotting up – so waterproofs got packed away in the rucksack. Lovely blue sky – yippee.

Right from the off the coastal path signs were pretty non-existent today – one of those days that without the app we would have struggled – so many possibilities of taking the wrong turn … but we got it perfect (no thanks to Coastal Path signage)!!

It wasn’t long before we were on the fabulous stretch of Harlech Beach – so expansive … it took so long it was like walking across a desert.

Once off the beach we walked into the town of Harlech – once again it had an imposing castle poised on a hill, dominating the area. Magnificent piece of history on your doorstep.

We walked through Harlech and then turned off to walk through miles of farm fields – very straight paths going through field after field after field, all busy with grazing sheep. Then we were on a very straight concrete path that seemed to stretch for miles. All this happening in extremely hot weather – we were so far inland that there was none of that lovely coastal breeze …. moan, moan. Still had stunning mountain views surrounding us though.

The very best thing about this stretch of the path was that we could view Portmeirion from across the estuary – nestled into the hillside, absolutely stunning. At points the views were so remarkable that you wanted everyone to be there to see it and share it.

Around about this point we got to thinking about trains back and as there was 2 hours between trains we set ourselves the mission to get back to Minffordd for the 2.45pm train. This involved a really speedy sandwich stop and a certain pace to get there on time.

After passing this bridge we had a hellish 2 miles walking through overgrown prickly paths that seemed to be never-ending … and SO HOT still. We were even relieved when this was over and we got to walk along a main road (which we usually hate) and we were upping our pace to get us to the station in time … even up a steep hill. So relieved when the station was in sight, we casually crossed the road and headed to the tunnel to take us to the other side of the track …. but then, in panic mode, had to run down the slope as the train had already pulled in. Now, this was a station that you have to wave the train down to stop – so it was thanks to lovely people on the train that had requested a stop to get off that we were able to make it all. Phew – we would have had to sit there for two hours feeling mightily disgruntled.

So all’s well that ends well. We even fitted in a fabulous swim when we got back … and now enjoying a chilled glass of white wine while I blog …. well I think I deserved it. 11 more miles in the bag.

6 July 2022

Day 16

We caught the train today … just to mix it up a little!

Our stop was Minffordd from where we picked up a coastal path sign and headed off in the drizzle. We missed a right turn and had to retrace our steps – think we confused the sheep. We found ourselves on a long country road that was so prettily adorned with hydrangea but on checking the app we appeared to have missed another turn! No problem – we found ourselves at the entrance to Portmeirion (the village where Italian Riviera meets rural Wales) and a friendly chap guided us back onto the path.

Some fabulous walking, quite a lot through woodland with glimpses of the sea here and there. Lots of farmland too with a diverse selection of cattle. A fair few hills it has to be said, but none of the scrabbling on all fours type, for which I am thankful.

Steve was interested in the Ffestiniog narrow gauge railway – an ex colleague of his used to volunteer on it. When we walked across the causeway into Porthmadog, he opted for us to walk along the path directly beside the track, literally one meter away. I was dreading one of the steam engines chugging by and making that loud steam noise – I would have jumped out of my skin. Disappointingly for Steve, no train passed us. We did however, stop at the Porthmadog railway station and had a delicious cup of coffee.

We walked through the pretty town of Porthmadog and then the path took us uphill (again) with some stunning properties set into the cliffs, then down and up for a while through woodland area. We stopped at one point to have lunch and rest our weary legs.

Eventually we found ourselves on Criccieth Beach – an extraordinarily long and wide expanse once again – these Welsh beaches are something else. We walked a few miles on hard sand with fabulous views, all the way to Criccieth. Once off the beach there was still a couple of miles to cover … and guess what, some of it was uphill.

We had to cross the railway line at two different points during the day – always a thrill.

And after 11 miles of walking (and mostly in drizzle and grey skies) we reached the town of Criccieth and treated ourselves to gelato before heading up another hill to the train station. Felt bad about not visiting the castle … but it was just a hill too far!!

3 July 2022

Day 13 (unlucky for some)!

Not us, we had a great day. Walking from Abersoch, through Llanbedrog to Pwllheli (getting so good with these Welsh place names)! Got the no. 18 bus to Abersoch – what a fabulous seaside village it is … very upmarket.

The coastal path took us onto the beach, lovely easy walking on sand although up ahead we could see a sizeable hill looming. It led steadily up at first, winding around the hill … until it turned into a nasty climb – some steps and some rocks to manoeuvre around …I was on all fours at points of the climb. At the summit it levelled out but continued to be a scrabble over a low rocky path. Great views as always.

Eventually we came to the most stunning beach at Llanbedrog – the path leading us through a woodland area before having to descend the longest and steepest steps ever encountered. Kindly they had provided a hand rail otherwise it would have been impossible, because the steps were slippy with mud. As we inched our way down we met many people inching their way up – all of us taking every opportunity to stop and chat … and so catch our breath. Met a really lovely couple at the bottom too who are doing the same retirement project as us – we exchanged tales and tips!

A stunning beach indeed – hope so much to return here later in the week. There’s an art gallery too which I hope to visit – but not if it involves going up those steps!!

And from thereon easy paths all the way back to Pwllheli and our beachside accommodation. When we reached the sand dunes part I was feeling the nerves in case we came face to face with those darn adders! Steve to the rescue – we took the alternative of walking along the beach – hard at times as shingle but much the better option. So, after 7 miles and no road walking we were back in time to do our laundry. Oh the life of travellers!

4th July 2022

Day 14

Another great day on the Wales Coastal Path. 12 miles covered today but relatively easy walking. We walked from our airbnb accommodation which is just 10 metres from the official path and walked through the town of Pwllheli, along the promenade and onto the beach. Once again we chose to walk on the sand as opposed to the sand dune paths where all those slithery creatures apparently hang out! This involved about 3 and a half miles of beach walking which unfortunately changed from hard sand to shingle and then to pebbles – so our calves took a real battering. Still beats those adders however.

We passed a large Haven holiday camp which used to be the site of Butlins back in the day – Steve can remember holidaying with his family there when he was a boy.

This was followed by some easygoing grass clifftop paths – very quiet though – no-one around today. We’re not quite sure why but at one point the path took us to a main road which we had to walk along for two miles. Unfortunately this coincided with us getting hungry but a busy main road was not really conducive to a picnic. When we finally turned off down a country lane, we found the nearest thing to a bench, which happened to be a fallen tree, and devoured our sandwiches.

Re-energised, we walked the remaining miles, alongside the river till we got to the sea (you just can’t help saying “I see the sea”) and into the attractive town of Criccieth, with its charismatic castle perched on the hill and its prettily painted houses.

So 12 more miles ticked off and a day full of fabulous views of Snowdonia – thinking of those out there climbing while we enjoyed low lying paths. What’s not to like!?

5th July 2022

Day 15 …. Day off (gasp!!)

Well, it’s raining + we had admin and phone calls to catch up on + 5th day of Test Cricket + Wimbledon (Cam Norrie in the quarter final) + needed to catch up on blog and ….hell, we just fancied a day off!!!!

Will be back to rambling on tomorrow.

2nd July 2022

Day 12

If anyone had told me a few years back that I’d be getting up at 6.30am on a Saturday morning to get to a parkrun … I’d have said you were mad!! But, somehow, on occasion now this happens and today was one of those Saturdays! No rolling out of bed to head to your local park – today involved checking out of our airbnb in Nefyn, mainland Wales, to drive back onto the island of Anglesey for the Newborough Forest parkrun. We also had a 5 mile coastal stretch that we hadn’t covered, so that was all part of the planning too!

It was a wonderful opportunity to see Newborough Forest in sunnier weather as last week’s walk through had been wet and wild. Still didn’t see any red squirrels though, so elusive! Lovely bunch of people as always and a fabulous course – highly recommend. No volunteering today, just running.

From there we drove to a fabulous cafe that we had discovered last week – The Heritage Cafe in Brynsiencyn. You must stop there if you’re in the area – the loveliest Mum and Son team ever and delicious food. And right opposite the cafe, the bus picked us up to take us to that place with the really long name ….. Llanfairpwllgwyngyll. We had walked as far as this back in 2018 so we were picking up were we’d left off.

A bit of road walking to start off but eventually we reached some farmland and then woodland areas. And along the way we met a really lovely couple – Hannah and Rory – who are walking the coastal path too. So we walked the next few miles together, exchanging tales of travelling, walking adventures and life in general. We loved having your company Hannah and Rory – got so caught up in chat that we didn’t notice the miles flash by!!

We parted ways at Brynsiencyn where we had parked the car outside the Heritage Cafe and of course it would have been rude to not go back in for more sustenance – well it had been 3 hours and five miles + of walking since breakfast. Funny story alert: I went into order while Steve used the ‘conveniences.’ While at the counter a very loud alarm started sounding …. Steve had pulled the cord thinking it was the toilet chain. We rescued him!!

And so back to mainland Wales and our new airbnb accommodation in Pwllheli – a very pretty studio by the beach. We’re here for the next 7 days and the owners Marilyn and Pete seem super friendly. We’re right on the coastal path too so I believe a few walks are planned! My only concern is a warning sign on their fence announcing that there are adders in the nearby sand dunes (and Marilyn has confirmed this). My biggest phobia! Well, I will be walking in trousers tomorrow and they’ll be tucked into my socks – I don’t care what I look like!!