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!!

Friday 1st July 2022

Day 11

Despite extensive research by Steve, we were unable to find a route today that worked out logistically with one car and public transport – buses just didn’t go near enough and taxis seem non-existent. So, for the first time ever we had to resort to an out and back.

We were able to park up at CWT TATWS campsite in Tudweilliog, knowing that we would be back in a few hours for lunch. Got confused with the coastal path signs from the off and ended up walking a section of the beach unnecessarily and having to retrace our steps. Mind you, it gave Steve the opportunity to have a little grumble about coastal signage in general and get it off his chest!!

But we eventually got on our way.

A mixed walk today – generally pleasant cliff top paths with a few dips and climbs to keep us interested. The hardest thing today was that the path was so narrow in places … we had to do that catwalk model walking – one foot directly in front of the other and keep balanced. When the path was close to the cliff edge you needed your full concentration. And worse than that – large sections of narrow path were completely overgrown – you couldn’t see your feet, just stride out and hope for the best! We decided it’s almost impossible to describe some of these more tricky areas – you have to be there!!

But we were lucky again to have the sun shining down, and the glorious sights of blue sea and little coves to our right and fabulous countryside to the left. It doesn’t get better.

Whilst we’ve been walking in Wales this time, we’ve been hearing some very loud military aircraft sounds but, although we can so clearly hear them, we can’t see them. Guessing they’re too high. Sometimes it coincides with a seagull flying over and we fall for it every time – no, it’s just a bird! But today we finally got to see one as it soared through the air at unbelievable speed – so exciting. Steve thinks they’re either typhoons or hawks … or could it be Superman!!

After 3 and a half miles and at a suitable spot (at the top of a long descent to the beach), we turned around to walk the 3 and a half miles back, knowing everything we had to face. It was all fine really, 7 reasonably pleasant miles of walking in total.

And a delicious lunch at the cafe before heading back to base for showers, blog, Wimbledon (for me) and Cricket (for Steve). And packing at some point … we’re on the move again tomorrow.

p.s. Steve is really missing his zoom lens but he’s getting really good at panoramic shots!

Thursday 30th June 2022

Day 10 – we briefly talked about taking a day off as Steve has walked for 10 consecutive days (I’ve had two off) … but Steve voted to crack on. We got up to catch the earlier bus to Tudweilliog – you really have to grab the buses while you can – and after yesterday’s tough day, we had high hopes for this walk being a lot more moderate. It was a half mile walk from the bus stop to the coastal path and most of that was tramping through very long grass, lazy farmer not looking after the footpaths! But the coastal path start was just near a camp site and there was a very smart shop and cafe there, so we indulged in cappuccinos to set us on our way.

And it was blissful walking – flat paths across low lying cliffs, occasional dips but well catered for with little bridges and boardwalks. We passed so many fields of bullocks which got us talking about farming – Steve reminiscing from his early years. We also walked amongst many sheep grazing on the cliffs – goodness knows what impression they have of humans, as they tend to scatter as you get near – except a few ‘cool’ ones today who chose to sit still and stare.

And such a fabulous day for wildlife – we saw plenty of dolphins and gatherings of seals too, bobbing their heads up to say hello. We saw terns, cormorants and two new birds for us – chuffs and guillemots – we became quite the twitchers. So lucky with the weather too – black clouds kept threatening but we avoided any showers and most of the time walked in sunshine.

As the walk progressed, there seemed to be an increasing amount of ups and downs but still not on the scale of yesterday’s ‘mountains.’ I was just thinking for my blog that I would call it a ‘doddle’ when I fell down backwards onto my bottom as I came down a slope – that wasn’t such a ‘doddle!’

There was an easy enough section alongside a golf course and just after that the path took us down onto the beach at Morfa Nefyn – such a pretty little place. The OS app indicated that we could walk all the way to Nefyn along the beach – our favourite. Plenty of walkers along this stretch, lots with dogs. And the sea looked so calm and inviting.

On and on we walked along the beach – the sand turned to shingle and then pebbles and then we were faced by a large stretch of rocks – rocks that required you to climb with steadiness! Steve held my hand and guided me over as my initial attempt to go solo resulted in another fall backwards – my elbow breaking the fall this time – more bruising!! So relieved to finish that section, we walked on but, lo and behold, discovered we had missed a turn off so back over the rugged rocks we had to go! If you ever walk this section, be aware of some sneaky steps on your right – if you start rock climbing you’ve gone too far! And said steps led to more steps – another steep climb, just what we needed. We finally wend our way back into Nefyn where our oh so lovely accommodation is.

A quick turn around back home and we headed by car to Nefyn Beach where I enjoyed the most amazing swim, having been tempted all day by the magnificently calm, blue sea. And what a way to relax weary limbs after 10 and a half miles!

Wednesday 29th June 2022

Day 9 … walking from Trefor to Nefyn

And then there were two …. this morning we said our farewells to David as he headed back to the city of Milton Keynes. Steve and I got away from our accommodation in Amlwch at 9ish and drove to our new home for the next three days in Nefyn. David has been giving us some good guidance in Welsh matters while we’ve been together and one thing we’ve learnt is that if a word has one ‘f’ then that letter is pronounced as ‘v.’ So Steve as shortened Nefyn to ‘Nev.’

It was too early to check into our new accommodation so we parked up and planned our bus route to Trefor (now affectionately known as ‘Trev’). This involved two bus rides – one to Pwllheli and then another to Trefor. When Steve was paying for the bus tickets, asking for two singles to Pwllheli, the bus driver jokingly asked him to say it properly! We’d been practising at the bus stop, putting our tongue behind our teeth, just like David taught us!!

On reaching the village of Trefor we found the coastal path signs and headed out … uphill.

We’d been informed that there was a rather large hill at the beginning of this walk but nothing could have prepared us for the whopper of an ascent we were about to embark on – it was steep and never ending. It was almost a mile and a half of torturous uphill and it took us 45 minutes – hell. We were accompanied by goats with particularly long pointed horns – as they lingered near us I kept my walking pole handy and was willing to use it if necessary. To be honest, it was the least of my problems, getting to the top of this unforgiving hill was the major issue. It was such a relief to reach the brow – we felt on top of the world – and the views were spectacular.

Someone had mentioned that there would just be the one hill so we relished in the steady descent and even the steep gradient pathway that ran through the forest at Nant Gwrtheyrn – calf muscles and knees taking the strain.

It was perfect walking weather today – no rain, not too hot and not too cold. Lots of giant ferns lined the path and in some parts where it was overgrown it became quite a tripping hazard. Had to really watch our feet today, tricky underfoot in places.

And sadly there were more hills – not quite the ‘mountain’ we faced at the beginning but high enough and plenty enough to make it a really tough day overall. All day we were rewarded with ‘out of this world’ views so there’s always a positive.

It was almost 8 and a half miles and an elevation gain of 2,000 feet, taking us 4 hours to reach Nefyn. Checked into our new accommodation which is marvellous – going to enjoy 3 nights here.

Today’s funny story:

We worked out our airbnb accommodation from the picture and the online information explained that there was a key safe behind the house. Having retrieved the key there was another door just to the right so we decided to gain access at the back. The key felt a bit stiff but we discovered the door was open anyway so we unloaded all our luggage from the car and piled our gear in. I said to Steve how beautiful it was but strange that there were loads of personal items around like photos and what looked like a very expensive display of antique china. We were just about to settle ourselves in when we came to realise that we were in the owner’s place and that our airbnb accommodation was at the front!! We quickly unloaded all our bags (and there’s loads of it as we’re away for a month) and re-deposit it in the right place. Hope they didn’t notice!!!

Tuesday 28th June 2022

Day 8 – our last walk with David. (for now)!!

Anglesey is a stronghold for red squirrels – the UK’s only native species, so we’ve been desperately looking out for them while we’re here. Saturday’s parkrun announcement had suggested we look out for them but there were none to be found, hiding from the runners I guess. Today our coastal path route took us through Newborough Forest – a vast area of sand dunes planted mainly with impressively tall Corsican pines, so high hopes for finding the elusive red squirrels today.

We parked the car at Malltreath and waited in what was the coldest, wettest and definitely windiest weather so far this week for a bus to take us to Newborough. Whilst waiting at the bus stop we nearly talked ourselves out of starting – it was bitter! Steve got chatting to some LWC drey men delivering to the nearby pub – beer and football talk naturally … they mentioned that some of the roads were closed due to fallen trees. And we were about to walk 8 miles through a forest!

Bus journey completed, we headed into the forest.

Although it rained most of the way and at certain unsheltered parts we were battered in strong winds, it was actually quite a pleasant walk – mostly flat. The beach runs alongside the forest and even when the trees obscure the coastal views the sounds of the waves ring through in the background.

Lots of interesting information boards as you walk round – this area had once been a large Medieval agricultural community but around 1330 a severe storm had left it buried beneath sand.

But, would you believe it not a red squirrel anywhere! In fact, no wildlife at all, not even birds – guessing it must have been too wet and wild today. We did see a fair amount of drowned rats though, including us (mad British summertime walkers)!! Oh, and a leech pond – medicinal apparently.

And the final mile took us out of the forest onto a tarmac path (snail strewn) back to Malltreath. By this time the rain had stopped, the wind was on our backs pushing us on and it was just a comfortable stroll to complete our 8 miles of coastal path today.

Managed to find a small pub for coffee and piping hot sausage rolls – just what the doctor ordered.

And now, we’re just back from the Adelphi pub – our local in Amlwch where had our final ‘pie’ meal. 100% recommend this pub, it’s so friendly and the pies are first class, especially the ‘Moo and Blue’ (Beef and Stilton).

David leaves us tomorrow morning and Steve and I head back into mainland Wales for some more walking. Our nine days as a threesome has been absolutely fabulous – we’ve talked (a lot), laughed (a lot), put the world to rights, walked (loads), played scrabble, cooked, ate and drank and laughed some more. We’ll miss you David – please come back and be an honorary Rambling Rose again soon.

And David would like to say:

Mae’r oedd y ola cerdded heddiw a dw i wedi mwynhau bob dydd, en enwedig y bryniau! Ynys Môn yw ble hyfryd. Mae Steve a Dee wedi bod cwmni dda iawn a dw i wedi cael amser bendegedig! Tan y tro nesa fy ffrindiau dda!

(It was the last walk today and I have enjoyed every day, especially the hills! Anglesey is a lovely place. Steve and Dee have been very good company and I have had a wonderful time! Until the next time my good friends!)

Monday 27th June 2022

Day 7

So after all this time of BAD (Blog Avoidance Days) it’s now come down to the planning and resource department (Steve) to pen a few words about the day’s activities. Your normal blogger (Dee / Deirdre) decided to abstain from today’s walk when she saw the guide book had described it as strenuous!

So, it was with some apprehension that Dave and I set off for Cemaes on the first part of the journey, in two cars as we needed to leave a car at the end of the walk before driving to the start.   

First duty though in Cemaes was breakfast. The town was deserted other than the Harbour Hotel, which initially looked a little upmarket but was in fact pretty much the opposite … breakfast guests were outnumbered by dogs in the restaurant, there was a guest with a pint of beer at 9.00am and another guest with gold boots on  … you can only guess?

After discussion we agreed that the small breakfast would suffice, it was £2.00 cheaper than the large breakfast and the only difference was one piece of bacon!

Having parked the first car we then headed off from Cemaes in the second car to our start point known as Church Bay or Porth Swtan, just five miles by road but eleven miles when we walked back around various headlands and, of course, the many up and downs.  The guide book was very correct in the strenuous description.  Whilst the views over to Holyhead were spectacular it was advisable to keep a keen eye on your feet as we traversed the edge of steep cliffs and so, so many steps up and down.  Even at this point of North Wales there’s a sight to see and the ferry from Holyhead to Dublin was out there in the bay on the start of its journey. Strange to think that Ireland is just over the water.

As it turned out it was the first three or so miles walking that was really difficult following which we cruised along cliff tops and through fields, passing fellow walkers going in the other direction.  We had given a lot of thought before choosing which way to walk to ensure we had the wind behind us whilst walking.  It’s been a real surprise for me that the sea is really blue and turquoise. I always  had visions of the Irish Sea being dull and grey but not so, there are fantastic views from the top of the cliffs that always keep you watching.  This all came to a change as we approached a power station right on the cliff tops, remarkably big, grey and extremely quiet although meaning a slight diversion inland through the woods until we emerged the other side and the gentle stroll down into Cemaes.

Telepathy played its part at this stage as I’m just thinking about coffee and cake at the beach cafe in town, when my trusty partner chirps up with “shall we have a coffee in town?”  And how pleasant it was even though the seagulls were a little keen in the area but our needs were greater than theirs!  Overall we covered eleven miles in three and a half hours for a very rewarding sunny day in this wonderful countryside of ours, we truly are very lucky!  Next time though I’ll skip the hills at the start ……

Sunday 26th June 2022

Day 6 of Anglesey Coastal Walking

It had been a foul night last night and still this morning it was raining buckets and blowing a hoolie! So, over breakfast it was a lot of “shall we?” “what do you think?” … until we decided that the Arctic explorers hadn’t been able to say “it’s too cold to go out today!!” We are the Rambling Roses and we have Anglesey to conquer, so of course it was a ‘yes.’ As we drove into Malltraeth, our starting point for today, we found ourselves making little motivational statements – “I think the rain’s easing off” “at least the wind will be behind us” “I think it’s getting a little brighter.” But who were we kidding, it was still chucking it down and the wind was swirling. We forced ourselves out of the car and made sure we were layered up in wet weather gear.

As we trudged through the inclement weather, we were occasionally treated to some sheltered woodland paths which gave us reprieve from the harsh elements. There were occasional hills over the first few miles but all quite manageable. We even had a stretch of country lane where we were able to walk three a breast and chat – very civilised – the only dangers of such sociable rambling can lead to missing the coastal paths signs – luckily that didn’t happen today. And we took it in turns to lead today – obviously the pace varied according to leader – that’s all I’m saying!!

After the first few miles of country walking we finally hit the coast – and boy, there was such a selection of beach walking ahead. We did hard sand, soft sand, sand dunes, shingle, pebbles, boulders, jagged rocks, seaweed – we had everything thrown at us today.

Although some blue sky was peeping through now, the wind was still a great force. We literally got sand blasted in places – great exfoliation though! Passed a beautiful little cove with some brave swimmers and body boarders.

After 12 miles of rambling, the Roses reached Rhosneigr, today’s destination and enjoyed a coffee in the Oyster Catcher. And the sun was shining!!

Wrapped up Sunday with a beer at the pub and a fabulous Indian meal at Rozis. And so to sleep and prepare for another day.