Thursday 9 May 2013

weekend in wales, part I

I was determined not to too caught up in London scene (like a lot of people do) and I wanted to see as much of the UK as possible. Wales appealed to me as a little outdoor exploring getaway. Also, an old friend of mine, Chris (who was my old Boss from the restaurant scene in Perth) moved over there a few years ago with his Welsh wife, Nadine. They opened a little pub in Pembrokshire and I had to go visit! Another ‘whale’ friend lived up in Anglesea in the North too so Joel and I did a little coastal road trip through Wales over a long weekend stopping at  Cardiff, Little Haven, Snowdonia National Park and Anglesea.

We hopped on a late train to Cardiff on Friday night after work and stayed in a cheap hotel.  There was an extremely overactive EXIT sign that sounded like a swarm of killer wasps boarding a jet rocket about to take off to the moon. We ended up moving rooms. One of our better choices.



The next day we picked up a hire car and drove straight to Little Haven, which is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a gorgeous little coastal town situated in a small bay in the south-west of Wales with a population of about 50 people serviced by no less than two pubs. 

Chris and Nadine were exactly as I remember. It was probably a good six years since I’d seen them but they hadn’t changed, both are warm and welcoming and could talk your ear off about anything. The Castle Inn is situated overlooking the bay of Little Haven. It is an old heritage pub with an excellent selection of beers, hearty seasonal food and a great outdoor patio. Chris and Nadine live upstairs with their two young daughters and are loving it. We had a beautiful pub lunch and a few Guinness and chatted about travelling and things going on (or not going on) in Perth.

The great thing about this area of Wales is that they now have hiking trail along the coast called the Wales Coast Path. You don’t even need to be an experienced hiker as there are short stretches for quick walks as well as longer challenging hikes.  Joel and I went for a walk along a section of this path. It was cold and windy but crisp; the trail took us through lush green fields atop of coastal cliffs overlooking the blue ocean, dotted with shrubs boasting vibrant yellow flowers. It was absolutely stunning.

We hopped in the car and made our way towards Snowdon Mountain, but ended up stopping at a town called Fishguard to set up camp for the night.

 








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