Our justgiving page is at:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/kevjen
Well we may still have work to do, but at least we are here to do it! We arrived at 5pm, did a St. Hywyn's Church selfie, trod in the sea, checked into our home from home the Ship Hotel for the next three nights and it immediately started to rain. Someone must have been watching over us for the past 9 days as we've had a grand total of 70 minutes of rain and most of today we did in glorious sunshine when we most wanted it. As for the work we still have to do: tomorrow we have booked the boat across to Bardsey Island, weather permitting (and the forecast isn't great, though we did go last year), and on Thursday we will officially complete the walk to the very end of the peninsula, but this will be a circular day so no heavy rucksacks! The blog will of course continue, with one major difference. As Jen is the more spiritual of the two of us (despite having never visited Old Trafford) she will take over the blog reins for the day on Bardsey Island, the historic pilgrimage destination. Expect some serious positivity!
Today was the second longest of the hike and began as yesterday had ended, with fabulous, vastly overpriced food hosted by Nick, a cross between Basil Fawlty and Keith Floyd (I'd forgotten Floyd's name so I typed 'drunk chef' into Google and he was the top result!). In truth the two most expensive accommodations have been hugely overpriced and hugely overrated, and this was one of them. Maybe we just don't get on with the formality of places like this, and have more time for the ones that provide a more personal touch. Great belly pork though!
We were away pretty early because I wanted to walk the length of Porth Neigwl (Hell's Mouth) beach, all 4 miles of it, before the tide came in rather than the very dull inland route the Wales Coast Path takes (irony!). Porth Neigwl is quite a beach, popular only with surfers but almost empty this morning and quite stunning because of it. We walked it with plenty of time to spare and by midday were sitting in the sun at the tea room of the wonderfully situated Plas yn Rhiw, one of my favourite National Trust properties (small but perfectly formed). We had a gift voucher to blow so we ate loads, fed a grateful robin and sat around for quite a while in the sun.
There were only 7 miles remaining to Aberdaron, and after lunch the first task was the final obstacle between us and the end of the peninsula, the ascent to Rhiw. Once done we detoured around the headland, Penarfynydd, south of Rhiw because, well, it's ace! Yesterday I said that the Llanbedrog lump was the most beautiful place on the Lleyn. Well I'm not one to exaggerate but the south east side of this headland is the most beautiful place in the WORLD! Yet more heather and yet more fantastic views and yet more sun. Trust me and please ignore the potential contradiction with yesterday.
Which left just the descent to Porth Ysgo and the last few miles to our destination. Now if you aren't familiar with the area this paragraph will be of no interest whatsoever, but for those of you who are I must eat just a little bit more humble pie. I have had a few pops at the Wales Coast Path, but whereas previously the coast path headed inland from Porth Ysgo to a road and followed that into Aberdaron, it is now possible to walk nearly all of it along the coast. This didn't start well as the first half mile was overgrown with bracken and nettles, but then it opened out and led to excellent close up views of Ynys Gwylan Fawr and Bach (two islands), as well as a view of Aberdaron from above 'the rock at the end of the beach'. The path then deviated towards the road for the final descent. So 'well done' to the Wales Coast Path people!
It was very strange seeing St Hywyn's Church, then the Ship Hotel, then our car we'd taken there two weeks previously, knowing that we'd got there entirely using our feet. It felt even stranger because as I mentioned before we usually go at the start of January, at which time there don't tend to be many, no any, caravans or tents. And there were plenty now! But it's just great to be here.
-- Posted from Kev's iPhone
No better place in the world to be but still can't quite believe you walked there! Fantastic blog and such a brilliant achievement.
ReplyDelete