Addendum to yesterday - distance was 12 miles, not 11.
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We had yet another great meal last night in a restaurant called Dylan's at the end of the esplanade in Criccieth (there's also one in Menai Bridge). The building is a listed 1950's metal and glass affair built by Billy Butlin but never finished (it is now!). We arrived drenched after the wettest 5 minutes of the entire trip so far, walking there from our hotel. There was a happening, vibrant, hipster vibe, but they let us in anyway and we did our best to both fit in and dry out.
Today was mainly flat but the longest since day two. I did the Lleyn Peninsula coast path 5 years ago so I know the rest of our route, and there was one bit of today's route, and therefore the Wales Coast Path, I had a problem with. When the path was announced I couldn't help thinking it was premature, mainly because it doesn't stay on the coast like a good coast path should. Surely sorting out more permissive paths needed to be done first. The problem here is when the path cuts inland for a 2 mile stretch along the very busy and very fast A497. I did it in 2011 and it was absolutely soul destroying, so I decided to concoct my own detour slightly further inland today (a lane followed by a disused railway path, the lane even included the opportunity to visit 'Segway Adventures' and 'Bear Grylls Survival Academy'!) and it was lovely. So whoever is responsible for the Wales Coast Path, get it sorted please!
I have another problem. Jen is worried about me saying horrible things about Hafan y Mor (a Haven holiday park for those who don't know it), because she knows people reading this blog who stay there and love it. And so do I. Know people who stay there and love it I mean. So I need to clear this one up, I have no problem at all with Hafan y Mor, it's just not for me, so I will not say anything negative about it in this blog.
Today's walk followed the coast from Criccieth before turning inland along the Dwyfor river. We passed a house that had featured on Grand Designs a couple of years ago. It was surrounded by a high wall, I had to stand on tiptoes and stretch my arms as high as I could just to get a photo of the thing! My detour to avoid the A497 came next, before we came to Hafan y Mor holiday park, so here we go... We passed the sewage works, we passed some chalets, I said "Hello" to some families but they looked frightened so I stopped, we passed more chalets, we avoided some go-karts, we passed more chalets, we came to 'Exercise Area 5' ('press ups and burpees', there was a lad sitting on a log rolling a ciggie), we passed more chalets, we dodged some cyclists, a man in tracky bottoms and a vest came out of the bushes and terrified me, we passed more chalets. At the end of the site we came to 'Exercise Area 4' and I felt the urge to get into the spirit of things and do some 'long step ups'. There you are, a positive reflection of our time spent at Hafan y Mor holiday park.
We ate lunch by the sea. The sun was out big time by now and the remainder of our walk was four miles along Pwllheli beach, a fine stretch of sand but tiring to walk the entire length of. The strong breeze helped keep the temperature down, though it took effort to walk into.
We arrived in Pwllheli and before long came across a closed garage. Nothing unusual about that you might say, but the mere sight of a tyre sends Jen into bootcamp ecstasy and there was no stopping her! Eventually I dragged her away so we headed for town and stopped for a tea and coffee before walking to Somerdale B&B, which is another beauty. I've grown to really like Pwllheli. I used to prefer everywhere else because they looked better and were geared more for visitors, but Pwllheli is the proper town on the Lleyn, and all the better for it. When we arrived at the B&B we were the only guests because a shower had been left on and had flooded the other guest rooms! The owner had had to find alternative accommodation for the guests who had booked apart from us, so he looked a bit down in the dumps. And our room is yet another beauty, this time in a Victorian terraced house which is not unlike ours to be honest.
To finish I must mention smells. Jen seems to be into the different smells we have encountered on the walk (outdoors I should add). I could not possibly do them justice myself so here, at last, is Jen's bit of blogging: "Loved the subtle changes in the environment such as the earthy woodland smell, especially the oak and bracken. Today the different air was immediately obvious... sea and salt. The sky was brighter and bluer and looking back over yesterday's mountain enveloped in thick cloud. Altogether a lighter day!" I suspect this blog would have been of a much higher literary standard had Jen typed it all!
So after what was the most photogenic day in a slightly unexpected way, I will follow this post with a day 7 photo special!
-- Posted from Kev's iPhone
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