Adventures & Misadventures

Firstly, a pictorial whistle-stop tour of what we got up to on the rest of our trip to West Wales at the start of the month.  We stayed again at our friend's caravan (the one we were in for Storm Brian).

Autumn had definitely arrived, marked by a sky filled with hundreds of migrating geese!  I was able to catch only one on camera of the dozens of v-shaped flocks that passed us overhead.

No trip is complete without a visit to our favourite beach, Mwnt.  It was a bit cold and very windy, but I still insisted that we eat ice-creams from the little kiosk at the top.  What a contrast to last year's visit, when it was gloriously warm and we climbed to the top of the hill and watched dolphins leaping in the sea beneath us.  On this visit, we were literally the only people on the beach at one point.

Another favourite spot is the little village of Cenarth (where they make really good cheese!).  We enjoyed a walk along the riverside, browsed the gift shops, and ate a picnic.

One of the beaches in walking distance of the caravan is Aberporth, a little bay that's fairly shallow and therefore popular with bathers.  It was very windy and I was a bit cold, but when we got down to the bay, it was much more sheltered, and there were even people in bikinis.  I hadn't brought mine.

It was our wedding anniversary when we returned from West Wales.  As we weren't on holiday for it this year, we decided that we'd celebrate at home that evening by cooking a spectacular three-course meal.  It was a beautiful day, and I was keen to get some fresh air first and go for a walk in the forest.  There was a bit of a nip in the air when we set off, so we wore warm jackets and I even put on the first beret of Autumn.  The skies were blue, and within minutes of being in the forest we spotted a bird of prey swooping close to us.  It was easy to be absorbed in our lovely setting, and somehow, the short-ish walk became longer, and longer...  until we weren't at all sure where we were, and hadn't seen another soul.  We came across a dried-up reservoir, which felt a little eerie.  Luckily a dog walker arrived at that point and directed us out of the forest.

I didn't look this composed when exiting the forest. We hadn't taken any water or snacks, intending such a short walk, but it was hours later that we emerged on to the mountain road, stripping off our warm jackets in the suddenly very warm temperatures.  I was hungry, thirsty, and very tired!  We trudged onwards, trying to find our starting point, and more importantly, the car...  Like a mirage, a pub appeared on the horizon.  We were saved!  That first cold drink was most welcome.  We each ate a huge lunch, and feeling restored, walked on a little further to retrieve the car.  By the time we returned home, cooking a big fancy dinner had gone out of the window, so we made do with some snacks and a competitive game of Scrabble.  It was one of the best anniversaries we've had, we certainly laughed about it for a week afterwards.

It might be a while until I wear cosy jackets again, it's not looking like beret weather any time soon.  We've had another spell of dry sunshine which is supposed to peak tomorrow with temperatures of 25 degrees celsius.  One last hurrah for the summer dresses and sandals - I intend to make the most of it!