First pics Chester.

Snapper blending in with the ground

Chester Fairoaks site

Day 7

Day 7 New Quay to Penmaen 65 miles (My route nearer 75)


Help Help.

Help Help.

Time to get up then.

Cereal Bacon rolls and coffee. Good start to the day. The well oiled highly trained machine that is Jon and Sarah leaps into action and we are packed up and ready to rock n roll in a matter of minutes. Snapper waves goodbye to the goats and we hit the road once more bound for the south coast.

As usual I decide to play route roulette and punch the postcode into my now 5 yrs out of date satnav, and then choose to ignore most of the directions as i know so much better. There are some beautiful B roads in South Wales some of them suitable for caravans, some not so suitable.I can safely say my towing skills have greatly improved today, and we would like to apologise to all the people who were late for church.

The sight we are heading toward today is the one I am most excited about, winner of various odd awards "best view from a campsite(UK) 2006" among them. The site overlooks 3 cliffs bay about 10 miles west of Swansea. After 8 miles of very slow moving traffic we arrive about 2.00 and are guided onto the field. Warden asks "do you want a front pitch"I`ve no idea what shes talking about so of course I say yes.

WOW

PIcture this if you will, from the front of the caravan we have about 15 feet  of grass, then a cliff drops maybe 150-200 feet down to a beautiful sandy cove. Why anyone would choose a pitch at the back of the site and miss the view I will never know.

Mum`s off. Round the site up and down chatting and telling everyone how lovely everything is while we set up. Think shes going to like it here.

Out for Dinner tonight. Pub recommended by the warden "The King Arthur" Just when you thought this place couldnt get any better, dinner to die for in a charming old pub. Home smoked Duck with a raspberry jus, braised lamb shank with rosemary and red wine reduction and a chargrilled chicken Caeser. Proper fresh veg and hand cut chips, all beautifully cooked and presented, that`ll do nicely.

Back to the van for a glass or two of red I think.


Posting whenever I can get a connection at the moment. please be patient with me.


As ever pics to follow...

Day 6

Day 6 Llainfran House CL Nanternis, New Quay

Awoke to the now familiar cries of HELP HELP from the smallest room, and the relieved look on Mums face as she is once again liberated.

Light breakfast of cereal and/or toast with lashings of tea and coffee.

Took the dog down to the dog walk area where she had her first close up meeting with a live goat. After their initial Mexican standoff through the fence she barked, once. Goat took off as fast as its little legs would carry it, till......THWACK......its reached the limit of its chain and much to the amusement of the other goats completed an amazing if not very stylish back flip. This has been my personal high spot of the holiday so far.

Off to New Quay for dinner. Two Haddock and one Plaice and chips. Top quality proper sea side food and absolutely huge portions followed by a walk round the small harbour with an Ice Cream, didnt quite manage the doughnuts.

Spent a couple of hours up and down the tiny streets, found out that Dylan Thomas wrote Under Milk Wood here, did a little bit of shopping including the £1.20 shop, I kid you not, and back to the car.

Took a little detour on the way back to the van and just by chance happened upon Cymtydu a tiny village in a cove once used by smugglers. Had a very bracing stroll on the pebble beach watching the waves break on the cliffs either side, apparently regularly visited by seals and dolphins but all we saw were seagulls and a slightly overweight Jack Russell.

On the way back to the car and we hear a call of "bloody hell what you doing here". Its an old friend from my days up north. Havent seen him for four or five years. Hes with a gang of 16 who have rented a huge house to celebrate a fourtieth birthday. Small world.

Back to the caravan to dry out and Mum went off to do her perimeter patrol and hedge inspection. I am sure given a sharp implement of some kind the hedge would be gone. Somehow Mum managed to polish off a small ham salad and G&T to round off the day.

Tomorrow we depart for the south coast of Wales and a site that I believe has wifi so hopefully will upload some photos.

Day 5

Day 5 Dolgellau to New Quay 65 miles

Lovely lie in till 9.00 this morning!

Start the day with home cured bacon, hand made pork and leek sausages and free range eggs. It would appear the site owner is actually called Archie not Jasper and a real character he is too. No idea where I got the name Jasper from. Had the site for 30 years and never advertised so he seems to be getting it right. Highly recomended site if you like scenery or walking.

Lasting memories of our short stay in Dolgellau?

A man with a huge grey beard wearing a cape riding through the town on a vintage Schwinn bicycle, Archie`s sheepdogs riding pillion on his quad and a Hercules flying over the caravan at about 100ft then dropping into the valley below.

Depart at noon for the drive to New Quay.

Mountains and valleys all the way to Aberystwyth then the roads level out a little as the sea hoves into view. Just past New Quay to Nanternis. This site is a Caravan Club certified location, a privately owned site of no more than 5 pitches that attains a certain standard for certification. Just us and 2 other vans and spectacular views to the sea a mile or so away. Again pictures to follow.

Mum very excited about the goats.

Like poetry in motion Sarah and I have everything set up and the kettle on in 20 minutes, then a quick visit to town for a little shopping. New Quay looks like a picture postcard fishing village, all brightly painted houses and steep tiny streets. Decide to return tomorow for fish and chips... and ice cream... and doughnuts... I think we may like it here.

Day 4

Day 4 Cefn Maelan Caravan Park, Dolgellau.

Great nights sleep. Not a peep from mum till 8.00 this morning when Her faint cries of Help Help alerted us to the fact that she still hasn`t quite mastered the toilet door.

Finished the last of the bread with just a little bacon to help it along.

Now the clouds have lifted and the sun is starting to break through we can really appreciate the amazing views from this site. Across the valley to Cadair Idris is truly spectacular. There will be photos as soon as we find a pigeon strong enough to carry them to the border.

We decide on a day out in Barmouth. Well I do.

On the way a quick stop at the GeorgeIII in Penmaenmawr for a couple of photos then over the old wooden toll bridge and on to Barmouth, scene of many many holidays from a very young age right up till my early 20`s.

It hasn`t changed a bit.  Mum remembered a lot of it, so on the way back we took a slight detour up the mountain and past the converted chapel where we used to stay. Probably one of the steepest and narrowest roads in the world but well worth it. The chapel stirred a few memories too....photos to follow.

Tea tonight was some absolutely amazing local lamb fillet with roast veg and new potatoes. Just thought I would mention that.

Day 3

Day 3 Ellesmere Port to Dolgellau 65 miles.

Another odd night last night. Mum pacing up and down the caravan at 4.00 this morning. At each end of the tour stop and touch the wall and then back the other way. As she seemed to be sleep walking thought it best to see if it passed. 20 minutes later managed to steer her back to bed. Back under the covers and fast asleep in a few minutes.

Another hearty breakfast. Only one day of home made bread left, may have to try in the caravan oven unless anyone between Dolgellau and New Quay fancies making us some?

Brief stop at Bala Lake, still as beautiful as I remember, and also still as wet and windy so only a very brief stop.


Dolgellau site was randomly selected on Google Earth so we approach it with a little trepidation....



....even with the gale force winds and clouds its an absolutely wonderful site. Stunning views over the valley to Cadair Idris and no other sign of habitation in any direction.Only us and one other van on site. Very brief chat with the site owner Jasper a man very proud of his campsite,spotless showers and toilets but still surrounded by sheep. Lamb for breakfast then?

As soon as we get some kind of internet there will be some photos. At the Moment we have to send blog posts via pigeon to the English border then by royal mail to the internet in London.

Day 2

Day 2. Chester Fairoaks Caravan site.

Tired today.

Mum had a very restless night last night, to be expected I suppose. Up at about 2.00ish calling out "help help help" Somehow she`d managed to turn off the night light and had lost all sense of where she was. Light back on and settled again till about 4.00. Standing in the doorway saying "I need paper" over and over. Managed to steer her back to bed and she settled then. Think she was sleep walking, something that has happened before.

Anyway, we all managed to have a decent lie in then sausages in home made rolls. Great start to the day.

After the excitement of yesterday decided to laze around in the van and have a couple of little strolls out with the dog. No need to cook today invited out to eat chilli in Heswall.

Mum seems a lot more settled now, just hope the move to Dolgellau tomorrow doesn't unsettle her too much, if so we may have to rethink the itinerary a little.