World Traveler and Thinker: May 2009

Cruising at 35,000 feet above the snowy expanses of Labrador I felt this would be a good time to reflect upon the past 30 days. A month now passes in what use to seem like a few days. It feels as though I just left yesterday, however, when I think about all I’ve done I get a better feeling of how long I’ve been gone. Life is full when I travel. Never a dull moment. Like always, it’s nice to be back home for the first few days but it doesn’t take long before I start thinking about the next adventure.

The two weeks on the Pembrokeshire Coast were great. It was nice to have the company of my friend Deb for most of the hike. The days were full of walking interspersed with visits to quaint villages and warm pubs. Upon completion of the Coast Walk I spent a little time in Cardigan and Aberystwyth before hopping a bus to England. I had originally thought that I would go to Ireland or the Mt Snowden Region of Wales after the Coast Path but when I travel I always like to keep plans loose and open for any new possibilities along the way. Before Deb left the Coast Path she extended an invitation for me to visit the Norfolk region. Having the opportunity to spend time with locals is one of the best ways to experience a different culture. Sine I enjoyed Debs company on the walk it only made sense to take her up on the offer which I gladly did.

First I spent time with her father who lives in a village amidst lovely agricultural countryside. I was treated to a couple of days visiting sights, pubs, and an abandoned B 27 airfield that was built by the Americans during WW2. He grew up in a farm house located next to and directly below a B-27 flight path. He was quite proud to show me a piece of shrapnel that fell through the roof of his childhood room as a flaming plane came in for a landing. He had some great stories of the Americans soldiers etc... After a couple of days Deb caught up with me at her fathers and we headed up to the Lower Peaks Region for some walking amidst, open hills tidy villages and Aristocratic Estates…

My final week I got to experience what living in Norwich might be like. Deb arranged for me to stay with her friend Jane who has a large home and is use to roommates. I stayed for a week. On the first evening I met a number of Debs friends at a Pub. As always I tend to like to sit with my back to the wall and in corner if possible. It allows me to see what going on. A psychic once told me I was gun fighter in a past life. Anyway, that’s a different story. At first it was just me and Debs as we ordered pints from the very friendly hospitable manager before I chose the table in the corner. Then people started showing up. A very nice lady in a red dress with red lipstick sat down next to me and got all chatty as she crossed the close talking zone by an inch or two. Her husband sat to my left and we started talking about sailing. Jane showed up with a cider in her hand. Another guy who works on a tanker four weeks on/off was in town and bought me pint. Others followed. All was well and fine until some strange middle aged bald headed guy invited himself to join us and started rambling about something that made no sense and the women seemed put off. I moved to another chair and someone bought me a half pint. For the next week I would find myself in various pubs around Norwich every night. I don’t go out every day at home but in England going out to a pub every evening just kind seems like the thing to do. I quite enjoyed it.

After a couple of days I got to know the layout of Norwich and explored the area by walking and running. Staying at Janes worked out well. While I was there she was busy with her second job which is day trading at home. She would sit at the computer with a cup of tea smoking thin roll your own cigarettes as she nervously watched her trades like a hawk. All the while she seemed to be questioning the pros and cons. “Now it’s going up, I should have bought. Oh no, it’s going down. Wish I’d sold”. Her thought process was sometimes interrupted by a coughing fit. Once the coughing stopped she would say something like, “Why do I smoke? Because I’m stupid. That’s why”. Then she would lite up another cig and go back to trading. From my perspective it was all kind of comical. Jane was good company and easy to be around. I’m very thankful for her hospitality an open door.

In no time I was in with a local group which included Pete. He runs a housing co-op along with some other some real estate which keeps him busy managing things. Pete is a long time local and pub regular. If you know Pete and drop into a pub for one quick pint, forget it. The reality is your closing the place and he will make sure you stay well hydrated as he rattles off one story after another. He’s a colorful character with a big heart.

One day while in Norwich I hopped a train to Cambridge for the afternoon. Wow, what a place! Walking around the university really made me wish I’d had a better attitude towards school as a kid. The buildings, grounds and libraries are all very impressive. I stumbled upon the Trinity college library which is really kind of a mind blower. Shelves and shelves of leather bound books. Many all done by hand and hundreds of years old. You can’t touch any of them but some of the better works can be viewed behind glass. One of my favorites was an original Shakespeare folio from 1601 with previously unreleased works.

For my final day in Norwich Debs and I spent our time walking through the countryside of Norfolk. Of course this was followed by an evening with friends at a Pub. That night I said my goodbyes to Deb and others. Pete gave me Bear hug and wished me well. I enjoyed Norwich and felt like I could have stayed longer but I needed to get to London to catch a flight home……. Ok, just to clear the air for all my friends who may be wondering ??? Although Deb and I spent quite a bit of time together we are strictly friends. Nothing romantic. I imagine Deb and I will cross paths again given our similar interests in travel and walking. Her company, hospitality and invitations really made my trip. I am enormously grateful!

From Norwich I took a train to London and rendezvoused with my friends Susan and Holger. I stayed with them last September on my way to Spain. They live in a nice part of London near Primrose Hill and Regent Parks which are very nice for walking. It was great to catch up with them and I was excited to find out that they are expecting their first child in a few months.

I only had one full day in London so as expected I walked through parks. I also visited the all Elvis store which is located next to the all Beatles store. I passed a few Pubs but by time I arrived in London I was pubbed out. Yes, too much of a good thing can get to be a little too much.

So, there it is. Another trip passed. I once again really enjoyed the Uk with all of its lovely natural beauty, villages and of course, Pubs. I’m not sure when I’ll go back but when I do I’ll likely visit the Cornwall coast next time I’m there. For now I think my next overseas travels will take me somewhere far more foreign and exotic. I’m thinking Asia….

I left Houston for London on April 13. The plane was delayed by more than 3 hours due to a faulty toilet which made me to miss my train to Wales. That caused me to have to fork out over $100 for a last minute ticket! Now that’s what I call a bunch a crap !…..(Side note. Trains in the Uk are generally a bad deal unless you buy online well in advance.) By time I arrived in Kilgetty, Wales I was wired more than tired as a cold rain set in. Luckily my friend Deb was there to pick me up at the station. I surrendered the thought process to her as she drove me to a pub for food and a pint. After a couple of libations she rung up the cheapest B&B and booked me in for the night. We planned to meet up again in the morning to start a 200 mile walk up the Pembrokeshire Coast of Wales.

The Pembrokeshire Coast Path is one of 8 national trails in the UK. I have hiked in Scotland and England but never Wales. I decided that the Coast Path would be a perfect option for a walk in Wales and I was not disappointed. The trail does a good job of hugging a coastline that’s comprised mostly of steep rocky cliffs interspersed with fine sandy beaches. I chose to go during mid April because statistically mid April to mid May is when Pembrokeshire receives the least amount of rain. It’s also the time when the flowers are at their peak.

The first day was an easy one with lovely weather. I was still wired from the flight over. After a short 7 mile hike Deb and I spent our time in Tenby checking out pubs. In the evening we had a good pub curry before backtracking a little ways to a spot I noticed on the way in that would be suitable for camping. Thus began the pattern. Hike all day. Pub along the way. Camp. What I really enjoy about hiking around Europe, in general, is that your bound to pass through at least one village a day if not more. The villages and all they have, or, have not to offer become an integral part of the journey. The coast path passes through a mixture of small fishing, agricultural, and beach communities as well as a couple of industrial settlements. In between populations the trail traverses spectacular and relatively remote stretches of beautiful Welsh coastline.

Once we got started with the walk the plan was no plan. I just figured it would take around 2 weeks. We spent our days soaking up reasonably good weather and did not hesitate stop at a beach or a pub along the way. The only time we really put any pressure on ourselves to make a decision was when it was nearing dark and we knew we would have to stop for the night. Other than that we just chose to soak up the scenery with all its dramatic ocean views and flowers busting out all over the place. In the southern portion the sea cliffs are maroon color but in the north the cliffs turn gray and charcoal black. A good variety of birds were ever present as well as a few seals amidst some of the coves.

It was a windy camp at Freshwater East but a still and peaceful one the following night amidst the dunes beyond Castlemartin. Well, it was once the nearby military training ground stopped blowing stuff up. The day to Pembroke was a long one as we walked the length of Angle Bay past an oil refinery. In Milford Haven it was time to splurge a little so we found a great inexpensive B&B complete with waterfront view, friendly helpful hosts and a big breakfast. B&B’s can be a very good value in the UK. You can easily find a nice place for $30 to $45 and breakfast is usually good for about $8 to $10 of that.

Milford Haven looked oddly like a place you would find in Massachusetts. The architecture, boat marina, etc., reminded me more of Newport, Rhode Island or Cape Cod than old world Europe. When inquiring about a place to eat the hosts at the B&B recommended a restaurant called Marthas Vineyard. Interesting….. Well, as it turns out, during the American Revolution there were some who opposed fighting and chose to return to England instead of supporting the revolution. There was actually a notable migration of early Americans back to the UK. A lot of them settled in the area now known as Milford Haven. I had no idea…

At Sandy Haven we timed the tide wrong and had to walk an extra 4 miles along a road on our way to Dale but got to visit a pub and sample the the local spring brew from the area. Just beyond Dale we camped near a tall beacon which afforded a dramatic broad view. In the distance we could see ships anchored for the night and the fiery glow of an open flame at a refinery in the distance. Beyond Milord Haven we ventured on to more remote sections of the path past Maroles Sands, Little Haven & Broad Haven. Camped near Solva we were visited by a herd of cows in the middle of the night. I figured cowboys never had much problem sleeping amidst cows so no need for concern as we shooed them off.

On day 9 we walked into Wales smallest city known as St Davids. It’s known for a cathedral built upon the grounds of an old monastery. The history of it goes back over 1,000 years. Built, destroyed, raided by vikings, rebuilt, and on and on. Good stuff. As Deb and I checked it out someone was going at it on the Cathedral organ as we viewed stoned carved caskets of notables who had passed over the last thousand years or so….. St. Davids gave an impression of a different kind of place.

St Davids is a little over a mile off the Coast path and Debs thought it would be a good time for another B&B. She also figured out how we could hike another 8 miles that day and bus back without the burden of our packs for a change. First we needed to find accommodation and chose the cheapest place in the book. When we knocked on the door the proprietor first appeared puzzled. Deb inquired and he said he had room. In the UK the cost of a stay is based on per per person. This place was 25 pounds. One person in a room is 25. Two in the same room is 50. Therefore you always want to get your own room because its almost always the same price as sharing. Anyway, he had two rooms but beyond that he did not talk like a regular host. Instead he made an odd Hmm, hmmmm, hmmm noise that seemed to be uncontrollable. When he showed us the rooms it looked like each one was being lived in. Towels hung in odd places. Teapot set up. Numerous cups and pillows oddly placed about. A little too much like someones home. Quite out of the ordinary. No wonder tourist information did’nt recognize the establishment. The place was kind of strange but Deb seemed to be getting a kick out of it. I hesitated but the accommodation, although odd and kind of cluttered, seemed clean and well equipped. Ok, “We’ll take the rooms”…. Hmm, Hmmm, Mmm. His dog barked with approval….. We then went out for another 8 miles of walking and returned to St. Davids via bus. On the way back we got to chat with some locals. Some Welsh surfer dude was raving about a breakfast that was so big and good it made him want to spew. I inquired in a joking fashion if St Davids had a church. The locals did'nt get my joke and quickly responded, “Yes, we have a Cathedral!”.. Duhh…… Back at the B&B it was more Hmm, Mmm, Hmm. The host was nice enough in a ho hum kind of way but few if any words were exchanged. … Next, the pub. That’s when things got peculiar.

After days of fine Ales the beer turned weird. It did not taste like beer should taste. It tasted funky. I voiced my complaint because I was certain something was wrong. They poured me a couple of different varieties and offered to give me my choice of a different beer…. Same result, all were funky. A local at the Bar made fun of me in the style of good friendly humor…. The staff, although somewhat quirky, were very friendly. I stuck with my original beer because they were so nice and everything else tasted just as strange. At that time some guy made a grand exit by loudly stating that men are this and that and the sheep are scared. I ordered lamb curry for dinner and washed it down with something resembling beer.

St. Davids was the last stop for Debs. She needed to get back to her home and work in England. She proved to be a good hiking partner and I really enjoyed the company. Deb is an avid walker, hiker, and traveler so we share a lot of similar interests. During the last evening together we made plans to meet again.

From St Davids I still had another 4 days to the finish with the best miles yet to come. On my way to Trefin the climbs got bigger, the path more rugged, and the scenery more dramatic. I passed through the lovely fishing village of Porthgain where I stopped for a half pint at the Sloop Inn. At Trefin I chose to stay at newly renovated hostel and had the whole place to myself. The next the day was filled with more stunning sea cliff beauty as a trekked 20 miles to Fishguard where I stayed at another hostel by myself.

The walk from Fishguard to Newport was one of those days I was bound to get sooner or later. Cold windy horizontal rain with gust that could darn near blow you off the cliff. I arrived at the hostel in Newport with hands so cold I could not fill out the registration form. That night I shared a room with an 80 year Brit who is a avid walker and full of stories. Good company…

The final day was a nice day for hiking with some of the finest coastline of the walk. On the last day I actually got to finish twice. The coast path ends at the Village of St Dogmaels. About a mile and a half from the finish I passed a desirable hostel set upon a hillside with a very nice view of Poppit Sands Bay. I thought it would be great to stay there for the night but it was around 3 pm and it did not open for check in until 5 pm. With the end so near and the thought of a nice pint I decided to continue onward to St Dogmaels. All the while I was still thinking it would be nice to stay at the hostel. St Dogmaels presented itself as a nice and quiet little village. I paused for a few minutes at a park marking the end. As expected I experienced the somewhat melancholy happy to have reached my goal but what now feeling that I always experience after a long distance walk. I wandered over to the Pub still thinking the about the hostel but that would require backtracking a mile and a half with most of it uphill.……. After an obligatory celebratory beer I contemplated where to stay for the night. A local saw me wandering about and asked if I needed help. I inquired if he knew of any campgrounds, cheap B&B’s etc… He said, “ Well there’s a B&B over there but the lady is kind of eccentric. There’s another up that way that’s run by a good bloke and then there’s the hostel”. I replied, “I like the hostel but don’t feel like walking anymore”. He responded, “I’ll give you ride !”…. So, I threw my pack into his vehicle and he shuttled me up to the Hostel. I thanked him profusely as he drove off and I walked over to reception. It was almost 6 and no one was around. I was confused until I read the fine print of the notice on the door. Closed Sunday and Monday. It was Sunday. Well, not much to do but finish again! Down the hill I went and back to St Dogmaels for the night. At that point I didn't give it much thought and checked into the B&B run by the good bloke which turned out the be great!….. I spent the evening eating and drinking at a pub with two locals telling me colorful stories about their friend the one legged fisherman and how he could carry three pints without spilling a drop……… I always meet interesting characters when I travel alone....

Overall, I really enjoyed the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. The mixture of stunning coastline blended in with a variety of interesting villages and beaches make it a unique experience for the long distance walker. This all goes without saying that I found the Welsh to be very friendly and hospitable which greatly enhanced my time spent in Pembrokeshire region of Wales…..