HIKING HOLIDAYS ARE A BIG DEAL IN WALES. Unfortunately Wales is also know for its terrible weather; only one day in three is sunny. We took advantage of a rare bit of Welsh sunshine and headed for the rugged Pembrokeshire coast. Temperature in the mid-50s didn’t deter the locals from wearing shorts and tank tops, sunshine being such a rarity. Even in our polar-fleece we felt naked, mostly because we didn’t have a dog—everyone here seems to have one, or three.
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Eurasian Oystercatchers
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Abandoned Brick Works, Porthgain
Porthgain is a picturesque fishing village with a gritty industrial past. Gulls, crows and jackdaws glided over us and a pair of Eurasian Oystercatchers searched for goodies left by the receding tide. An abandoned brick factory stood above the small breakwater where a couple of fishing boats bobbed at anchor.
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Pembrokeshire Coastal Trail
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Just us Sheep
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B-A-A-A?
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A day at the Beach
A short but steep stairway led us to the actual trail atop the sea cliffs where we shared the trail with hundreds of sheep who left skeins of wool tangled in the gorse. The path wandered up and around dizzying headlands with waves crashing on the rocks far below. Pembrokeshire reminded us of our time in Cornwall’s “Poldark country” last June. More than 300 miles apart by road, Cornwall and Pembrokeshire are much nearer as the jackdaw flies.
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Rugged Pembrokeshire Coast
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Rugged Cornwall Coast
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Low Tide
We were only out for a couple of hours, covering three or four miles. But when we got back to Porthgain the fishing boats were heeled over totally aground. Time and tide, you know.