Category: Pembrokeshire 2022

Today started with an unexpected knock on our door, which panicked me, as it made me think we’d not done something we are supposed to – there are a few requests from the Cottage owner for today & before we vacate tomorrow morning.

Turns out it was just the Gardener, letting us know they’d be making a racket for a while. All fine with us.

And he made good time because by 11am it was hissing down. The first proper rain we’ve seen during a week in Pembrokeshire. That’s a rare event for us! On that basis, we definitely can’t complain.

May just make this a day at the cottage at this rate, which is absolutely fine by Jane & I. So on that basis, I used up some of the remaining fridge supplies by making a 3-egg, cheese & onion omelette for brunch.

The rain continued through until around 3pm, after which it eased off, leaving it very warm & humid. Moist, even.

When Jane spoke with Grain (in St. Davids) yesterday morning, trying to book for this evening, they did suggest that early on there was a chance of a walk-in, so we though we’d give it a go.

So around 3:45 we set off up to St Davids, which is around 45 minutes drive. We parked up in the car park & managed to blag a ticket (offered one from a day-parker that was leaving earlier than planned).

From this point on, Im not sure how our visit could have gone worse, tbh, though. St Davids was, as you would expect, very busy, with lots of tourists ambling between all of the lovely shops.

We walked up and around the high street towards where we thought Grain was. It was at this point that poor old Toby has a poonami attack! Out of the blue, he suddenly stopped and “dog gravy” ran in a stream like fashion from his arse. It was horrific, and didn’t seem to want to stop!

What a bloody nightmare! Jane bent over, scraping what she could from the pavement with poo bags as gloves, which inevitably split, leaving her with diarrhoea-covered hands.

I stood over the disaster zone to stop folk walking through it. “Watch out”, said a man behind me, as his 5 year old kid that wasn’t watching where she was going, tripped over my foot, stepped in the crap, and then fell to the shit-covered pavement on her hands and knees! Crying, the mother the glared at me, pointing out that she’d also holed her leggings. Knees and hands now also covered in crap!

As Jane finished the clean as best she should, I left the scene & nipped into the tourist info centre opposite, and the wonderful ladies in there loaned me a 2l jug, and filled it with water. I ran back across, and rinsed the pavement as best as we could. Another refill and the pavement was safe again at last.

By then, the lady had her daughter on her kneee, sat on a bench, comforting her. I assume after cleaning her hands, leggings and shoes?!

Back to Jane, who we then led to the public toilet so she could wash her hands and Tobys arse. What a bloody nightmare!

Once the chaos subsided and our party was turd-free, we headed to Grain, only to be told they weren’t taking walk-ins. I asked if we could sit outside on one of the many empty benches & order a drink given we were there, only to be told “no”! Strange approach for sure.

It was the last straw, and we decided we’d had enough of St Davids for today! We headed back south and called in at the Victoria Inn Brewpub (where I’d been earlier in the week).

Thankfully we snagged the last table and the last food order. One ‘Mosaic’ 4.5% IPA & a ‘Black Scar’ 5.4% BIPA later, washing down their ‘Fine & Dandy’ Beer-battered fish & chips and we set off back to the cottage to pack.

Bins out, bags packed, fridge contents ready to be put in the camper fridge for the journey home.

Plan tomorrow is be out of here by 10am, and then to press on tomorrow and try to get back before the rush hour starts affecting traffic. No plans other than than for tomorrow.

Pretty much the end of our hols on that basis, so thanks for reading if your did, and don’t worry if you didn’t, as my ramblings are as much for me as anyone.

See you next time folks, I’m signing off for this hols.

Chris x

We’ve realised we’re not used to coming away in peak season. What’s prompted that realisation is us now starting the day by trying to book somewhere for tea, and then heading in that direction if achieved.

Not going well again at the start of today with attempted bookings at:

The Brewery Inn, Cosheston – voicemail message “we are booked up all week”

Milton Brewery Inn, Milton – closed because the building is falling down around us (source: https://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/19910918.milton-brewery-closes-alleging-buildings-falling/)

Grain, St David’s – “sorry fully booked for tonight & tomorrow. Maybe risk a walk in earlier on?”

We’ve eventually managed to book a table at the St Govans Inn, in Bosherston), so that’s where we’ll head today! No bad thing, as that means Stack Rocks, the Lilly Ponds, puffin & seal potential.

After a long wait for Romeo to come down from his Juliette Balcony, we eventually got going and headed south east via Pembroke Dock, but give the fuel light had com on we dreaded having to stick diesel in the van. It’s got a very big tank, so with fuel prices as they’ve been it can be a £145 fill-up.

Spotting a Texaco, I reluctantly turned in, expecting £1.90+ litre , but was delighted to see £1.76. Happy days, so I did fill to the brim, avoiding the need to stop until we get home on Friday evening.

Off the main roads, and down the wiggly-windies again, until we reached the tank crossing & headed across the Castlemartin Firing Range. Over the years we’ve parked up and watch tank & infantry exercises, with the best being the firing of live shells out into the sea. With a good pair of binocs & a keen eye, you can see them hit the sea on a clear day.

At the end of the road, literally, is the Stack Rocks car park, where we stopped, and the key to the Van finally snapped.

It’s a design fault on the flip-out key fobs and is a PITA (pain in the arse) to sort. The Amazon or EBay copies have differing locking pin sizes, so for our model it requires ‘fettling’. I can get it to work in the short term, but we do have a spare back at the cottage, if needed.

Anyway, we sorted that and then headed out with Captain Miserable in tow, heading for the sheer, vertical cliffs, needles & arches of Stack Rocks.

I think the last time we were here was with Jane’s Dad, my Mum & Dad & my Auntie & Uncle, Judith & Frank. Charlie was a toddler, and we’ve a raft of embarrassing photos of him, ready for when required. What I will divulgeHe used to have a ‘poo-light’ – a birthmark on his scalp that ‘lit up’ when he’d filled or was filling his nappy. Quite a handy feature at the time, tbh.

The coastline here is once again different to other areas with another change in the geology. The Carboniferous Limestone is being worn away by the crashing waves, meaning cracks appear, they can then join either side to create an arch (the Green Bridge of Wales being the nearest example from the car park), the top of which eventually collapses to leave the ‘stack’ – a pillar of rock.

I hope Mr Smith, my ‘O’ Level geography teacher would be proud of me. He definitely encouraged my love of physical geography (you can stick yer human geog up you’re arse, though), with it’s mohorovic discontinuities, thalwegs and dry adiabatic lapse rates!

We had a good old wander around the coastline, adding more Choughs, Razorbills, Fulmars, Guillemots, Black Back & Herring Gulls & Cormorants to our spotted list, as they swooped around the cliff faces.

And on top of that we once again saw loads of seals. We’re pretty sure they are grey seals, which are some of the rarer species in Northern European seas, with their pups being born right about now, accounting for white ones we’ve seen – as they turn mottled grey after a month.

Having had our fill of vertigo for the day, we decided to head over to Broadhaven 2 (South), but as we parked up, we saw our first raindrops of the holiday, although they were light and lasted about 5 minutes. So instead we had a moral argument about paying for a parking ticket.

My view was shouted down on the basis that a) the machine didn’t take cards; b) we didn’t have £3 in change; c) there wasn’t enough internet connection to pay using the app; and d) we were parked for about 15 minutes maximum.

On that basis, I still protested however as we are using facilities run by the National Trust and the payment helps other sites not just covering our limited use of the car park. As such, I refused to stay any longer and we headed back towards St Govans where we were due to eat.

Although the table was only booked for 6pm, and at the point we parked up it was 5:30, we decided to go in and eat earlier and/or have a pint.

Stepping out of the van onto the verge next to the tea shop & garden, I managed to step in some dogshit. Annoyingly there was plenty to step on. As dog owners ourselves, we cannot understand how people don’t pick up their own dogs turds. It’s disgusting. Good news was that my shoe soles were turd-friendly and it was an easy clean up, thankfully.

It turned out that the pub only started taking food orders at 6pm, and it also seemed that other diners knew that, so we’re getting orders ready and we’re limbering up ready for the 6pm sprint to the ordering terminal. I wound up my knee spring, stretched my various sections of Achilles & readied myself.

Delighted to say, I came second in the bullrush & our orders soon arrived from the kitchen. Jane made the best decision having the Cawl, with cheese & bread. I wish I’d copied her as it looked & smelled superb, and having tasted it later, it was a great choice.

Cawl, if you’re not familiar is a cross between a soup & a stew, classically made from pheasant meat, but typically now chicken and/or lamb, with the expected base veg (potatoes, carrots, leeks, onion, parsnip), but the twist being you then add mature Caerphilly cheese to the bowl as it’s served. Bloody lovely!

Food eaten, and with Captain Miserable reaching new heights (due to a complete lack of internet/working Wifi), we paid up, dodged the dog-crap, and then headed “home”.

Only to spot that Romeo, whilst left alone last night, must have spilled some of his pizza when taking it out of the top oven, and it’s dribbled into the door of the bottom oven. Between the outer glass and one of the inner panels.

So I sit here having stripped down an oven door, cleaned it, then reassembled it. I’m having a beer. It’s deserved!

Night folks,

Chris

X

We took advantage of the marginally cooler weather & I for one slept much better. We also had a lie-in & an inevitable subsequently slow start.

I ovened-up some Cumberland sausages, and made a butty for breakfast, while we tried to decide what to do & where to go. One thing that’s proving tricky is finding somewhere to eat. It’s not that there aren’t any, it’s that they’re all booked up for this evening!

Jane took Toby for an ablutory (made-up word) walk, whilst I had a quick shower. As Jane arrived back, she was on the phone to Betty, for Jane an almost lifelong friend, who’s family & hospitality are the reason we know this area so well.

For those not aware, Jane’s mum & dad, along with their neighbours Kath & Colin (who’s son is also my best mate) began holidaying each year at Betty & her husband David’s farmhouse B&B, in the very early 1970s. They all swiftly became more than guests & that friendship continues to this day, despite both Ian & Jane’s parents no longer being with us.

We’ve arranged to go & meet up with them at the farm tomorrow afternoon, and go out for some tea somewhere. It’s been way too long since we last saw them, so we’re really looking forward to catching up.

Back to today, though…

By 2pm, we’d moved no further that the patio (it’s not raining yet), and still undecided where to head. On that basis, we decided we’d do one of the walks that Jane fancied over at Marloes. Romeo was told of our plans, which included not coming home for tea, so his choice was:

• A) come with us and get a bought tea
• B) stay at home and cook his own tea

He came with us. And boy, I bet he regretted that, later on in the day!

We packed a bit of “day-van stuff”, (lightweight waterproofs, cameras, chargers, Tobys raw meat tea in the fridge, that sort of stuff), and set off the 15 minutes down the wiggly-windies to the National Trust car park at Marloes, briefly confused ourselves as to whether we were at the right car park (we were), paid the ticket & then set off.

It was a 5 mile cliff top walk around the wonderfully Silurian/Ordovician geologic coastline of this particular section of coast. Even Skokholm & the larger Skomer nearby islands throw in some red sandstone that gives a section of the walk a purple rock tinge.

We set off in a clockwise direction, from the carpark, crossing some fields before the overlook to Marloes Beach. An awkwardly accessed beach means it’s not for the lazy, making it a great place, if you can make it down (and back up!).

Hang a right and follow the cliff tops. And then realise that there’s no chance of it raining, and in fact, it’s still hot & sunny, and. It’s not a day to be wearing a black tee shirt (or even worse joggers, a tee & a Moncler jacket, as per Romeo).

Wow! More Chris Packham, than Chris Airey, and my Michaela nailed it with her spotting skills!

Tally was:

• Loads of dogs on leads
• Cattle & their associated pats
• At least 4 Choughs
• Loads of black back gulls
• Raptor feathers
• Loads of European Common Blue butterflies (poor sods will be on the next flight out)
• A cormorant or two
• Two ravens
• 15+ seals, of which 2 deffo kids, one young adult.

We’ve never seen so many seals! It was amazing! Some on rocks sunbathing, some asleep on the shoreline. We even heard a little one that was inside a big cave, calling to it’s parents! Fantastic to watch, especially when I’d remembered to take the Zeiss binoculars!

Then my knee caved in. Mainly because we were heading home and it was uphill. So we cut the walk short, missing the northern coastline, and trudged up the hill back to the car. Still, it’s miles under my knees, so that’s good.

Plan was to try the Lobster Pot (a local pub), where we’d had good food in the past until we saw their “Apologies. We are not serving food tonight” sign. So we headed back to Little Haven hoping to snag an outdoor table at the St Brides Inn.

We parked up at our cottage and walked down, only to find it was packed inside & out, so we had one last chance. “Let’s try the Castle”. Turning the corner, it looked hopeful. Spaces outside at least. Until we saw the “We no longer serve food on Mondays” sign! Aaaargh!

We turned around and started walking back, but I suggested we had a drink at the St Brides, and say waiting or see if a table came free, on the basis that if not after finishing the drinks, we went back to the cottage & made a cheese & ham toastie.

Thankfully a table became free, we ordered and got served super quickly. (Chicken curry & rice for me).

Turns out there are as couple of missed opportunities in Little Haven. The cafe is closed down & empty, and the pub on the harbour side, the Swan Inn has stopped serving food. I nipped in to suss it out. Not sure that decision is going well for them, as I was the only one there!

Once we were done we wandered back up the road, all of us shattered, and just crashed out. This fresh air and hilly walking is exhausting!

And that’s why I’m publishing this at 8:53am the following day!

Have a good one!

Chris!

Blimey, what a day (on our scale anyway)!

Reasonable start for Jane & I, both being breakfasted (bacon butties with a fried egg topping) & for me, also ‘caffeined up’. Sat out on the patio again, maybe for the last time in the sun, if the forecast is correct.

Whilst it was early’ish, we decided to do a little loop walk around the nearby section of the Coastal Walk. Up the Strawberry Hill a bit more, and then a right turn onto a section that leads to the path.

It’s a superb section of coastline, with near vertical cliffs, overlooking what looks like a tropical lagoon on a day like today. My only issue with the walk was the state of my knees. They’re knackered (as in Grade 4 osteoarthritis knackered). The uppy-downy bits are painfully hard work. Still, those views were worth it.

At the high point, and where it meets the road & a tiny carpark, we just sat awhile on a perfectly-positioned bench that overlooks the bay. We could see as far as St David’s, and I suspect on a less hazy day, you could probably see Wexford in the Republic of Ireland!

Getting back, we then decided to give my knees a break. No we didn’t, we decided to wander down into the village & back, this mission to be sussing out the ‘Lobster & Môr’, shop.

Wow! What a lovely specialist fishmongers (live lobster & crab only), with a superb selection of local artisan produce. Albeit only around 12:45, they had already sold out, although there was some joking about the fact they hadn’t been aware that there was an RNLI charity fête going on, less that 100 yards away! It also turned out that there’s another reason – no-one is catching crab, they’re in very low supply, possibly due to the unexpectedly warm seawaters.

Didn’t stop us spending a few bob on a couple of mini- truckles of cheese, oh, and a couple of bottles and cans of local ale. Well, what did you expect! But we will be back!

We’re planning on eating in tonight, nothing fancy, just some superbly huge American Hotdogs, but have realised we don’t have onions, and as everyone would agree, that is a showstopper.

Ten minutes over the headland there’s the nearest mini-market, the Londis in Broadhaven 1. So off I set in the camper for an onion. Oh, and get Romeo a frozen pizza in case he bales out of an evening meal. Oh, and get some more bread. And crackers for that cheese we bought…

Broadhaven was busy, as it should be, and the Londis was even busier, with the cold drinks & icecream sections being ransacked. It took ages to get round and pay up, like about 90 minutes of busy 😉

During that ‘missing 90 minutes’ I headed off on a research mission, and wandered over to the Victoria Inn Brewhouse.

On the wiggly-windy, single track journey from headland to headland, it became obvious very quickly that there were some serious fires burning, the worst of which were over past Nolton and some back over my shoulder, more inland.

Arriving at the Brewery/pub, I ordered a pint of session (4%) “New England style” fruity IPA, and a couple of bottles to try later, once the car keys had been hung up.

Whilst sat outside, I watched the smoke billowing on the nearby cliff tops, getting visibly worse. I also watched this beautiful wolf-husky cross watch the world go by.

My route back took me via Nolton, where the road was blocked where it turns north due to the fires, and I went south. Some moments the sky had an orange tinge to it, not from fire, but from refracted sunlight through the smoke. My previous experience of that was on Mammoth Mountain, USA, where the Yosemite wildfires gave the town and Armageddon feel.

Another narrow, winding road journey back to our lovely cottage, and then it was time to get our American Hotdog game on. Onion chopped, frying pan on, pot of water heating.

There’s rain forecast for tomorrow, so we’ve brought all the cushions inside & instead of sitting out in the heat, we’re sitting inside in the heat, watching MoTD2 and an orange moon (I suspect this is again due to refraction through the wildfire smoke!

Anyhow, that was todays round-up!

Night, night folks!

Chris