West coast Wales -summer 2012
Our annual summer trip for the last few years has always been with the delightful Trip Family (incl. dog) and to the West Country.
This year we added the Crust contingent and changed our destination to West Wales - land of dragons and far too many Llllllls and Gggggggs in close proximity with each other!
Before setting off there was the small matter of the Olympics opening ceremony and a static caravan in Essex. Yes I know, it's a bit weird!
Anyway, the Olympics was a sight to behold and two nights at the holiday park were eventful not least for one very nearly broken toe and killer mozzies!
We escaped and began our intrepid journey to the far west coast of the United Kingdom - had a stop overnight with the Caravan Club at Worcester on the way tho. Very nice and warm toilet block if I recall correctly!
The following day we crossed the Welsh border and said farewell to Ingerlund for a fortnight - the sun lagged further and further behind and eventually we were enveloped by dank dark drizzle.
We made our first night's camp a few miles up and inland from Aberystwyth at the atmospherically named Devil's Bridge Falls. After a day of walking the forest in the persistent drizzle and a wander around the town (not the most exciting of places!) we decided to forge ahead on our Welsh adventure.
We headed down to the coast in convoy, 2 campers and 1, 3 mums, 1 dog, 5 kids, and took a left at Aber keeping the grey expanse of Irish sea off to our right we followed the curve of Cardigan Bay to New Quay. Up the other side and we arrived at New Cross Caravan and Camping Club site.
I splurged on electric hook up - with weather like this ipods and ipads fully charged are classified under essential items - up there alongside wine and chocolate!
Another perfectly nice site, in my head I knew we were on the top of what ought to be a great headland. My eyes and the campsite staff told me there was no easy access to the coast or the coast path. We bought some local walking info and recce'd a coastal walk from Penbryn to Llangrannog (see I told you about the Lls and the Ggs!) and off we went.
As we drove the weather lifted and we descended into Llangrannog with the car in front and one camper behind - the car made it out but the camper did not fare so well! The hair pin bend on the vertical road out of town proved too much for Ryta and the Trip Family were lost to us.
The brave, but ridiculously lost, car people pushed on and eventually came upon Penbryn and began their intrepid yomp on the coastal path. This being the land of dragons there was no mobile signal and the Trip Family being hardy souls were believed to be able to cope!
Two hours later after some extremely uppy/downy scrambling and some wonderful views the car people tromped down the hill into Llangranog feeling hot and sweaty.
Nostrils assaulted with delicious wafts of fish n chip smells as eyes were laid upon the ever resourceful Trip Family who were taking full advantage of a break in the weather to hit the surf!
After chips and ice-creams the car people scrambled in reverse - not literally of course - to retrieve their car and rendezvous at the campsite with the Trip Family.
Immediately the weather got crap again and the following morning camp was as broken as the weather in quick time and en masse we headed to Newgale. The chick at the campsite said it was sunny - we raced there as fast as our dear two old ladies could take us.
We skirted various places of potential interest but had a thorough ramble around Aldi for supplies.
And indeed, Newgale to the south west of St David's Head in Pembrokeshire looking out into St Bride's Bay with a magnificent view of Ramsey to the right and Skomer to the left was a tropical paradise.
Well, it was in comparison to where we'd been for a week already!
This year we added the Crust contingent and changed our destination to West Wales - land of dragons and far too many Llllllls and Gggggggs in close proximity with each other!
Before setting off there was the small matter of the Olympics opening ceremony and a static caravan in Essex. Yes I know, it's a bit weird!
Anyway, the Olympics was a sight to behold and two nights at the holiday park were eventful not least for one very nearly broken toe and killer mozzies!
We escaped and began our intrepid journey to the far west coast of the United Kingdom - had a stop overnight with the Caravan Club at Worcester on the way tho. Very nice and warm toilet block if I recall correctly!
The following day we crossed the Welsh border and said farewell to Ingerlund for a fortnight - the sun lagged further and further behind and eventually we were enveloped by dank dark drizzle.
We made our first night's camp a few miles up and inland from Aberystwyth at the atmospherically named Devil's Bridge Falls. After a day of walking the forest in the persistent drizzle and a wander around the town (not the most exciting of places!) we decided to forge ahead on our Welsh adventure.
We headed down to the coast in convoy, 2 campers and 1, 3 mums, 1 dog, 5 kids, and took a left at Aber keeping the grey expanse of Irish sea off to our right we followed the curve of Cardigan Bay to New Quay. Up the other side and we arrived at New Cross Caravan and Camping Club site.
I splurged on electric hook up - with weather like this ipods and ipads fully charged are classified under essential items - up there alongside wine and chocolate!
Another perfectly nice site, in my head I knew we were on the top of what ought to be a great headland. My eyes and the campsite staff told me there was no easy access to the coast or the coast path. We bought some local walking info and recce'd a coastal walk from Penbryn to Llangrannog (see I told you about the Lls and the Ggs!) and off we went.
As we drove the weather lifted and we descended into Llangrannog with the car in front and one camper behind - the car made it out but the camper did not fare so well! The hair pin bend on the vertical road out of town proved too much for Ryta and the Trip Family were lost to us.
The brave, but ridiculously lost, car people pushed on and eventually came upon Penbryn and began their intrepid yomp on the coastal path. This being the land of dragons there was no mobile signal and the Trip Family being hardy souls were believed to be able to cope!
Two hours later after some extremely uppy/downy scrambling and some wonderful views the car people tromped down the hill into Llangranog feeling hot and sweaty.
Nostrils assaulted with delicious wafts of fish n chip smells as eyes were laid upon the ever resourceful Trip Family who were taking full advantage of a break in the weather to hit the surf!
After chips and ice-creams the car people scrambled in reverse - not literally of course - to retrieve their car and rendezvous at the campsite with the Trip Family.
Immediately the weather got crap again and the following morning camp was as broken as the weather in quick time and en masse we headed to Newgale. The chick at the campsite said it was sunny - we raced there as fast as our dear two old ladies could take us.
We skirted various places of potential interest but had a thorough ramble around Aldi for supplies.
And indeed, Newgale to the south west of St David's Head in Pembrokeshire looking out into St Bride's Bay with a magnificent view of Ramsey to the right and Skomer to the left was a tropical paradise.
Well, it was in comparison to where we'd been for a week already!
