Traeth to Moelfre 5/4/26

Hiya!

Dave has been my taxi driver and luggage transporter for the past few days.  He is the nicest man I have met in the past few decades.  He spent many years working at U.S. military bases and has traveled extensively.

The tide is out.

I had to climb over these rocks, but don’t let their shorter size fool you.  They were slick and pointed and easy to get hurt on. Luckily, I made it over.

There were a number of boats just sitting stranded on the sand.  I guess they can only use them when the tide is in, but they can only bring them back when the tide is in? Quite limiting.

A little more dicey part of the trail. You can see the steps on the left side.

Actual trail!  Woohoo! 

Look at that view.  I am finally walking atop some cliffs.  Stunning views and pretty fierce wind.  Of course, that means I have to walk some steep uphill. No pain - no gain.

As you can see, I am getting higher and higher up. Pant-Paint, Gasp, Gasp.

I have been trying to get a photo of this bird for several days. The Oystercatcher is a very noisy wading bird with a loud 'peep-ing' call. On the coast, it eats shellfish, particularly cockles and mussels, which it either prises or hammers open with its strong, flattened bill. It has a distinctive orange bill and black-and-white coloring.

More tricky rocky terrain to traverse.

Another place to fish, Christopher.  Anglesey offers world-class sea fishing, featuring diverse shore marks and boat trips for species like bass, rays, huss, wrasse, and tope. Prime spots include Holyhead Breakwater, (right where I am) Ty Croes (rocky, deep), and sandy beaches like Rhosneigr or Lligwy. Summer offers mackerel and tope, while winter attracts codling and whiting.

I stopped at Ann's Pantry for lunch. Ann’s has been a part of village life in Moelfre since 1926, and I could easily see why.

It is an immensely popular place.  I ordered a falafel and hummus sandwich on hand-baked French bread.  It had roasted red peppers and caramelized onions.  Yum!  It was accompanied by a salad and some coleslaw. I ate the salad, and I brought the bigger half with me for tomorrows lunch.

Especially for Barbara and Paula.  Isn’t this the cutest little knitting store that you have ever seen?

I am staying at Bryn Awelon, which is a modernized farm B & B.

Look at this 1970s Ford.  Our hotel host had this car and several other really cool cars.

I had a marvelous pub dinner.  The special was sea bass filets with lemon.  No complainats here.  It was really good. And of course, what would an English dinner be without chunky fries?

My daily total came in at about 12.5, with some diversions and walking back and forth from my hotel, which is a half mile from the village.

Good Night and God Bless!

Beaumaris to Pentraeth 5/3/26

 

Hiya!  It is what people here in Wales say when they greet you on the streets.

It was pretty foggy when I started out this morning.  In reading today’s guide, they used the dreaded word CLIMB. Plus, I have to worry about the tide.  I consulted a tide chart, and there was a 23-foot difference between the high and the low. That is a lot.  I wrote directions for each spot that might be a problem.  As it turned out, my online map took me around each area.

Looking back towards Beaumaris Castle, the "greatest castle never built” circa the late 1200s.

I thought these were going to be caves, but they were just washed-out areas of the rocks. And I had to stumble over all these rocks or choose the very soft sand for about a half mile.

Another one of these spots that had I tried the original route, it was sink or swim.

I have never come across one of these before.  I did once accidentally walk into a pop-up brothel in Spain. There, I was looking for a Diet Coke.  I didn’t find one.

This are mountains through the mist.

Penmon Priory

"These buildings originally formed the south range of the Priory Cloister. They date from the 8th century and were probably built at the time the old Celtic monastery was reorganized as an Augustinian Priory. The refectory (dining Rau)was on the first floor, with a cellar below and the

dormitory above. The kitchen and warming house at the east end were added in the late 16th century.”(copied from the sign) 

On the right side is a small church.

More beautiful stained glass.

This is the  Penman Davecot built around 1600.  There is a stone pillar inside that supports a ladder giving access to the nests. A dovecot is a structure intended to house pigeons or doves, which were once a significant source of food.

There is an old lighthouse to the left.

Woohoo!  A place to have a Diet Coke and a real bathroom.  

I couldn’t resist ordering a scop of cherry, “Gold Medal Winning Luxury Welsh Dairy Ice Cream.”  After all, I have to write about something.  It is all your fault. 

It totally hit the spot. Very creamy and rich. And that Diet Coke tasted just jim-dandy.

I recently learned these are called kissing gates. Popular in rural Britain, it gets its name because the gate merely touches or "kisses" the sides of the enclosure. More romantically, the nature of the gate means that as one person goes through, they tend to turn and hold it for the next person, bringing them face-to-face. An old kissing game based on going through the gates meant that the first person to go through could 'demand' a kiss before letting the other person through. 

The climb was not as bad as I had envisioned.  I was thinking of the Alps. There was quite a bit of uphill, and I am finally starting to see big cliffs.

These yellow flowers were abundant on the higher levels.

The trail had been rerouted, and I couldn’t figure out how to get where I needed to be.  These two local gentlemen (and Finn) were so very nice. They walked me down to the start of the new trail and explained where I needed to go. One of them laughed and said that if I couldn’t find it, I could tell stores about how these two Welshmen misdirected me.  I told them I was going to make up a much better story about them. I’ll never tell.

My last hurdle was this long bridge, over a swamp-like area.  I have never seen a footbridge anywhere near this long. Another mile or so on the beach, and I finally reached the sand parking lot where my driver met me and drove me to my hotel.  He will pick me up in the morning and take me back to resume the trail.

So it is late, and after 18.5 miles, I am tired.

Good Night and God Bless.

Bangor to Beaumaris 5/2/26

Happy Derby Day!

I decided to go to the Bangor Cathedral. Modern-day Bangor dates back to the founding of a monastery on the site of the Cathedral by the Celtic Saint Deiniol in the early 6th Century. He is venerated in Brittany as Saint Denoual, but in English and Latin his name is sometimes rendered as Daniel.

Bangor Cathedral has been engulfed in a major scandal involving a “toxic” culture of excessive binge drinking, bullying, sexual misconduct, and severe financial mismanagement, with multiple resignations and investigations. Officials reported inappropriate behavior by clergy, including “seven last shots of Christ" on Good Friday.  The Archbishop of Wales resigned as a result. Those bad boys - sounds more like a frat party atmosphere.

It is a beautiful cathedral - long and narrow with many beautiful windows.

The stained glass behind the altar.

Looking towards the entrance.

The elegant Clock Tower or Twry Cloc dates from 1887, and is the focal point of Bangor’s thriving retail district, home to both local and international shopping.

I had about 2-3 miles of a very narrow, almost overgrown footpath.  It was good to get off the pavement.

My first look at the Menai Bridge, or Pont Grog y Borth, a historic, world-famous iron suspension bridge in North West Wales, which connects the Isle of Anglesey to the mainland. Designed by Thomas Telford and completed in 1826, it was the world's first major iron suspension bridge. If you didn’t catch the date. it is 200 years old.

Looking down from the bridge, which is 100 feet above high tide. At the end of the bridge I reached Anglesey Island which is 270 square miles. I will be walking all the arond the coast and I don’t thik it is going to be a flat walk.n Today was 10.4 miles, primarily because I walked around Bagor for about 3 miles.

Just over the bridge, I stopped for a much-needed Diet Pepsi. I was just happy to have any fizzy diet drink.  They even had ice!

It was a charming little bar and restaurant with a gorgeous bartender.  She was as pretty on the outside as on the inside. Kind of like my friends Janet and Mary, as well as many of my other friends

The flowers are in total bloom.  Look at the gorgeous color on that one.

I don’t know what this island is, but there were about 4 cars parked there. Why? There were no bridges to it, and I can not imagine a ferry coming along.  All I can figure is that they can only drive off of it if the tide is really low.

Looking across back at the mainland.

I saw some beautiful estates. The back of this one overlooks the river.

Finally, I make it to Beaumaris.  What a beautiful resort area. Beaumaris is a town located at the eastern entrance to the Menai Strait. And just for Dennis, at the 2021 census, its population was 1,121. It is known as the most beautiful and (most famous) unfinished castle in Europe. It was the last castle that King George the First built. I haven’t seen the castle yet, and I am not sure if I will have time to visit it.

My lodging for the night is Bishopgate House Hotel.  I have a cute room in the attic with slanted ceilings, overlooking the water. You can see my little window at the top - center.  I was wondering how I kept getting attic rooms, and then I remembered that I asked for somewhere quiet when I made my reservations with Celtic Trails. I am delighted. And they have all been quiet so far.

I had dinner at the Liverpool Arms.  I had beef stroganoff, which was tender beef fillet (sorta), mushrooms, onions, and peppers, with a creamy paprika-and-mustard sauce.  It came with rice and chips. I liked it, but I kept thinking there was something missing, and it was sour cream. The chips were great, and the rice was rice.  A successful dinner with a large glass of wine.  What’s not to like if it has good wine and a good atmosphere?

Once again, I bid you good night and God Bless.