Moelfire to Porth Eilian 5/5/26

Hiya! I love the whole island of Anglesey. Moelfre is known for the Royal Charter Disaster: In 1859, the Royal Charter steam clipper was destroyed by a hurricane on the rocks below Moelfre, resulting in over 450 deaths and the loss of a massive cargo of Australian gold.

Cocksman Richard Matthew Evans was a Welsh lifeboatman. He was born in the village of Moelfre.  During his 50 years of service as a lifeboatman, he was involved in 179 launches and the saving of 281 lives, and is one of only five men to be awarded the RNLI gold medal twice, the highest accolade awarded by the institution and the equivalent of the Victoria Cross for bravery at sea. He lived to be 96 years old and died in 2001.

Anglesey has one of the most stunning coastlines anywhere I have ever traveled.  For the most part, the coastline has remained pristine and natural.  There is something mysterious, exciting, and the stuff of great stories about cliffs overlooking the ocean.

Photos do not begin to tell the full story.  It is impossible to capture the scale of the cliffs or the ocean's beautiful turquoise hue.

That little sand area is actually an estuary.  It was a shortcut because the tide was out. I walked across it right at the water's edge. An hour later, it was underwater.

The coastal rock formations are dramatic and designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The rocks are estimated to be between three and four million years old. 

I walked through countless sheep fields today, dodging little sheep patties. I liked this view with the small lake (for Floridians) or pond (for Southerners) with the mountains in the background.

There were all kinds of trails, such as walking through a windy moor.  

Such a cute she-shed, flower shop.

Today was tough.  There were lots of ups and downs. In fact, every time I went down, I knew I was immediately going to climb another severe up. Most tiring.

This little lighthouse could be seen all day. 

I had a nice pit stop and a chance for a Diet Coke about midway.

Looking down on the coast.  I was fairly high up at this point.  And I knew it not only by sight but because I had made every step. Pant-pant Gasp-Gasp.

In the sheep fields, it was extremely difficult to find the trail or the next trail marker, so I wandered around and backtracked a lot.  Finally, the trail became more obvious.

More views of the coast.

I am staying at a beautiful old hotel, called the Castellor Boutique Bed and Breakfast. It is right on the water and has its own special views.

Dinner was good.  I had chicken stuffed with leeks over new potatoes. A little too much sauce, but that didn't take away from the flavor.  I love leeks, and the sauce had thick slices of leeks along with lots of fresh dill. Lip-smacking good

So after a tough 14 miles, I am ready to relax and then get ready for tomorrow.

Good night and God Bless!

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.