17 Jun 2018

Barmouth

13th to 16th June 2018

Hot on the heels of Ravenglass it's off to Hendre Mynach, which is just outside Barmouth.  We have been neglecting Wales recently, and last visited this site a couple of years ago.

Wednesday

Another long journey on A roads, but we managed to arrive quite early and were directed to a great pitch, with hedges separating it from neighboring pitches (other sites take note...we all like a bit of privacy).


A very rare outing for our bikes, usually it is too much hassle transporting them but this is a site where having them is a great advantage.  Barmouth is a longish walk along the promenade from the site, or a couple of minutes on a bike!

We cycled into town after setting everything up and headed for Myrddins Bar Caffi, which we'd read about on the internet and were looking forward to visiting.  Lots of real ale and craft beers, apparently, which is quite unusual for Wales.  Unfortunately it doesn't open on Wednesdays.  Oh well, the Last Inn and the Tilman were open.  The Tilman is new, we think, we don't remember it from last time.  Elderflower ale for D and a raspberry gin and tonic for J.


We were going to have a barbecue but the weather wasn't great, so instead we had an excellent dinner and bottle of wine in the Captains Table.  We just managed to get back to the site before the rain and high winds came.

Thursday

The plan today was to get a ferry from Barmouth harbour to Fairbourne and go on the miniature railway, but there was no sign of the ferry when we got there.  It was still quite windy, so maybe weather wasn't permitting.

Plan B was to get a regular train to Fairbourne, but we just missed it because we spent too long hoping the ferry would turn up.

Plan C was to walk across the bridge to Fairbourne, which is what we did.  We ended up walking about 10 miles today.

The Fairbourne railway runs for about two miles along a narrow spit of land, ending up at a beach with great views of Barmouth bridge and harbour.





We spent a couple of hours on the beach at the end of the line and ended up a bit sun burnt.





Seagulls and jelly fish...




Crab for dinner?

Not much left after the meal!


We thought we'd give Myrddins another go on the way back...but it was shut!  It doesn't open until 6pm.

Back at site we had a barbecue, then we cycled back into town...determined to get in to Myrddins.  It was open, but closes at 8.30 and we got there too late for last orders!  Some things just aren't meant to be, so we had a quick drink in the Tilman instead and nearly missed a great sunset.


Friday

Less windy today, so we cycled along the Mawddach trail to Dolgellau, about a 20 mile round trip



Tide in

Tide out

In the evening we had another barbecue.



We got through a bottle of wine and wanted more, so D cycled into Barmouth to the Co-op to get another bottle.  Thank goodness for the bikes!  We didn't drink all of the second bottle.

Then another great sunset, albeit a bit windy and chilly.





Saturday

It rained heavily in the night, but luckily it had more or less stopped when we starting packing away.  The journey home was uneventful.

Another great trip.  We like Hendre Mynach and will be back next year.

Coming soon...

A short break, then we'll be back in July for a three night trip to Keswick.



11 Jun 2018

Ravenglass

8th to 11th June 2018

After a couple of average trips we were hoping for a really great one at our favorite site - the C&CC site at Ravenglass.  As usual, it didn't disappoint.


Friday

We arrived after a three and a bit hour journey (with a stop for tea) and were given a great pitch overlooking adjacent fields, but no pic of the caravan or view this time...we forgot to take one!

Our bird feeder was a great success, including a couple of woodpeckers.



As usual, we headed straight for the nearest pub, which was the Inn at Ravenglass and had a drink sitting outside, with great views of the estuary.  Going to Ravenglass is like going back in time...so quiet and peaceful, today at least.


We popped into the Pennington hotel and the Ratty Arms, too, then headed back to the site for a very successful barbecue.

Afterwards we headed back to the Inn at Ravenglass for the first of three great sunsets.


Saturday

We thought a 7 mile walk around Ennerdale water would be easier than hiking up a mountain on a hot, sunny day, and it was probably was...although it didn't seem it towards the end.  The sunshine was a bit hazy all day and at one point the clouds were quite dark, but it didn't rain.  It would have been quite refreshing if it had!






We didn't stop off anywhere on the way back and had a relaxing afternoon sitting outside the caravan, then another barbecue.

Then another pretty good sunset.



We popped into the Ratty Arms afterwards and it looked like it was about to close, with chairs on tables and only two people in, and they left more or less straight away.  Fortunately the landlord said we were just in time and we had a pint and chatted to him for about half an hour.

Sunday

We got a train to Boot on the Ravenglass and Eskdale railway.



The Brook House Inn, our favorite pub in Boot, Eskdale

We went for a short walk to a nearby waterfall, fortunately most of the time we were amongst trees and in shade because it was another hot, hot day.





A very scruffy sheep!

It was the last day of the Boot beer festival, but it was over in all but name.  There was some entertainment, though, in the form of the Cockermouth ukelele band.



We got back to the site late afternoon and then had dinner in the Ratty Arms, having booked a table the night before, followed by the best of the three sunsets.




Not exactly quiet, though, thanks to a mother and daughter from St Helens who were staying nearby and had been drinking all day, and a very posh father and son (we think) from somewhere down south.  All very entertaining.

Monday

The long journey home was pretty uneventful.

Just couple of slight negatives - D being eaten alive by midges, and other caravanners!  This time the people in the caravan next to us who had a tv in the awning (we think) and watched it until gone midnight on two of the nights.  It didn't spoil the trip though, we were out most of the time.

Coming soon...

We both have a week off work, so we are off to Barmouth after a day of rest.  Hope the good weather lasts.