Day 7
New Quay to Cwmtydu: 4 miles
Meal of the day: Butternut squash filled spinach ravioli and a baked goats cheese salad with figs and toasted walnuts at the Black Lion
Reason: Because I'm fancy. Also because the Black Lion is where Dylan Thomas used to hang out, and if I remember correctly, got into a fight with a returned WWII soldier who thought he had been having a menage-a-trois with his wife, and who then later shot at Thomas's house with a machine gun. Good times. (For a little more on Dylan Thomas see yesterday's post.)
I woke up in a tent again, but this time I was super toasty under a giant plush Cleveland Browns blanket wearing a giant hooded New England Patriots sweatshirt. The two ends of the NFL spectrum were represented because P had come for a visit from Aberdyfi, and I'd told him to bring me warmth. Which he did rather well.
Off to New Quay
Everything was going swimmingly, we were gearing up to drive to New Quay where I'd left off yesterday, where we'd hike until we had to come back to town to check in to the B&B the boat hire people had booked for me yesterday. We were even planning on having a real breakfast in New Quay.
Then we got a flat tire.
Luckily we realized it before we'd even left the campsite, so we pulled over in front of the site's farm house where there was some black top to fix it. As soon as we'd parked, the farm house door opened and someone let a dog out. Assuming that was because strangers just parked in their front yard, I tried to apologize and explain the situation to the person who let the dog out.
As it turned out, it was entirely a coincidence, the older woman who came out was surprised when I even said anything. Then, because being parked on someone's front lawn is apparently just another opportunity for swapping life stories in this country, I learned about the garden fair she was going to, how she used to have to change the tires on the farm equipment, and also that she too had a relative who had moved to southeastern MA.
Although not from the same town as my parents like the person I'd met on Day 4, she went back inside, found the letter the person had written her, and it was on the back of a flyer for something in Hingham. It's starting to seem like everyone in this country has relatives in southeastern Massachusetts.
In the meantime, P was busy lying on the ground changing the tire, which was like a strange puzzle as it had four equal lugnuts and a fifth that required a special tool you had to search the rest of the car for. We guessed it was an anti-theft device, although I can't imagine who'd want to steal the tire off of a 2004 Ford Focus. Maybe in 2004 I guess.
He got the dummy on, when we realized it was Sunday. i.e. the day the world stops turning and absolutely nothing is open. We figured the dummy should make it to New Quay, and he'd get it fixed in the morning (true story, it ended up taking about 10 minutes to fix the tire - that had been punctured by a screw - and cost less than 15 dollars. Now that's service).
New Quay, finally
Anyway, we made it very late to New Quay, had a great breakfast at a wonderful place with great sea views called the Hungry Trout (I had Norwegian eggs that were literally to die for), and decided we'd still try to hike - because I was trying to have an easy day on the trail, not a non-existant one. So we set off, and quickly found. . .
A whelk factory of some sort. The coastal path zigs and zags out of the deep bowl of New Quay and skirts past a spot on the outskirts of town where you could see the catch of the day being dropped into a machine, washed and sorted. It was kind of cool except that it smelled like machinery and fish, which really isn't a good combo.
We continued on and the path moved up continuously behind New Quay, giving great views of Cardigan Bay, in both directions. There were all sorts of cliffs and coves and giant rocks jutting out of the sea with gulls and other birds circling about. It was really spectacular coastal scenery, and the weather was cooperating wonderfully.
On to Cwmtydu (nope, no typos in that name)
After passing some rather well sited ancient fort remains at Castell Bach (there's a stunning rock formation in the small bay it overlooks) we realized that even if we walked right back to New Quay now we'd still be late to check in. So we decided to try our luck with the next village, and see if we couldn't get someone to give us a ride from Cwmtydu.
Because of course, it was Sunday, so no buses either.
Then we got to Cwmtydu, its sandy beach sitting in a valley between high rock formations on either side, it's historic limekiln (though I'm sorry, but not nearly as atmospheric as the one I saw on Day 5), and it's cute little row of B&Bs and a cafe, and we decided it was a great time for lunch. Also who better to ask for a taxi than from a cafe owner.
And what a great place to pass the time. Though they were very upfront that the food typically took a while to prepare, they had a great omelette and jacket potato menu, and sitting on the front porch waiting for my omelette wasn't exactly punishing.
Also, while on the porch we saw a brightly painted van with a logo for a company called "Walk A Long Way" - which was clearly a baggage transfer service for walkers. And suddenly a lightbulb went off in my head as to how such a thing could be tremendously helpful. . .
And even better, not only was the owner willing to get us a taxi, and did so almost immediately when we asked him, he had us sign a visitor's log and we had a lovely chat about proving to the town council that foreign tourists do come to Cwmtydu, and they need to keep a certain level of services for the businesses there as well as transport.
I couldn't agree more - in particular, if anyone from the council is interested, please open your visitor center earlier in the year, as well run the Cardi Bus (for those of you who aren't on the council, a summer bus that links the small coastal towns of southern Cardigan Bay) from earlier than the end of May. Not all of the visitors here are beholden to a UK Bank Holiday schedule, and the weather's fine enough for this to be a destination much earlier in the year!
Anyway, Cwmtydu was a great stop, and I'm glad we didn't try to hike any further that day. We got our taxi back to New Quay, checked into a B&B that was decorated with a tremendous number of fairies and I took one of the best baths in the history of bathing. Although I almost drowned myself by falling asleep in the bathtub, there's nothing like a hot bath to ease sore legs and toes.
If only the campsites I plan on staying at had bathtubs.
