Sunday, 29 May 2011

Welsh Boundary Walk - Newport to Penarth

Saturday 28th May - day 39
Just re-read last night's effort. Sorry about all the typos and especially the faux pas about English villages in Wales- I'm glad I got that in before anybody else.
Last night I had a French couple as neighbours who must also have been given the honour of pitching on this CC site. After we had eaten, the lady, but strangely not the man, came across to me with a teapot of tea, yes a French person with a teapot! However she was still using a cereal bowl to drink from, and when offered I proffered my mug. We sat and chatted for about threequarters of an hour across a wide range of subjects. They are touring Scotland and Wales by car but exploring locally by bicycle. This lady had a great feeling for the outdoors and understood my mission perfectly in the context of a personal challenge. We talked a lot about Grand Randonnes in France and I was pleased when she said the Queyeras was her favourite region - d'accord.This was all as good a conversation as I have had so far, and in French at that.
Today I walked mainly on busy roads in the rain - not very inspiring. I did have a stop at a roadside chuck wagon at one point and pleasant chat with the girl who was operating it.The highlight was drinking two cups of Costa coffee in Cardiff and eating some caky things. The girl who served me came from Newport, the little bay round the corner from Fishguard where I started. I was able to show her pictures that I had taken there.
In order to cross the Cardiff Bay barrage I had to go a long way north into Cardiff then come back south. The waterfront in Cardiff has some interesting architecture including the Welsh Assembly building, which unfortunately is a bit hemmed in. I made a windy crossing of the barrage with panoramic views back to Cardiff accross the bay.
I am now in b and b in Penarth in the smallest room I have ever taken (hopefully a photo to follow), but it's only £25.


Sent from my iPhone

2 comments:

  1. Still following your adventure.Back on the coast. You will enjoy The Gower and of course Pembroke which you may have walked before.
    Strange how you keep meeting people who chat about 'the outdoors' - glad you are not letting your French go rusty.
    After today [what do you expect from a bank holiday] looks like you've a good spell of weather coming.
    Hwyl

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  2. but to some, Monmouthshire is still actually part of England, not Wales at all - maybe this is why you were not drowned by an instant wave of excoriation

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