Arriving late into Fishguard yesterday meant I didn’t get the best night’s sleep. I trusted in the breakfast at the Rose and Crown to see me through the morning.
Wales’ welcome was an immediate 200ft climb up into Fishguard followed by stocking up for the day at Coop and visiting the fabulous volunteers at the Goodwick and Fishguard heritage centre Ein Hanes Our History.
Back down to sea-level, the town’s old harbour was as tranquil as a place can be. I thought about coffee at the yacht club cafe and decided I’d make my first stop in Newport. The climb out of Fishguard took me up 400ft and I started wishing I’d had that coffee.
Back down to sea level at Dinas Island. The two beaches were joined by a level, accessible path, which took me to see the bit of a church at Cwm-yr-Eglwys that was left after a storm in 1859.
The hill back up to the main road was like riding up a wall. And with every turn of the pedals, I was wondering why on earth I went down there in the first place.
I stopped for lunch at Newport. A craft market was in full swing on one of the side streets. I wandered through and saw bikes parked outside Blas cafe and there were tables free outside. I went inside to order and by the time I’d got back outside the tables had been claimed by bags. Lesson to leave my helmet and gloves on the table next time.
After lunch the coast road took me up and up. And up. The sun was beating down and the air was still. The turbines I could see weren’t turning. It was hard work. My rewards were the never-ending vistas and seeing a Red Kite being chased noisily away from a nest by a much smaller bird.
The ground fell away and I arrived at Popin Sands on the Teifi estuary. This break was more of a second lunch. I must have been there an hour. I would happily have booked into a hotel there, but I spent the time looking for one about 15 miles away.
I went into full tourist mode in Cardigan. Delaying and delaying getting back on the bike. I stopped in at the local bike shop to see if they’d fit a new brake caliper for me. They didn’t have one and it would be at least Thursday before it would arrive.
Heading back down the estuary to Gwbert, the exquisite view was impossible to capture well enough on camera to do it any kind of justice. The challenge presented by the hill out of Gwbert is impossible to describe sufficiently well in words.
Aberporth felt like a million miles away. When the road started to go downhill, it went downhill quickly. I was going so quickly, I completely missed my accommodation and needed to walk back up the hill.
Day totals: 38 miles; 3639ft of elevation gained
Tour totals: 926 miles; 33,917ft of elevation gained