Wales - South

My almost immediate observation about Wales is that it’s much lower stress driving here than in south England. The traffic is less, the roads are straighter and wider and the countryside is very picturesque. Higher, more rolling hills and many more trees (almost forests in some places). Spring isn’t quite as far along here as it was further south, but it’s very green and the views out over the fields and hills are most pleasant.

One nice find was Dinefwr Castle and Park. It’s managed by the National Trust and is set among some hills east of Carmarthen (north of Swansea a bit). What you see first as you approach is the ruins of a castle visible over the trees in the near distance. Have a look at some pictures of the place posted separately.

We drove from there straight out to the coast at St David’s, a small, historic village on the Pembrokeshire Coast, possibly as far west as we can get in this part of the country. The Pembrokeshire National Coast Trail runs all along this area and we spent some time Tuesday afternoon hiking along some of it. Once again, great views of the coast.

Wednesday was a rain day. Although there were showers overnight, the tent was mostly dry in the morning with rain starting later on, after we had done our walk around St David’s Cathedral. Up the road about half an hour was Cilcerran Castle, a neat set of ruins that has existed as ruins since about 1400. We also spent some time wandering back and forth trying to find a place to walk and, eventually, a dry place to stay for the night. We finally settled for the Hostel at Poppit Sands, near Cardigan. Fantastic views out over the bay full of big waves rolling in from the ocean.

After a couple of hikes in the Pembrokshire area, I think it’s time to head further north for an hour or so.