I left home in plenty of time in order to have a chance to stop at the cafe in Llanymddyfri where I had the excellent orange drizzle cake on my last trip.  Sadly, it was closed on a Monday so I had to make do with a fairly average coffee and cake in a different establishment. The weather was not promising, chilly and squally, but it improved as I reached my destination of Llanrhystud.  I parked in the pub car park and waited opposite for the bus.  I had checked the timetable before setting out, but it was a bit confusing as different website showed different times.  I decided that I was in the wrong place so walked down the road to the next bus stop, to catch the 13.01.  A man came up to me who clearly has a career as a bus-spotter. He informed me that the T1 would be at least 18 minutes late – apparently it was due at 1 minute past and at 29 minutes to the hour but got later and later as the day progressed. He had once known it to be 22 minutes late, requiring him to wait 32 minutes!  I did get him to confirm that I was in the right place.  As it happened the bus was a mere 1 minute late, and deposited me at Aberaeron on schedule. I didn’t like Aberaeron much more this time than I did last October, although on the positive side the public loos are free to use. 

The walk began along the beach edge over horrible cobbly stones. It then improved and ran alongside the beach, over a grassy track which continued for several miles.  I then reached the point where there was an alternative to walk along the beach, or go inland slightly.  I opted for the beach, checking that I had to turn inland at the caravan park at Llansanffraed to cut across the fields back to where I had left the car.  This was a mistake! I toiled over the horrible ankle-breaking cobbles for a considerable distance, but saw no sign of any caravan parks.  I saw the church at Llansanffraed, but went a bit further, in hopes of seeing the route as it appeared on the map, but nothing.  I was not sure what to do, but decided that I did not want to miss the turning, so shimmied under the wire fence and walked across a field – I could smell cows but thought that I would hit the lane before any closer involvement – as it happened there was a trackway where the cows had clearly passed not long before.  I had no alternative but to go through a couple of gates to the farmyard and onto the main road.  I then discovered that I was still some distance from the car.  It was 16.10 so I decided I would get a bus – but there was no timetable on the bus shelter and the on-line info suggested that the next bus would be tomorrow.  It was at least 2 miles more to Llanrhystud, and I was nervous about walking along the main A487 – it is a busy road, with no footpath.  I decided that I would have to go back across the fields to the path, which I duly did, with little problem.  I then came to the missing caravan park – fantastic.  I asked an extremely good-looking workman the route through the park -he certainly brightened up my day!  If I wanted to stick to the path, he said, I should go over the stepping stones across the river and up the hill. I followed his advice , and saw the most amazing spectacle – a whole bevy of red kites attacking a group of sea gulls.  The birds were swirling and chasing each other right in front of me.  Red kites are everywhere here so I am used to seeing them at a distance, but these were less than 10 feet away. It was an amazing sight – fortunately, they did not catch any of the gulls or it might have been a bit grisly.  I carried on up a slope along the path.  According to the map, I would hit a lane.  But I didn’t. I walked, and I walked, and I walked. Far beyond the 7 miles I was anticipating.  I looked at the map again – clearly, the caravan park that I had initially sought had gone, and the second one was further along than I thought.  There was no obvious track back to the main road – the next stop was Aberystwyth – too far for me to go.  I decided to knock at the door of a farm I could see in the distance and ask them to call me a taxi.  I knocke, but the first place was deserted.  I could see on the map that there was a wild camping spot at Morfa Bychan with a little lane, so I made for that, passing another house which I did not fancy approaching.  I cannot tell why, but it had a very unpleasant atmosphere and I think it is best to trust one’s instincts in these matters.  I finally  hit the lane and knocked on a door – the kind gentleman gave me a glass of water, and called me a taxi- fortunately it arrived within 10 minutes and whisked me back to my car.  I had done 14 miles, rather than the anticipated 7!

A good silver day, if a little long