Just have to announce one of my great accomplishments! I can pronounce, Welshly, Llanfairfechan, the name of the town wherein I am staying! (It took a lot of practice!) There are a lot of other place names to learn, so maybe I'll get the hang of it. Going to web sites that give you the rules is just too tedious; more efficacious is to ask someone, then repeat as many times as necessary.
Leaving the B&B, noticed that some guests had a different style of transportation:
This was the first day of walking in the wilds. It was rainy, cold, foggy, and windy, not good conditions in which to GET LOST, which I did. Up there on the mountain there were stone walls going all over the place, so one wrong move, and you're kind of done for, especially when the visibility is poor. But between the phone and GyPSy, I got back to where I had gone astray, at which place there was a choice: you could go right or left! (Apparently, I had gone on a diagonal, which was pretty stupid.) The OS map on the phone pointed left; GyPSy pointed right, or the other way around, depending on which way you were facing of course A difficult decision because the graphics on the phone are much clearer, but I thought it wiser to follow the waypoints programmed into the GPS, and, fortunately, it did work out.
Just to complicate matters, there is the Wales Coast Path and the North Wales Coast Path. Sometimes they are the same and sometimes they are not. The color of the little icon that identifies the trail(s) is not consistent, either, AND although there will be arrows de temps en temps, they do not indicate the place to which the arrow is pointing. This is most irregular! Signage on the cheap I call it.
By the way, when I realised that I was off course—tromping through huge clumps of gorse is a good indicator—oh, and another by the way—remember that woman who DIED on the Appalachian Trail last year, only a few feet from the path—I decided that it was important to keep warm, so added the poncho to the other rain gear and used three hoods: wind jacket, rain jacket and poncho. It helped.
Sometimes it is easy to know where NOT to go, for example, when you come to a padlocked gate:
Despite everything, there was some gorgeous scenery. This shot taken during a moment of respite from the rain and before much ascent:
Follow the wall (ha), so long as it is the correct one and you are on the correct side of the correct wall!
The walk ended at a beach side cafe, where I did purchase and consume a delicious raspberry swirl ice cream cone, and the B&B, right close by, is just gorgeous with sea views and comfortable easy chairs form which to watch the wind and rain! Staying in a really nice place on a dreary day, after a unwanted experience is among the best treats ever!
So ferocious was the weather today June 29), that though the impulse was there, no photos were taken. Heading out of Llanfairfechan, the wind, rain, greyness, and temperature were such that I swear it felt as if snow was expected. But onward one goes.
Biggest challenges of the day were cold wet hands....did have gloves and thin "waterproof"mittens, but you have to take them off to use GyPSy and each time, the inner glove gets wetter and wetter, and harder and harder to put it back on. Wore the light boots, today, 'cause I was after speed, and knew there was much pavement and no ascent, but they did not stay dry. Signage was so confusing in spots—they could have just put up a placard reading: go whichever way you like and you will arrive somewhere—that without my navigational tools, carefully and lovingly programmed, I would, at this very moment, be weeping by the roadside, completely at a loss as to which direction to head.
Oh, I forgot! I did take one picture:
The highlight of the day, more than a highlight, really, a thrill, was crossing the Menai Bridge. You can see it for yourself, if you like:
http://www.photosbykev.com/wordpress/2008/06/09/menai-bridge/
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