Everest Trek Get Together No 15

Another fab weekend in Pembrokeshire, with Steffi and Maurice, Hazel, Charles and Dave.

Summary: A gig in Tenby on Friday courtesy of Maurice and his band, and a wet walk along the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path on Saturday doing a figure of eight from West Angle Bay. Sunday stroll around the Southwood Estate with blue sky views out over Newgale Beach, then another of Maurice’s Marvellous Sunday Lunches, with crumble by Carmen. Painful train journey home.

For photos, take a look at my Flickr Album: Everest Trek Get Together No 15. Read on for the detail.

Friday followed its usual pattern – train from Paddington, rendezvous with Dave at Newport, generous G&Ts on arrival at Mayhem followed by one of Steffi’s curry feasts. Then the evening diverged from the norm, as we headed over to Tenby to watch Maurice and his band in a gig at The Lifeboat Tavern. Brilliant!

A late night drive got us to Newgale, Steffi’s caravan, and bed.

No photos… I always fail to get any of the array of curries. Must be the aperitif.

Saturday‘s weather forecast offered 50% chance of light rain and moderate winds for our stroll around the headland from Angle to Freshwater West and cutting across the peninsula to East Angle Bay and back through the long, narrow village to West Angle Bay.

The 50% was not in our favour. We got a morning of very wet Welsh rain, and grey views out to sea as we walked this section of the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path.

Wet Walk from West Angle Bay
Wet Walk from West Angle Bay

The rain eased off as we headed back towards Angle through, looking across to Milford Haven with views of the refinery, tankers and Irish Ferries arriving into port. Walking along Angle’s medieval main street, the nineteenth-century Estate-built hotels and houses standing out somewhat, we were passed by a vintage car rally. A fine parade, although we became rather concerned when we realised they were also heading to the Wavecrest Cafe, down at West Angle Bay.

Fortune smiled on us, and we managed to get a corner table for five, and the ladies who run the cafe were super efficient. We were tucking into Welsh Cheddar and Leek Tart (me), Bacon & Brie Baguettes (H & S) and bowls of steaming Cawl (D&C) within 10 mins. Five stars for the Wavecrest Cafe, team and food. Highly recommended!

As blue skies put in a determined appearance above us, we headed out to do the other half of the Angle peninsula, 3.7 miles along the coast path and back via the Pele Tower House with its spiral staircase, arrow slit windows and views of the stone dove cote. Angle has an ancient history.

Information Board: East Angle Bay
Information Board: East Angle Bay

We made it back to the Wavecrest Cafe with 15 mins to spare for pots of tea, tasty cakes and a warm welcome back, even though they were shutting up at 4pm. A really impressive bunch of women run that place.

Home and dry by 5pm, we had time for more tea and the papers as the rain pelted down outside.

Wine, soup and Cardigan bread lasted until 9pm when sleep called.

Sunday dawned with clear skies and a colder breeze. A light breakfast then out to the beach and then up on the footpaths to and through Southwood Estate, as discovered by Gwyneth and Dave this summer. A smashing stroll from Pinch Hill to Maidenhall Car Park, then back along the coastal path above Newgale Beach. Great views out to Grassholm and Skomer.

Newgale Beach Panorama
Newgale Beach Panorama

A speedy drive back to Mayhem via Aldi, for another Marvellous Maurice Sunday Lunch, with Carmen’s Blackberry and Apple Crumble for afters.

Sunday lunch
Sunday lunch

Full rabbit to Newport, where our scheduled return to London was scuppered by GWR. Our train broke down at Cardiff, the weekend engineering works were overrunning, there were rolling stock chaos and staffing shortages. AKA loads of cancelled trains. We took the station staff’s advice and jumped on a train to Bristol Temple Meads, only to find the next London train was cancelled, so we had an hour to wait. We got into Paddington at 20.44. Delay Repay submitted this morning. Now we just need to give GWR twenty working days to process it….. I think they’ll be busy.

Everest Trek Get Together No 14

On a sedate train service heading towards Cardiff, after another lovely weekend in Pembs, this time combining the 14th Everest Trek Get Together with the start of Steffi’s birthday celebrations.

Friday featured generous G&Ts followed by curry and then the onward drive Newgale and the Van. Dave and Gwyneth had met us in Newport with the usual smooth station rendezvous and a drive West that was somewhat wetter than desired.

The damp theme resurfaced on Saturday this time accompanied by strong winds – the forecast had promised heavy rain and winds over the 50mph mark, and proved accurate. The morning was slightly less bad, and we ventured out along the road to the cafe/paper shop. Huge waves and steady rain kept almost everyone else inside. The return walk, into the wind, took 6 mins longer than the outbound leg. A day in the caravan seemed the sensible option, with D&G driving back to the Duke of Cambridge to watch Wales romp to victory in the Six Nation final. We celebrated that and Steffi’s birthday minus 3 days with ginger tiffin, tea and sparklers.

Steffi and I ventured out to watch sunset from the beach, catching a final shower en route but one that delivered a wonderful full rainbow over the caravan park. Beautiful sunset, the sea still strong.

Sunset after the storm, Newgale Beach
Sunset after the storm, Newgale Beach

Back in the van, present opening followed together with further toasts, of champagne this time, accompanied by crisps from the pub. We dined on Steffi’s special soup, Cardigan bread, hummus and carrot sticks, cheese and biscuits.

Then bed.

Leisured breakfast on Sunday. No rain and crystal clear skies out over St Brides Bay. A beautiful walk along the beach, busy with walkers and dogs. Lovely.

Sunday stroll on Newgale Beach
Sunday stroll on Newgale Beach

Back to Mayhem for continued celebrations with more champagne and a slap up Sunday lunch cooked by Maurice and Maria. Yes, we did visit the Aisles of Aldi en route. It’s tradition.

Sunday lunch bonanza!
Sunday lunch bonanza!

Hazel and I caught the 15.54 from Whitland, changed onto the GWR service at Swansea and are whiling away the journey back to London listening to podcasts / watching downloads. Currently at Cardiff where our naturally quiet carriage now has a lady putting the world to rights on a phone call…

Everest Trek Get Together No 10

The Tenth Everest Trek Get Together snuck up on me…. earlier than usual, due to April / May’s Nepal trek which Steffi is coming on too.

Still, the usual routine ensured the weekend in Pembrokeshire went smoothly as usual – from the Friday rendezvous with Dave at Newport and curry extravaganza at Mayhem, to walking another section of the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path on Saturday and culminating with a Slap Up Sunday Lunch courtesy of Maurice and Marie on Sunday (and a visit to the aisles of Aldi en route). In fact, the main novelty was Russell’s presence.

Very very windy and muddy on Saturday, but thankfully the rain held off – which it hadn’t done last weekend when Steffi recce’d the route. A lovely bus driver for the Puffin Shuttle from Newgale to Marloes where we picked up the onwards bus to Dale for the walk around St Anns Head (aka Dale to Martin’s Haven and cutting back across the narrow peninsula to Dale). Lots of views of the tankers waiting to get into Milford Haven, and the Irish Ferry lurching its way towards Pembroke Dock. Plus Henry VII’s 1485 landing site.

Pembrokeshire Coast Path signage

Sandwich lunch back at Dale then a short hop on the bus to Marloes and back to Broad Haven, familiar faces at the wheels. Sensations crisps on special at the Londis compensated for the disappointing cake options at the Ocean Cafe, and another 7 miles brought us to sunset on Newgale Beach, and a nicely boozy evening back at the caravan.

Sunset over St Brides Bay, from path between Broad Haven and Newgale

The heavy rain in the evening and overnight didn’t deter Steffi, Dave and I from heading out on Sunday morning, leaning into the wind all the way to the northern end of Newgale beach and up onto the clifftops – until the wind whipped my hat from my head. Happily it was snagged on a nearby bramble patch. Back to base for a second breakfast with Hazel and Russell and leisurely packing up.

Haverfordwest Aldi supplied a few more bottles of wine for Sunday lunch – another feast all round. Not surprisingly, I slept for the drive back to Newport where we caught a quiet train back to London.

Sunday Lunch

Photos on Flickr: Pembrokeshire, March 2017.

Everest Trek Get Together No 9

A larger than usual contingent at the June 2016 Get Together as we were joined by Jim (who’s coming to Ladakh) and Charles (who did April’s Solu Khumbu trek with me and Steffi).

But otherwise “the usual” – aside from it being the weekend after Brexit.

Friday: Train to Newport for our onward “connection” to Newgale via Mayhem and curries.

Saturday: Pembrokeshire Coastal Path from Newgale to St David’s, with late elevenses in Solva and an even later lunch in the cathedral refectory before returning to Solva for a pint, halftime in the Wales v Northern Ireland game in Euro 2016 and the bus back to Newgale.

Hazel, Jim, Dave, Steffi and Charles, St David's Cathedral

The gents stopped off at The Duke of Edinburgh to catch the end of the football, leaving Steffi, Hazel and I ample time for a glass of wine by way of aperitif to a feast of antipasti, charcuterie and cheese.

Rain and cloud gave way to sun (and sunburn).

Sunday: Leisurely morning at the caravan (rain stopped play as far as a stroll on the beach went), then back to Minwear Wood for another fine Sunday lunch cooked up by Maurice.

Large G&Ts beforehand meant the three in the backseat snoozed our way through the drive back to Newport – but an adrenalin kick was provided by the need to run for the train…. success! And no sign of the Glastonbury crowds we thought might explain the absence of seat reservations.

Photos on Flickr: Pembrokeshire, June 2016.

Everest Trek Get Together No 8

Another “lucky Welsh weather” weekend in Pembrokeshire with Steffi, Dave and Hazel.

Friday ran according to the familiar pattern of train to Newport, rendezvous with Dave, Indian curries at Steffi’s then onwards to the caravan.

Saturday: a beautiful sunny start to our day of walking the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path around St Brides Bay from Marloes to Newgale with lunch half way along at The Swan Inn in Little Haven before a cloudier and hillier stretch back to Newgale arriving in time to watch most of South Africa vs Wales at The Duke (for Dave, primarily), then back to the caravan for cheese on toast and red wine.

Newgale beach sign

On Sunday a fine lunch prepared by Maurice, preceded by the usual tour d’Aldi and an unusual Canary Islands G&T, and then a very, very, long journey back on a train packed with rugby fans returning from Cardiff. You can’t win them all.