To the Gower and the Black Mountain – Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th March (plus two days)
The EFOG weekend at the Gower in South Wales appealed to me as I have links with the area in the form of long-time friends, and a one-time possibility of living there. That is apart from the fact that the Gower peninsula itself is a beautiful area! In order to use the opportunity to visit my friend, I extended the trip organised by Ken to include a day before the Group arrived, and to stay a day afterwards. This was also what Pam intended to do, so it made sense to travel with her by car, leaving early Thursday morning and returning the following Monday.
I'd told my friend that we'd arrive somewhere around mid-day, and we arrived in the small town of Brynamman on the slopes of the Black Mountain at 12 noon, so that wasn't too bad. We were met by Maria and her neighbour Lynne, and immediately treated to a warm Welsh welcome, in the form of a much appreciated meal – complete with a following of Welsh cakes. Pam went off to her B&B at a mysterious nearby place that none of us had heard of called Talarbongam. I had images of a stay in a house something like that in the film “The Lorelei" (Terry Johnson, 1990); if that doesn't mean anything, then I suggest you look it up; it's eerie. In fact Pam reported that it wasn't eerie at all – just Welsh. Whilst Pam “did her own thing” - which involved as suggested a trip to the top of the Black Mountain (my friend's house is on Heol Mynedd - Mountain Road), Maria and I caught up after a good few years of not seeing each other. Pam ended up in Carmarthen, and texted us that there was a free Cabaret Celtaidh on in the town that evening. I was keen, but Maria less so; she'd been to one of these before and found it a bit alien. She is English, and this was Welsh Wales.
Craig-y-Nos CastleOn Friday whilst Pam did the Black Mountain again in the morning (she was taken with the mountain), and Dylan Thomas's village of Laugharne in the afternoon, Maria and I drove NE towards Brecon to visit Craig-y-nos Country Park – 40-acres of what were the historic grounds of the Victorian Craig-y-nos Castle. The country park area is beautiful, on the banks of the Tawe river complete with Dippers, and wonderful trees. There is the usual tea-shoppe, and visitors were supping on the patio in the sunshine. Maria and I had another idea, however, and walked boldly into the castle – which doesn't appear open to visitors. We asked where we could get coffee and were shown to a grand room with comfortable armchairs and sofas, supplied with our coffees and relaxed in sumptuous surroundings – feeling very grand! This is a bit of a local secret – but well worth exploiting.
On Saturday morning – early – Pam arrived for the drive to meet the rest of the Group for Ken's first walk, from Rhossilli to Port Eynon. This involved trying to get to Scurlage village, a few miles from Rhossilli, before the bus from Swansea with the Group on-board, so as to park the car for the return journey. Things had changed however, and a phone call from Val reported that they weren't going on the bus at all, but would be arriving earlier than expected having hired a taxi! This meant that the only way Pam and I could catch up with the Group was if they waited for us, which they duly did – in a nice tea-shop overlooking the great bay at Rhossilli.
The Gower coastlineThe walk started by walking down towards that bay on a beautiful blue-sky-and-warm morning. Ken's plan was to get to the beach and walk back around the headland to pick up the path to Port Eynon. I can confidently say I was dubious about the possibility of this – mainly because the headland in question is impassable unless the tide is out, the rocks extending out to the Worm's Head. We weren't sure that the tide was out sufficiently, and so turned back before descending any further. It was more of a hike back up to the cliff top than it had been going down. The correct route quickly afforded us magnificent views of the Worms Head from the cliff top, and views like this were constant companions on the whole walk to Port Eynon. There were a good few descents and ascents to take into account because of the path's route around the corrugated limestone coast, and we arrived in Port Eynon after an exhilarating 6-plus miles to welcome tea, coffee, ice cream or alcohol.
Pam and I were to stay that night with the rest of the Group at the Premier Inn in North Swansea, so we made our way there to join them. It was quite a complex booking that Ken had administered, with two additional people sharing (as appropriate) with people already there. We'd been warned that changes in room occupation might entail a fee, so were slightly wary about announcing our arrival at reception. Even had climbing through windows been an option, that wouldn't have been possible due to the limited-opening bulit in to the ground floor rooms. So, we said we were part of Ken's group, and the farce began. The name's of the group hadn't been fully recorded by the receptionist the day before, we didn't know who we were sharing with, my phone had almost depleted power and Pam's couldn't get through to Ken. The receptionist was doing her best when I managed a desperate call to Val (always reliable as far as phones are concerned) saying “get down to reception quick – my phone's dying”. Ken arrived – having been sought by the marvellous receptionist, quickly followed by a bath-towel wrapped Val! Things were then sorted and we got our rooms.
Mumbles PierSunday's walk was a promenade stroll taking in the whole of Swansea Bay from the marina to the Mumbles, again in glorious warm sunshine. It may have been a promenade (and beach for some of us) but it was a 5 miles-plus promenade, so a healthy enough walk in so many ways. The majority of the Group returned by bus to Swansea, to catch their train home, whilst Pam and I visited the marina area and then returned to the Premier Inn for the extra night.
Ken, it must be said, organised slightly complex travel and accommodation arrangements and two really good walks with great efficiency and concern for people's various walking abilities. Similarly, I've never stayed at a travel-style hotel before, but was impressed with the cleanliness and facilities in the rooms – and very much with the friendliness and helpfulness of all the staff at the Premier Inn and the associated Tay Barns restaurant.
Simply another one of EFOG's great variety of activities and aways.
Paul Ferris, March 2012