Wednesday, October 9

We all woke before sunrise and gathered in the warmth of the conservatory to snuggle under blankets and read and slowly wake up to the marvel that we are indeed now in Wales and have seven days stretching before us. Lower South Hill is a marvelous place, with creative touches in each room. 

A collection of heart-shaped rocks. Someone had fun looking for these!

Window out to the front garden. Notice how thick the walls are!

Dining in the conservatory is light and bright.

There’s another dining room with fireplace.

Antique clock on kitchen wall. Doesn’t work.

All sitting rooms are cozy and inviting.

After breakfast and showers (lots of hot water and great water pressure here!) we bundled up and headed out to find the Havens (Little Haven and Broad Haven—small nearby towns with popular beaches), the coastal path, and St. Brides. We found the coastal path about a mile from our place.

Next we explored the Havens, with their beaches and windswept bluffs.

The rocky beach at Little Haven.

Wide, sweeping sands at Broad Haven. 

Many dogs running the beach with their owners.

We had hoped to find shops and a grocery store, but had to make do with a Londis minimart, where we picked up salt and toilet paper. Oh, and some pastries and ginger biscuits!

Our final travel was to St. Bride’s, with its old church, cemetery, and view across the fields and the bay.

Can you see the ancient castle underneath the mighty sky?

Later, as Gayle was napping, Ruth and I took a brisk walk through Talbenny (five houses), then on to St. Mary’s Church (closed), and then struck a walking path that led us to the Coast Path. Though the day was windy, the path was protected by high hedges—which also obscured the view most of the time. But we still got some wonderful pictures:

Ruth and I plan to bring a bucket one of these walks to collect hedgerow berries.

A video of part of the path. Very windy day!

And when we returned from our walk, Teresa was here! Carol had fixed an amazing soup for dinner, and Teresa had brought special cheeses and bread, so we feasted and this time managed to stay awake until dark. Ready for new adventures tomorrow…