First day on the return towards Chepstow
Prestatyn to Bodfari
12.30 miles
7 Hours
Civilization in Prestatyn
Ladies "Loo"
On the high mountain tops with the clear weather the view stretches as far as the human eye can see.
To the southwest are the mountains of the Snowdonia range.
To the east/northeast England and the mountains of the Lake District.
To the straight north the flat coastal area of England where that train took me two years ago to St Bees and the start of the C2C (feel like I can practically see across the distance).
To the west, just the water of the Irish Sea, but if a person had the eye strength of "my" super-guy (Superman and Lois Lane) the island of Ireland could be seen. And, to the SOUTH. All those lumpy bumpy mountain type shapes that I have walked across and soon will re-cross.
The world is huge. The world is also small. The privilege of getting to know, understand, and appreciate a very small country, its occupants, and a bit of their history, is something this walking person is happily absorbing. Another flat place on a drawing of the world has become 3-dimensional to me.
A person in response to being told about what I am doing, was - "Why?"
Why...because I still can walk. I LOVE TO WALK!!! I still have an interest in the world, different cultures, and the people who are living their lives in areas far different then central Wisconsin. I have met so many ordinary people with great cultural historical stories here in this very tiny mostly unknown country.
Butter curls.
Malcolm and Swann, my hosts.
B&B from the street
That sunroom addition from last night was 11 of my footsteps wide. HINT, HINT - Gary - I want one on the back of our house off the kitchen!!!
Welsh Lamb Legs (no more baa baa).
Wandered in and out of any church cemeteries.
Mrs Price when I asked her about climbing up the mountains said she had never had the urge to climb/walk up that mountain outside her window and see what is at the top, or what can be seen. Amazing how a person can spend their entire life in such a location and never made use of what so many others have traveled a great distance to see and experience.
Old fashioned store from with that separate display window.
Where last nights Shish Kabob came from.
I can read Welsh. Siop means shop. Goffi means coffee :)
Prestatyn, Wales. Darmstead, Germany. Stevens Point, WI, USA.
Blackberries from Portugal were 2 pounds. Two Almond croissants were 1 pound
Gym class.
Could have been Harri Kumar (Art Mallek) on the sidewalk this morning.
Church named after a new Saint.
Summed up the stone says - Thomas Richard Evans the 2nd son of the late 'someone' suffering from illness contracted in the Great War 1914-1918 died at age 34, borne with great unfailing courage. Influenza?
Tiny man painting tall building.
Malcolm and Poppy who kept popping up at breakfasts, and once in a church, popped up again this morning. They return to their home today via train. They are considering the Cleveland Way for their next long distance walk
Poppy and Malcolm.
Workers cleaning out a house in preparation for new renters. Hauling out all sorts of good toys and smashing the stuff with shovels. I asked "why would they leave all that perfectly good stuff?" Answer - "because some people are like that".
Was able to find the way back to Bodfari from Prestatyn without using the maps. But then it was only yesterday that the route was done in the other direction. Hope this pattern will continue in the days ahead.
Narrow steps. Trekking poles are used as a size indicator.
Stop on side of mountain. Dig out Aleve, take 2. Dig deeper find Biofreeze. Pull up shirt, rub entire package on back ribs. Sit and relax for 20 minutes and listen to sheep baa baa-ing. Then re-arrange plastic bags.
Maybe too much weight ended up too low today. Very tight sore muscles and ribs made Lois say "OUCH" a number of times.
The Blue Lion was closed. Had hoped for tea and sandwich. Cookies it will be again.
Blackberries from Portugal.
Lois is not just a walker, but a traveler, absorbing other things along the way besides just taking steps forward.
Fancy gold lettering.
Found an orange flavored Kit Kat bar in the cookie canister. Quite melted and flattened, but just as tasty.
Mrs Price's first name is Nest. It is a Welsh name and would be pronounced as Naast.
Nest's grandfather "was in" politics, which is when the addition to the farmhouse was put on. They needed more room to entertain.
When I asked "what" in politics, learned that the grandfather was a good friend of Lord George the Prime Minister during WWI. Still didn't get a clear idea of what the grandfather did other than move in the Top Circle of leaders.
Plas Penucha, not sure what it means, but in my mind it will always be the freezing cold place. Thumbing this information into the phone and am wearing the fingerless gloves and wearing my jacket and sipping hot tea.
Four women in their late 70's or early 80's (one really was struggling and Nest thought the other three probably had to carry that old old one) stayed here for two nights a few years ago. When Mrs Price went to collect them on the last day (assumed at Prestatyn) they were all barefoot. She asked them
what happened to their boots. The ladies "released" them into the sea. Mrs P was worried that four pairs of boots would wash up on shore the next day and there would be a search for bodies.
Old map laid out in strips. There were many of these maps lining the hallway.
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