Log No 203. Wed 11th Dec 2013 - Tudweiliog to Aberdaron, 16 miles (3137 miles walked)

I was hopeful for a sunny day when I saw the sky over Snowden first thing this morning but it had clouded over again by 09.00 when I started walking from Tudweiliog.

I got straight onto the coast and the path followed the top of the slopes.

I had 16 miles to do today, 2 miles less than yesterday with possibly slightly easier terrain, in the same length of time so there should be no need for any running.

The tide was going out so at Porth Colmon I dropped onto the beach for flat walking.

There wasn't much in the way of hills until I reached the actual headland but in case they were going to be slow work I wanted to make good time where I could.

At Porth Widlin the Way directed me onto the road for a short stretch and came back to the coast at Porth Oer, the signposts at this end looked like I could have walked along the coast after all.

This was only a small sandy bay so I stayed on the path along the top of the slopes.

A short while later after crossing the stream at Porthorion I started the climb onto the headland.

This headland was distinctly square shaped with the 3 sides heading SW, SE then NE.

The climbing was relatively easy and less than half the height of yesterday's climb, the Coastguard Lookout Building at the end of the SW side only at 150m.

It was 13.30, the bus was at 15.50 and there was about 4 miles left to do.

There shouldn't be any problem timewise so I went up to the high points for the extra views, it was well worth the effort.

The sun did manage to break through the cloud in the afternoon but only for an hour.

The land on the first 2 sides was quite open and the path was a bit inland on occasions.

The NE side was fenced to the top of the slopes and the path was sea side of the fence.

I got into Aberdaron at 15.10 and with 40 minutes to wait I went into a hotel for a coffee.

There was only one other chap in the bar chatting with the barmaid in Welsh.

I've never noticed people switching to Welsh when they know I'm not, most of the conversations I hear in the streets or shops are in Welsh.

Once I had got talking in the bar they spoke English all the time, it turned out the chap was a friend of Mike Lynch and had spent a week in Orkney staying with him.

Yesterday when I was getting the bus in Tudweiliog I couldn't see a bus stop so I asked a little old Welsh lady, it happened that she was going for the same bus.
We got talking and it was funny hearing this old lady saying "Bloo-dy Hell!" in her Welsh accent : "You've just walked from Trefor, bloo-dy hell", "You've been walking since March, bloo-dy hell", "You've done 3000 miles, bloo-dy hell".
She wished me good luck when she got off the bus.

I've based myself in Pwllheli having found a good parking space 5 minutes from the centre so it means I need 2 buses each day.

This morning, waiting for the bus I got speaking to Paul from Wrexham who was over for the day to walk some of the coast, he gave me a donation.

On the bus coming back I was the only passenger until a Welshman got on later, he said something to me in Welsh but switched to English when I looked confused. I still have a bit of difficulty making everything out when the English is spoken with the local accent. He gave me a £10 donation.

It was another good days walking.