Hi there everyone 😀
Finally … after a long and very wet six weeks it was time for us to head back over to our lodge in North Wales … for our first visit of the season … and we were so looking forward to it.
There really is something special about being over there. It is a stunningly beautiful part of the country, we normally have a pretty chilled out time while we are there, the lodge is comfy and cosy whatever the weather and it is just lovely to be away from all the usual ‘jobs’ and things that need doing when at home.
We were planning on staying for about 10 days and, whilst the majority of the weather predicted was wet, we did start off with a couple of very bright sunny days … which we were determined to make the most of.
We spent our first full day at Portmeirion. We have been once before a few years back but the weather was dull and we were both looking forward to seeing it with a bit of sunshine. There was the added bonus of it being out of season so the prices are considerably reduced 😜
Following Martin’s knee replacement, and us both losing a bit of weight, we are finding ourselves a bit more enthusiastic about getting out and about. So rather than us both looking at a day with lots of walking with trepidation … contemplating whether or not we would be able to manage to get around ok … we were both actually just really looking forward to a good day out.
On this visit we decided to take a different route to the last time and we started off by heading left down towards the coast, once under the arch, rather than straight on and into the centre of the village …
This route took us down some steps to what would call a bandstand … for some great views back up to the village and across the coast …
We went through the shell grotto underneath the bandstand …
… and followed the gravel path through the gardens …
… bringing us to another great viewpoint …
From here we went down a few steps to a concrete walkway which took us right alongside the estuary. Luckily the tide was heading out at this point or we may have ended up with wet feet …
The walkway brought us out just before the hotel …
We carried on for a short way along the coastal path … where there were some lovely views looking along the coast and back towards the village …
… before retracing our steps and heading up into the heart of the village …
We had a brief pit stop in the Town Hall Cafe … before having a good look round the shop and exploring the rest of the village square …
It was then back up to the top where we had a bit of a breather before heading off …
We did have a quick stop in Porthmadog on the way back where we both surprised ourselves by walking from the harbour to Borth-y-Gest … something neither of us had ever imagined ourselves doing.
We did need a rest break and sustenance though … before heading back … and this was our view whilst taking our refreshment break …
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What a beautiful place. I only know it from 'The Prisoner' but I presume people live there. It must be so lovely to get away to your lodge - it must give you such a sense of freedom - and you certainly make the most of it. Glad to hear about the walking.
ReplyDeleteI’m not sure if people actually live in the village but there are certainly plenty of holiday cottages and the hotel. You re absolutely right about how nice it is for us to spend time at the lodge … we do love being here. Just have to make sure we spend enough time at home to keep on top of everything … especially in the garden 😀
DeleteHi, just on a blogwander. Nice to meet you.
ReplyDeleteI used to run the village bookshop in Porthmeirion..The Golden Dragon. There is so much to wander around there. I used to love finding small secret corners to eat my lunch and watch visitors passing by!
Hello there. Thank you for commenting. There are definitely lots of lovely nooks and crannies to explore 😀
DeleteI have never been and to be honest, not sure if it is 'my cup of tea', but I went onto their website to have a look and it is quite a big business. Clough Williams-Ellis had quite an imagination !
ReplyDeleteThe silly things I knew of Susan Williams-Ellis and her Portmerion china, did not know that it was her father who was 'Mr Portmerion'!
I do know what you mean about it maybe not being your cup of tea. It is totally unauthentic. It is however strangely beautiful … but I think that’s probably more because of where it is rather than what it is. We much prefer Plas Brodanw, which is Clough Ellis’ family home. It’s a beautiful little garden in the heart of the countryside and the family home is now a gallery. That’s is a lot more up our street. If you want a look you will be able to find that on Google too … though I have blogged about it in the past 😀
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DeleteKate … I first blogged about Plas Btodanw in Seotember 2022 if you want to have a look 😀
Deletethanks - I think I will!
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