6th August
2018
Left at 10am, a little later than we would have liked, but
due to being at the Castlefields Pleasure Day
followed by a spontaneous BBQ at Judy’s the day before, we made a slightly later start to things, but we were determined to go as the weather forecast was for rain all the rest of the week.
Set Google Maps as SatNav on my mobile to get us to Harlech
Beach and off we went! The hairiest bit of the drive there was a mountain pass with
a sheer drop to one side. Crazy scary, but Rich drove it like a pro and kept us
safe. The scenery was gorgeous on the way there, tree canopied roads and views
of the estuary as we neared the coast.
About 30mins before reaching our destination my phone
battery died so we had to self-navigate from there on. Decided to go into the
actual town of Harlech first and find something to eat. It was noon by this
time and we hadn’t eaten a thing so far that day.
First tiny car park in the town was packed, not one single
free space. Nightmare! Driven 2 hours or more and can’t even park up. This
really upset me to be honest and I felt so bad that Rich had driven all that
way just to find a full car park! So, we drove up a hill to the next overflow
car park – ever hopeful – but alas no spaces there either. The best way to
contemplate our options was to have a cigarette! So, we drove back to the top
car park where it was quieter and had a fag and contemplated what the hell to
do next…
Decided to just head straight to the actual Harlech beach
car park in hope there was a café near it and we would be able to park there.
But first, one last check in the bottom car park to see if there were now
spaces. AND LOW AND BEHOLD there was 2! So nice too that an old couple who had
also been trying to park were able to as well and Rich had a lovely little chat
with them once we had both parked up! Think we were all very happy to have
finally parked.
We set off to look around Harlech town. Hungry and on the
hunt for food. The options were aplenty – cafes, takeaways, restaurants – but
my instinct was to go in a place called The Plas.
As soon as I walked in their front door I could see right through
to the back that there was a sea view! The restaurant looks out over Harlech
Beach! I could not believe my eyes – what a perfect and glorious view for
lunch. I had a delicious cheese and red onion baguette – bread so fresh - with
chips and Rich had a bacon, tomato and cheese baguette with chips. I had a Coke
and Rich had a coffee and a lemonade. We felt much better after that! I paid
for lunch as a thank you to Rich for driving. As we were leaving - in the
hallway - there was a signed photo of none other than Jacqueline Lee Kennedy
Onassis! She had enjoyed a meal looking at that view herself.
Then we mooched around the town and took photos of the HarlechCastle.
We managed to find a Harlech fridge magnet – something that is now
somewhat of a tradition – wherever we go we buy a fridge magnet – it’s kinda kitsch
but we love it! We would have gone into the castle – and I feel bad as I think
Rich really wanted to – but I was having trouble with my swim suit chaffing me
as I walked and wasn’t in walking boots or even trainers just flipflops and was
finding it hard to walk basically! I thought it might be expensive to get into
the castle too – but it is £6 for an adult apparently – hey – next time! And I
will go prepared with walking boots and wear proper underwear not a swimsuit!
A little history on Harlech Castle from their website:
Spectacularly sited Harlech
Castle seems to grow naturally from the rock on which it is perched. Like an all-seeing
sentinel, it gazes out across land and sea, keeping a watchful eye over
Snowdonia.
The English monarch Edward I
built Harlech in the late 13th century to fulfil this very role. It was one of
the most formidable of his 'iron ring' of fortresses designed to contain the
Welsh in their mountain fastness.
Ironically, in 1404 it was taken
by Welsh leader Owain Glyn Dwr who proceeded to hold a parliament here. A long
siege here during the Wars of the Roses inspired the stirring song 'Men of
Harlech'.
Although an imposing edifice,
Harlech is at one with the surroundings - a quality rare in the great Edwardian
castles. There is a sense of harmony here, created by the way in which the
castle builders took care to exploit the sites natural advantages.
Looking seawards, Harlech's
battlements spring out of a near vertical cliff face, while any landward
attackers would first have to deal with a massive twin-towered gatehouse. The
sea, like Snowdonia, is one of the keys to Harlech's siting. Seaborne access
was crucial in times of siege, and although the waters of Tremadog Bay have
receded over the centuries, they may originally have lapped the cliffs beneath
the castle.
The fortress's massive inner walls
and towers still stand almost to their full height. The views from its lofty
battlements are truly panoramic, extending from the dunes at its feet to the
purple mass of Snowdonia in the distance.
Harlech, a combination of
magnificent medieval architecture and breathtaking location, is an unmissable
castle, a fact reinforced by its status as a World Heritage Inscribed site.
So, having felt we had exhausted all that Harlech town had
to offer – and I had done all the walking I could manage more to the point, we
went onwards to move the car to the car park by the beach. As Rich was filling
the machine with change (5ps!) a young man said ‘Hey! Here you go! Oh, is it
too late!?’ thinking we may have already put our money in, but we hadn’t so he passed
his ticket onto us as he was leaving but still had 3 hours left on his parking
ticket! So very kind indeed. We did this for a lady and her young son last year
at Brancaster Beach in Norfolk – she had no change on her and he dear little
boy so wanted to go build sand castles on the beach - so that was karma
repaying us in Harlech!
The walk from the car park to the beach itself is quite long
but also full of anticipation – waiting to climb the sand dunes and see the
first glimpse of golden sand and sea. That feeling never gets old and I love it
so much.
We walked straight to the waters edge and got our feet in – we just
couldn’t wait any longer!
The water was quite warm, and I went in to about just
below crotch level! I was worried about jellyfish though as last time I went
fully in the sea here, there was a lot of jellyfish and we had seen it this
year on the news that there was a real influx of them. We walked along the
shore line still with feet in the sea for ages and came across a washed-up
jellyfish! So that decided it for me – I wasn’t going to fully immerse myself in
the sea this time.
We put our picnic blanket down fairly close to the sea on
some drier sand and had a drink of squash and a fag or two – Rich took some
photos as sadly I had no phone battery which really annoyed me as I love taking
photos and videos of our little trips! He’s done a good job with his phone
camera though so glad we have some record of our day at least. We lay there
watching the tide roll in and the waves softly crashing on the shore. So
peaceful. Could have stayed there until it got dark!
Alas, we still wanted to go to Barmouth as well, so we
packed up and walked back to the car. Drove to the petrol station called DRAGON
– filled The Beast up and drove onto Barmouth. We found parking easily this
time and as we set off for a look around the town and amusement arcades we
couldn’t help but laugh at the seagulls sitting on top of people’s cars as they
were trying to leave the car park – like they wanted to hitch a ride to
wherever the day trippers had come from!
First of all we needed to get cash out so we walked to find
a hole in the wall - Rich believed he knew where one was but couldn’t find it
(turns out it was there - just a bit further up the road) so we nipped in a
Spar shop but they had no cash machine – the lady said oh the Post Office at
the back does cash withdrawals but that had shut already (early – it wasn’t 5pm
yet) so due to the PO closing early the kind lady said don’t worry I will get
you cash out from the till (she wasn’t supposed to do this but could probably
see our panic at not being able to get cash out!) Fully loaded with cash we set
about finding……..you guessed it – a Barmouth fridge magnet! Successful mission
– in fact so successful we came home with 5 fridge magnets! Including one of a
naughty seagull to remind us of them all sitting on cars trying to hitch rides
out of Barmouth!
Lovely little witchy alternative shops dotted about and
found a shop where they did a LOT of camper van and ‘Laura’ stuff – beach
related goodies! I had been looking all around for a hanging shell decoration
for a hook we have in our bathroom back home since we moved in back in May but
hadn’t found anything suitable until this little shop in Barmouth had just the
thing!
Also got a camper van looking rustic hanging art piece for the
downstairs loo which is becoming very much beach themed. Naturally!
There was a
great surf type shop too who had made their own Barmouth hoodies with fantastic
logo on the back but they were £45 each so I thought – no. You’re very lovely
but ….no!
After shopping like pros we went to a lovely pub / hotel called Tal YDon Hotel, Barmouth. Sat outside and people watched while Rich had a Coke and I
had a cider (he forced me to, honest!)
Now it was time to cross another beach essential off the
list – fresh hot doughnuts! So, we tracked a place down on the beach front and
got 4 for £2 and ate them sat on a bench overlooking the golden sandy beach.
Dreamy!
Then it was time to hit the arcades. I am a sucker for 2p slot machines
– as is Rich. We discovered we both love it on our holiday to Norfolk last
summer! Well - Lady Luck was totally on our side this time and we won 2 items
each! I won a foam flipflop keyring on the 2p slot machines and a gorgeous
Peter Rabbit from the toy grabby grabby machine (not sure of their real name!)
and Rich won a skateboard key ring and a foam flipflop keyring on the 2p slots.
We also had a joint game on The Walking Dead zombie shooter using cross bows to
kill zombies in the head which we both got rather into! I had never ever won
anything on a 2p slot machine nor a grabby grabby machine before so was
extremely happy and in a bit of shock to be honest! Still in shock really – it was
surreal.
We stopped at the Co-Op shop to get some drinks for the
journey home and walked back to the car via the public loos for a pre 2 hour
drive pit stop. The drive home was far easier and less stressful than the drive
there had been, and Rich did ever so well to get us back home safe and sound.
All in all a fabulous day and a road trip we will no doubt do again but perhaps
giving the mountain pass a miss next time!
