Aberporth to Pentrefelin/ Diana gets some friends

The owners of Ty-Parc have done such an incredible job modernising the rambling old 1904 house to its current impeccable standard of comfort and class.  It was interesting listening to the owner's tales over breakfast of the dramas involved in purchasing and refurbishing the house and establishing the B+B - truly a labour of love. 

We spent the morning with Ross’ mum.  Not sure if it’s my imagination or if Ross is making a habit of collecting bronzes every time we visit the UK but there’s definitely a pattern forming… last year it was Diana de Gabies which had to be lugged home from Bakewell.  This time courtesy of Ross’ mum, an assortment of small (but heavy) bronzes.  Getting them home will be a task for Manchester as we definitely won't be carrying them across Yorkshire next week!!

Ross and his mum

We said our goodbyes after lunch and left Aberporth, striking north on the coast road past Aberystwyth.  Being a sunny Saturday afternoon the road was busy with holiday makers towing caravans, flash convertibles driven by hatless and rapidly burning Britons, and cars weighed down with canoes and other holiday paraphernalia.  Nothing a little bit of swift maneuvering and overtaking(!!) couldn't fix... Fortunately once we got further away from the coast and the rolling hills gave way to more imposing mountains and dense woodland, the cars dropped away and Ross recovered his zen.

By mid-afternoon we reached our accommodation, the very remote Tyddyn Iolyn Farmhouse B+B.  Situated on a hill overlooking the small village of Pentrefelin which itself is outside Porthmadog, we had to drive up a narrow lane, cross a cattle grid and drive through a field of cows before passing through another gate to reach the B+B.  It was well worth the effort though as the B+B is quite special.  Comprising old 16th century farm buildings, it has been refurbished to a very high standard.  And what a wonderful welcome we received - on arrival we were ushered to our room and treated to a pot of tea and baked Welsh cakes still warm from the oven.

Tea on arrival outside The Stable

After resting for a little while we piled back into the car for the short drive to Criccieth.  Not as impressive as we hoped with its steep winding streets, ridiculously narrow seafront and dearth of eateries so we headed in the opposite direction to Porthmadog.  The harbourfront looked more promising and we headed towards a pub which promised some atmosphere and a hot meal.  Atmosphere it certainly delivered - we discovered pretty quickly that we were possibly the only ones there without a tattoo and/or a piercing and the tabletops were sticky with grease.  Still, hunger can drive a man to desperation so we stuck it out and ordered our meals.  Ordinary but it hit the spot.  A short stroll along the harbourfront confirmed that Porthmadog really didn't have much to offer so it was a hasty return to the comforts of Tyddyn Iolyn.  

The Beast (that's the car by the way)