2 Miles miles walked since starting ... We’ve packed up our belongings from our holiday home, said goodbye to Victoria and family and driven back down to Barry Island for one last walk before returning home. Starting at Barry Island station we set off on the marked footpath round the island.  Walking alongside at first new homes then Victorian terraces there are fab views inland off the rows of houses, across and up the street.  One of those is Trinity Street which we visited a couple of days ago – had to have pictures taken outside Gwen, Doris and Uncle Brynn’s house! As [...]

10 Miles miles walked since starting ... Due to the heatwave, I’ve suggested on an early start, and when I say early, I mean early, this photo of the sunrise was taken just after 6am.  Haha wonder why we are never up and out walking at this time of the day - the low sunlight over the water and the pale blue sky scudded with wispy clouds is mesmerising. It feels like Penarth promenade would feel this sedate at any time of the day, not just six in the morning, with its parade of benches, streetlights and strings of festoon lights.  The colourfully painted buildings [...]

1.5 Miles miles walked since starting ... Gosh, it’s another extremely hot day in Wales, making it a somewhat challenging, although short, walk.  We have two of our daughters and two of our grandchildren for company, and a scooter.  So, after a meander along the bay to the play area and the greedy crocodile we climb the short hill along the road past the Custom House. A gardener watering the stunning flower displays kindly waters Zara too!  The road swings to the left and we opt not to follow the signposted route for the coast path, instead heading past a school and a church direct [...]

1.5 Miles miles walked since starting ... The best way to see out the longest day of the year is surely to head to the coast to watch the sun set.  So, after a busy day with family, on Barry Island, three head to Penarth Marina to walk to Cardiff Bay and back. We follow the landscaped pathway across the barrage to the bay then wend our way back.  Mermaid Quay is somewhat busier and more boisterous on a midsummer Saturday evening during a heat wave than it was on a wet windy day March. Maybe too busy and clamorous for me, ha-ha. [...]

12 Miles miles walked since starting ... After a second night in the lighthouse cottage perched on the sea wall, we wake to the sunrise over the estuary and the sound of a curlew calling.  We’re tempted to sit outside but the weather has other ideas as hailstones start to drop from the darkening clouds.  Thankfully by the time we’ve packed our bags and loaded them into the car the sun has re-appeared.  We are setting off on foot from here and coming back later to collect the car. At first the coast path follows the route of a water course just below the seawall. [...]

5 Miles miles walked since starting ... We’ve slept well in a four-poster bed in the iconic dwelling sitting on the sea wall beside, and part of, the West Usk lighthouse.  The owner, and as it turns out, builder of the wood clad building, welcomed us warmly last night. We’ve worked out the best way to get back to Newport for todays walk is a taxi.  We decide not to ask him to drive the .7-mile pot-holed farmers track to the lighthouse so walk up (bizarrely, following the owner’s son in a Rolls Royce car) to the main road.  It’s a short drive and just £11.20 to [...]

14 Miles miles walked since starting ... We breakfast, pack and leave Laurel Cottage to wander back through the hamlet of Redwick to make our way to the coast path.  A slight detour takes us into the 12th century church to see the baptistry pool, one remaining stained-glass window (after the rest were ruined by a stray WW11 bomb) and the mark of the Great Flood of 1606 – it’s crazy high.  After re-reading the South Wales coast path book last night I’ve realised that there is an easier way back to the coast – wish we’d known about Sea Street Lane yesterday, our boots wouldn’t be [...]

15 Miles miles walked since starting ... After an overnight stay at our cosy holiday cottage in Redwick we drive to Chepstow, pay for two days parking and find our way to the start of the Wales Coast Path. It takes us a few minutes to set the tracking on the coast path app, then we take a few photos and set off. The first part of today’s walk involves re-tracing our steps from back in January.  I feel like I’m narrating the book “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”, and yes, it is a beautiful day! “Uh-oh! Back through the subway, just a short [...]