Lorna is missing

Having peaked in terms of blogging every day in Bulgaria, I took a more relaxed view of the Walking Ladies 2015 tour and am writing this a week after we got back. Some of the details will be slightly jumbled as my brain fails to keep up with events – maybe if I was writing this in my early 70s, clarity would prevail. And there’s the ‘What happens on tour, stays on tour’ clause…but here are my highlights…

You pay to enter Wales via the Severn bridge but you are free to leave at any time. We drove down to one of the notoriously wettest parts of the UK on the hottest day of the year. I was worried about motorways melting but the journey was easy, jam-free and we found somewhere to park in St David’s. Slight apprehension when we couldn’t find a taxi to take us to St Dogmaels but it turned out fine and we arrived at our guest house for our first night on tour. Lorna chose the first room leaving Sue and I to get second pickings. We had a beautiful room overlooking the river with armchairs and plenty of space. Lorna and Erika were squished into the box room looking out onto some roofs. This room choice was a major theme and Sue and I lucked out every night. We ended up blaming the courier company always putting Lorna’s bag in the most accessible room…but I wasn’t complaining. Dinner in the Ferry Inn was good – fish pie with Pembrokeshire potatoes and a couple of pints of Rev James.

We had been advised to start very early before the weather got too hostile for walking so reluctantly (speaking personally) we arranged breakfast for 6.30AM!!! I think we finally received it at 7.15 and then headed off around 8. Glacial doesn’t get near the speed at which rubbery poached eggs were presented. But the sun was shining and we set off in high spirits. I took one photo and then my phone told me it was too full to take anymore…we didn’t find the official start but found ourselves on the path very quickly which, despite events which unfolded later, was easily followed and marked with an acorn sign.  It was a gorgeous path – you could always see the top of any steep bit and the views are amazing. You end up with slight neckache as you stare at the sea most of the time.  

It really is a coastal path with very steep drops which I found very worrying at times. Best not to look down too often and there are many signs reminding you that ‘cliffs can kill’ with scary graphics of a person falling headfirst off a cliff. But you can look down at your feet and inland when it gets too much.

Big thanks to Erika are due – while I had packed clothes galore (was still in Bulgaria mode thinking I could pack as much as I like as it was going to be carried for me – forgetting I was carrying everything), she had brought a library and some binoculars and hardly any clothes. Without her, I would have walked past seals bobbing around in the sea, guillemots and razorbills clinging to outcrops, oyster catchers, skylarks, stonechats, shags, peregrines, to name but a few. This was walking with added extra and while our pace slowed to 1 mile an hour at times, it was worth it.  A few times, we had to stride out to make up time, but given the gentleness of the path, this wasn’t difficult.

We stopped in Newport, Goodwick, Trefin and St David’s. Day 2 had the greatest dramas as we kept losing Lorna. Unwisely, we hadn’t sorted out the “what if one of us gets lost” drill. (This has happened to me previously when I lost my young children on the metro in Paris. It scarred me for life as I am sure it has them – but I am forever thankful to the undercover French drug enforcement officers who had to break their cover on the metro to bring my children back to me.) After shouting out “Lorna” for quite a few minutes, we decided to keep walking along the path in the knowledge that she knew we would be on it. Mobile phone reception is very patchy but we eventually made contact and an hour or so later met up further along the path. It was a joyful reunion but shortlived. While Sue and I stopped to smell some sweetpeas outside a lovely cottage, Lorna disappeared. It was déjà vu. To this day, no-one knows how it happened. Another anxious half-hour but again we met up and all was fine in the end.

We did get some great eye candy thanks to a younger lad walking his dog – he was making full use of the gorgeous sunny weather and for that, I thank him. We met a few other walkers – all very friendly – including another group of walking ladies who had at least 10 years on us and who were an inspiration. Another group pointed out some burial stones that we had completely missed and a Dutch couple kept popping out at various points.

Chef of the week award goes to Geoff at Garn Fach for his salmon en croute and unforgettable pear strumble crumble. He also gets an award for the best dressed chef – his black and white apron was very fetching. Beth was hostess with the mostest of the tour. 

The third day saw the Gang of Four reduced to the Three Musketeers. It was meant to be the longest day in terms of mileage but in hindsight Day 2 was the toughest. Arriving in Trefin at the end of the day, the first place we saw was a pub so, in true tour style, we satisfied our thirst with one pint each of the local ale while trying to work out where the guest house was. Lorna had arrived earlier and was well-refreshed. Having checked in and picked our sarnies for the next day, we returned to the pub for more beer and food. 

Awaking with very clear heads – beer and walking works well, Welsh wine not so well – we set off for a final day on the path. A day with lots of options but a purpose of staying together. We got to wear our waterproofs for an hour or so, but the bad storm passed by and we walked in sunshine most of the day. Stopping for a coffee and an ice-cream, Lorna decided to walk ahead but promised to wait at the next signpost. Ok, so we dawdled a bit, but Sue was keen to get Everyone a coffee. We arrived at the signpost but Lorna was missing. We still hadn’t worked out a plan B. Luckily we spotted a pink dot waving a stick on the other side of the cliff so panic over.

More details I am sure will come to mind but it was a great walk. I love walking and spending time with these three wonderful ladies. We have great laughs and best of all we build our memories. We have started planning for next year, already…