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It was an overcast day yesterday when we travelled down through Wales, but today the weather has improved

and it is a blue sky morning as we await our son's arrival to Doves Cottage.

Awel - y - Mor, the owner's cottage, in the lower garden of which our cliff-top cottage is situated.

Awel y Mor . . . " The Sea Breeze ".

A narrow path and a few steep steps takes you down to the last cottage in the village.

It is a better morning for the kayakers too, as the sea is not as grey or choppy as yesterday.

Gareth and Luke arrive for the day . . . along with a bag of toys.  He's a real delight and at two and a half is starting to hold good conversation.

[Btw. the clock on the wall that only has one hand shows the tide times.  It runs on a 12 hour 25 minutes rotation to match the tide out in the harbour.]

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We head out for a shorter walk that should be within the capability (more or less) of our grandson.

At the gate that leads out onto the coast path, leaving from the southern side of the harbour.

This gives us views across to the cottage and to Ynys y Castell on the northern side.

It is joined to the mainland at low tide by a rocky causeway.

Looking back at the village.

There are some old houses and some interesting newer houses too, but well over half are holiday homes of one sort or another.

We're the last building out along the cliff . . . not counting the old ruined granary that is fast being enveloped by ivy.

Through the gap to the north is Strumble Head.  Hidden beyond that is Fishguard and the rest of Cardigan Bay.

The causeway at present is the domain of a large flock of gulls.

Click here or on the photo above for a wider Loweswatercam annotated panorama

- - - o o o - - -   As we walk along the coast path above the harbour there are two large posts that are, or have been used to moor boats in the bay.   If you look more closely the shape should be familiar even though this object is normally seen horizontally rather than vertically. The rusted inscription also hints at a more illustrious past.   This is one of two old canons that have been re-cycled into mooring posts and have been dug into the headland alongside the path.   If you look closely just below that path in the next picture you can see one of them in situ.   - - - o o o - - -

This is the pebble beach at the foot of Cwm Badau, a short valley that leads up to Longhouse Farm.

A series of steps allows us to gain height rather quickly.

Nearly there now . . .

. . . and Luke makes it to the top with a little bit of help.

Time to head inland slightly to explore Carreg Sampson, a neolithic stone cromlech or burial site.

The famous antiquity is a 5000-year-old (Neolithic) dolmen, that is a capstone resting on pillars to create a burial chamber underneath.

It was originally covered over with earth and the resulting chamber was the resting place for the bones of the dead.

Today Luke is going on a bear hunt . . . are you afraid ?

No bodies to be found, no bears hiding in the corner . . . it is time to head back to the coast path and continue the walk.

We're in the shadow of a cloud ourselves but Ynys y Castell and the coast away to the north are enjoying bright sunshine.

Out along the coast path a little further towards Ynys Deullyn (Deullyn Island).

Luke is tiring slightly so we'll head back once we've talked to the sheep.

Luke wanted to try the binoculars.

You could see the gulls more clearly on the rocks below.

Heading back now, down the steep steps to the beach.

There's a concrete bridge over the stream but is that something on the patch of grass alongside ?

A baby seal, probably less than a month old.

He looks okay even if he is somewhat far up the beach, but at least where he/she is resting is safe, as folk keep to the elevated bridge.

[ We talked to David at the Awel-y-Mor who said it was fine

as it has been seen at various places on the beach and swimming in the bay in recent days.]

Walking back to the harbour we pass the old lime kiln.

The inshore fishing boat Megan, out of the water to avoid the worst of the autumn gales.

On the foreshore a plaque to "Centennial Johnston" who crossed the Atlantic single handed in the year of America's Centenary 1876.

The fishing Dory he would have used would have been a similar size to the Megan, apart from an enclosed fore hatch to store food.

The simple sailing boat meant he was exposed to the weather for the whole of the journey, an outstanding feat by a remarkable but almost forgotten man.

Abercastle was his first landfall on the way to completing his voyage to Liverpool some weeks later.

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Back at the cottage Gareth and Luke had time for supper before driving home.

The quiche which was made at home, travelled down frozen and heated very successfully in the Rayburn.

Runner beans from our garden complemented the meal.

Four of those eight eyes look rather scary !

After seeing them safely back to the car I returned to the cottage

which was looking rather cosy as the colour drained from the western sky.

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