Walk 366 -- Llanon to Aberaeron

Ages:  Colin was 72 years and 351 days.  Rosemary was 70 years and 128 days.

Weather:  Grey cloud with a cold wind.  It seems the ‘hot’ season is over!

Location:  Llanon to Aberaeron.
Distance:  5 miles.
Total distance:  3777 miles.
Terrain:  Mostly grassy paths.  We came on to a shingle beach near the end, but it was fairly flat and stable.  The Walk was mostly flat, a bit undulating in the middle.
Tide:  In.
Rivers:  None.
Ferries:  None.
Piers:  None.
Kissing gates:  Nos.816 to 821 (6 in all).
Pubs:  Cadwgan Arms in Aberaeron where Colin drank Hancock’s “HB” and Rudgate’s “Battle Axe”.  I drank Gaymer’s “Old Dragon” cider.
‘Cadw’ properties:  None.
Ferris wheels:  None.
Diversions:  None.
How we got there and back:  We were staying in our caravan near Aberaeron.  A day’s rest eased my back into position (I’m used to dealing with that after 25 years of back problems) but not so my knee which has flared up.  But I was determined to finish the Walk to Aberaeron, so I downed a lot of painkillers and we set off.  We parked in Aberaeron again and caught a bus as far as Llanon.
At the end we reached our car in Aberaeron.  We got straight in and returned to our caravan.  My knee was agony, so we took down the awning and next day towed our caravan back home to Malvern.  There is no way I can do any more walking until I can get this knee sorted. 
I hate getting old!! 

How different the weather is, and it’s only been two days since our last Walk.  Today we had grey skies and a cold wind — we both felt the need to wear gloves and Colin even wore a fleecy hat to start with.  We walked from the bus stop down the lane to the seashore.

We still can’t believe how near those steps, where we abandoned the beach, are to this lane we had just walked down.  And the piddly little river disappeared beneath the beach stones so it would have been no trouble to cross.  If only we had stuck it out……

We set off along the field edges on a ‘permissive’ path.  There was a tractor raking an adjacent field, but he was a long way from us.  I’m sure he saw us and changed direction so that he came up right next to us with dust floating up behind.  We smiled and waved, then closed our eyes and held our breath for the nanosecond that the dust floated past.  Twit! 

We crossed a stream on stepping stones — no problem.  The next field was a little higher on a sandy cliff.  It had caved in here and there, quite recently we thought.  We approached it with care!

We walked towards higher cliffs which were more shielded from the wind so it was not so cold.  The path didn’t rise very high I was pleased to note, I wasn’t in the mood for climbing hills.  My back was OK today after a day’s rest, in fact I think the walking did it good.  But my left knee was quite painful.  I took ibuprofen and paracetamol in tandem, and also rubbed ibuprofen gel on the knee — but it still hurt.

The gorse was lovely, it looked like an avenue of flowers.  There were lots of feathers scattered on the path, we realised a pigeon must have met its end on that spot.  We sat on a bank near there to eat our pasty/pie.  (I had pasty, Colin had pie.) 

We carried on down to the pretty village of Aberarth.  The soft sandy cliffs had caved in again, but this time the edge was fenced off.  But it was undercut at the bottom of the cliffs — it wouldn’t do to walk too close to the edge!  We came down into the village and crossed a bridge over a stream.

A poignant notice was pleading to keep their village hall — having lost their pub in 1922, their school in 1980, their shop in 1994, their post office in 2000, and their cnwch (whatever that is!) and chapel in 2014.  Sadly, that is the tale of so many rural villages in this modern age.

The signpost showing us the way out of the village was in the middle of a tree!  When the leaves come out, which won’t be long now, it will be completely hidden.  We passed lots of ladysmock, such a delicate flower.  There was even a bit of a ladysmock meadow!  Also sea campion, so pretty.

About half a mile short of Aberaeron we were spat out on to a shingle beach!  The stones were fairly flattened but it was not such easy walking.  Excruciating for my knee, in fact!  We passed some caravan sites, and were relieved to get on to concrete — at least that’s smooth and doesn’t jar my knee so much.
We passed rows of ugly terraced houses — how can they build such monstrosities?  Especially the one that had obviously been sold and tarted up, it looked so gaudy! 

We came to the harbour entrance.  The tide was in so the boats were floating, it looked very pretty.  There was a plaque to the builders of the harbour.  I know they are grateful, but such verbosity!  We walked round until we came to a footbridge across the river. 

That ended Walk no.366, we shall pick up Walk no.367 next time by the river bridge in Aberaeron.  It was twenty to two, so the Walk had taken us four hours and ten minutes.  We walked to our car which was parked in the town.  We got straight in and returned to our caravan.  My knee was agony, so we took down the awning and next day towed our caravan back home to Malvern.  There is no way I can do any more walking until I can get this knee sorted. 
I hate getting old!!