After "how long"? in lock down YESTERDAY was our first day out!
We decided to do a run around some of our favourite places and it was a lovely day for it.
Firstly we headed to Llandanwg to Y Maes Cafe to see whether Graham had been baking. And yes he had!! So for elevensies we had a panad outside the cafe and warm buttered scones. We also bought some still hot pasties to take with us.
There were quite a few people on the beach and Surfers Against Sewage were holding a beach clean. After the winter storms (yes even beach cleans have been suspended due to lock down) there are lots of things that still need to be collected. Saw them bring in a fender that had obviously washed off a boat at some point.
Llandanwg beach (and Harlech beach) give surprising views of the Snowdonia mountains. Fantastic to see snow capped mountains during your Winter beach walk when you will as likely as not have the beach to yourself.
After Llandanwg we headed along the coast to Barmouth. At first we thought that the streets were quite empty but once we headed onto the Prom we realised that we were wrong. There were lots of people on the beach and the car park was quite full. We drove right to the end of the Prom (it's further than you think) and found an empty stretch. Parked up, found a bench and sat in the sunshine. We were watching a family on the beach. The Dad ran into the sea and dived into an incoming wave. A "look at me kids!" type moment. The water must've been cold when it hit the "ooo" spot as he jumped out and ran back to the beach quicker than he went in! We sat and ate our Cafe Maes pasties and some cake, took in the sun and enjoyed the fresh air.
Usually no trip to Barmouth is complete without a visit to RNLI Barmouth to visit their D Class lifeboat "Craig Steadman" which was named for our son but as the boathouse is closed to visitors at the moment we've got a great reason to drop back down there when they re-open (or before... maybe).
With Barmouth ticked off the list we decided to head back towards home via Criccieth to see whether Cariad Gelato were selling ice cream from their piaggio by the beach. We changed our Criccieth ice cream allegiance to them last year having tasted what they produce in their little shop in Porthmadog, and experiencing their customer service. They were there! I had Elderflower Ripple and Mr Steadman had Gooseberry (if there is Gooseberry he'll always have Gooseberry otherwise it'd be Strawberry - very predictable). As always really enjoyed it and David of Cariad Gelato was so excited as this weekend they are selling their first ice creams for 9 months... doesn't that sound crazy?
Whilst we were standing eating our ice cream we spotted the Coastguard helicopter flying over Porthmadog, looking like it was heading south towards Barmouth. Then it turned towards us and swept low over Black Rock Sands and we thought that it was going to land. However it carried on, crossed us (sorry no photos - hands full with ice cream), over the Castle and away. Must've been "stood down" from a shout and it was on its way back to base at Caernarfon Airport. Always exciting to see though.
It was great to be out and about again and to be supporting other small businesses who have suffered due to lock-down but have made all of the necessary arrangements so that they could re-open. So please remember...
What was disappointing (and I assume frustrating for those who had taken steps to re-open their businesses) was to see so many people not social distancing. Please remember that we're not out of this yet and everybody needs to do their part in keeping themselves, their families and our communities safe.
We still have some log cabins available for short breaks or week long stays over the Summer and beyond. See what we do at www.CadairViewLodge.co.uk And we hope to see you in Snowdonia soon.
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