Daytrip to Bangor

No, I did not have a lovely time the day I went to Bangor. Don't get me wrong, it was a long way from being a disaster, though it did look as if it might be at one stage, but all did not go to plan. a cloudy / windy day, I had lunch on the way, which, whilst good value cost rather more than a pound.....

Enough of this nonsense - what happened ?

Well, basically, things went wrong shortly after Conwy. I was merrily taking the coast path, when I realised that I deeded to be on the foot / cycle path just a few yards away. That doesn't sound too bad, but the path I needed to be on was above me, and there was no way I could have scaled the sheer cliffs to get there. When the coast path ended not only going along a stony beach, but leading to where the sea met the cliffs, there was no way I could have gone on. I hated to have to admit it, but the only thing to do was turn back. At that moment, I felt utter despondency, which lasted in one form or other for the rest of the day. Indeed, I thought that if I had to go all the way back to Conwy, I would call it a day and come back another day to do the walk.

Fortunately, I did not have to go right back to the start, and when I saw where I could correct myself, I realised that even if I didn't get to Bangor, I could perhaps get to Penmaenmawr or Llanfairfechan which would at least be a few miles in the right direction.

The proper path took me alongside a busy dual carriageway. I hated this. Ok, it was a bit different from simply walking along the pavement in one's own locality, but all the same, the feeling of the open countryside was a million miles away. Things did get a bit better as the path moved away from the road, but for the next 6 miles, I was never far away from busy traffic.

To get to the point on the proper path which was above the place where I had turned round took 3/4 hour. There was no way I was going to make that sort of time up, and whilst I did have the whole day to myself, my planned order of events had gone right out of the window.

Anyway, I pressed on and reached Penmaenmawr just before 12. My spirits were lifting a bit now, and I decided that a spot of lunch might fortify me for the rest of the day. Nothing elaborate, just a nice cafe where I ordered beans on toast washed down with a cup of coffee - pretty good value, and as I sat and rested, I began to get the feeling that perhaps things were not so bad after all. No, this would not be where I ended the day's walking. Onwards to Llanfairfechan and assess the situation from there.

The foot / cycle path was yet another amazing feat of engineering. "I'm walking in the middle of the A55" was one of the thoughts that passed my mind as I headed onwards. Indeed I was, but a good, safe distance above the carriageway. Shortly afterwards, the path led to the left and into Llanfairfechan. That was a huge sense of relief, as not only was I finally away from the dual carriageway, but also the route now was either town or something that was far closer to my idea of a footpath - or so I thought.

Yet one question still buzzed round my mind - as I had already walked further than I had needed to, and as Bangor was still a good 9 miles or so, should I press on, or call it a day here ?

I have just finished reading Bear Grylls' autobiography. In that, he talks, amongst other things, about his SAS selection and what he had to go through to pass that. A lot of that took place in far more rugged Welsh terrain than I was on, in far worse weather than I was experiencing today and in altogether more unpleasant conditions. Was it something of his spirit, or just a determined / stubborn streak in me that caused me to decide to press on and get to Bangor today come what may? Whatever, off I set, along the sea front, past some fantastic nature reserves, looking over the water to the island of Anglesey which was looming ever nearer, and also Pernrhyn Castle, whose outline was appearing on the horizon. The map looked simple - continue along the coast, over a bridge, through the castle grounds and then on the final straight to Bangor. Was it that simple? Was it heck!

I realised that there was to be another problem when history repeated itself, and I saw that the bridge I needed to cross was above me, up a wall to my left. I could have cried. Attempts to find the path proved uncuccessful, so there was nothing for it but to head back to the road (a series of smaller roads this time rather than the A55) and follow them to get to Bangor. Feeling utterly beaten, at Tal y bont, it was very tempting to get the bus into Bangor and come back another day to finish things off, but a sign for the cycle path cheered me up, I followed it and soon came to the mile marker which informed me that there was just 1 mile to go to Bangor. OK, so I am going to finish it after all. Shortly after that I passed the city boundary marker, and was cheered up no end by knowing that whatever else happened, I was in Bangor. At this point, despite all the difficulties and set-backs I had encountered today, I couldn't help but start to sing *that* song by Fiddler's Dram http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMNrrLBdhuM To be fair, all told, the day was far closer to that than the Jasper Carrott alternative http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKpuU2k1zD0 ! Enjoy !!

The walk ended at the town clock. It was here, 22 years earlier that I had set out to walk to Cardiff. I was 19 then, I'm 41 now ! Since then, I have indeed walked the length and breadth of the land. Yet despite everything today, this is the end of the easy section of the walk round the Welsh coastline. No longer will I simply be able to get the train from home, get off at the other end, walk and then get the train home again at the end of the day - at least, not until I get to Borth, and as well as there being a lot of walking to do before I get there, the train home from there, and from other points further down the coast, offer a much longer journey than the north Wales line.

So, the next stage of the walk - Bangor to Caernarfon - well, I have already done it, it was the first stage of the walk to Cardiff all those years ago. Before heading to Caernarfon to tackle the Lleyn peninsula, I plan to spend a day on Anglesey, whose coastline is not part of the walk, but I do want to cross the Menai bridge just to acknowledge where I am.

It has been a fantastic journey so far, and although it has, in more ways than one, brought me back to where I started, in other ways, this is just the beginning.

To be continued......

Round the Orme

This is possibly the coldest July day I have ever known. Not the best day for the next stage of the walk, but at least the rain was no more than showers, so let's be thankful for small mercies. In today's section of the walk, I had my first encounter with 2 things one does tend to associate with Wales - rain and hills.

It was raining lightly as I made my way to the station, and had stopped by the time I reached Colwyn Bay to continue where I left off last time. However, there was such a cold breeze that it took my breath away, and I even wondered if I should have put further layers of clothing in my back-pack. As it happens, once I got going, they would not have been needed - though the raincoat did come out of the bag on a couple of occasions, but all the same, these are not the sort of questions one expects to be asking in July. I concluded that the weather was not bad for October!

The first few miles of the walk were easy, onto the sea-front at Colwyn Bay, then on to Rhos on Sea. I have been to Rhos a number of times before, it is where one of my former churches in Liverpool used to hold a church weekend away. As I walked past St Winifride's, the hotel where the weekends were held, I thought of some of the good times that were spent there. It was a time to get to know one another more informally and relax together in ways in which Sunday's and even church socials don't lend themselves to.

One thing from those weekends which I did remember was the location of St Trillo's chapel. It is easy to miss it, it is believed to be the smallest chapel in the UK, and it has seats for 6 people. Someone has a sense of humour if they choose the hymn "O for a thousand tongues to sing" there! Still, I did call in, spent a few minutes in quiet, and was all set to write a comment in what I took to be the visitors book, when I realised that it was in fact a folder of prayers left by the Mother's Union. Oh well! Onward Christian soldier!

Onward through Penrhyn Bay, and then the warm-up act to what was to come later - the Little Orme. That was easy. It was a bit of a climb after Penrhyn Bay, but nothing major. On the descent, it was quite something to catch my first glimpse of what has been described as the queen of Welsh resorts - Llandudno. Certainly it has got the finest promenade in Wales, and it was a good feeling walking along there, having reached this place, even if it was on a cool, wet, blustery day.

It was so cool that I decided to stop for a coffee and Belgium Bun. They should be called Bath Buns - who on earth do the Belgians think they are ?? It was very nice, but then I could have kicked myself as I left the coffee shop - I looked over the road, and saw that St John's Methodist Church had a sign that they were serving coffees. I could have called in there and perhaps saved a few pennies. But, it's interesting, my experience 0f church coffee mornings is such that if a stranger walks in - particularly a man on his own - he'll be treated with suspicion, perhaps to the extent of feeling most unwelcome, or he'll be asked so many questions that he won't have a moment to himself. That might be a bit unfair on some church coffee mornings, but it's not totally inaccurate. The beauty of coffee shops is that I could have a coffee in peace, check the map and generally gather my thoughts before the next stage of the walk. Still, by way of apology, if anyone from St John's is reading this and would like me to speak anytime about the walk, feel free to contact me. The same applies to other churches and church groups in the N Wales / NW England area.

Back along the Prom and past the pier to Marine Drive, a road which goes round the Great Orme. From the map, it didn't look as if there's be too much climbing. I need to take a closer look at the contour lines. Granted, the road did not take me to the top of the Orme, that was never part of the itinerary, but all the same, it does go up a fair way and it gives an idea as to why the Orme is called Great. It is big. The Little Orme of earlier this morning pales into insignificance. With the Orme towering up to your left and the sea on your right, it is next to impossible not to feel a certain sense of awe and wonder. It was certainly exhilerating. Nearing the top of the Orme, with the wind blowing freely, that feeling only increased.

After passing several headlands along the way, the road eventually turns a corner and the sight of Conwy Castle in the distance would mark the end of today's stage of the walk. There was some way to go before reaching there, though. At least the road was leading downhill, and offered some good views over the rest of the N Wales coast - well, they would have been good had it not been for the cloud and mist - and it set my mind thinking about how to tackle that stage of the walk. Is there a coastal path? The map isn't clear. There is a way that leads behind the mountains, and I can meet up with a coastal path after Llanfairfechan, but these are questions for next time, not for today.

So, downhill all the way to.... Llandudno. Yes, we're still in this resort, but this time the West Bay, which is a lot quieter than its northern neighbour and was a favourite holiday resort of the writer Lewis Carroll. I took a breather there for a sandwich, biscuit and drink of lucozade before heading through Deganwy.

After Deganwy, I found I had a stone in my shoe, and the moment or two I spent sorting that out meant that when I started again, I was walking in the same direction as a guy walking his dog. We got talking and walked the rest of the way into Conwy together. It was in the conversation that I used a phrase for the first time "I usually take Tuesday as a day off." Let me explain. In my 14 years of ministry before this appointment, I had always taken Friday as a day off. For various reasons, that isn't easily possible here, and I initially said that my day off would be a moveable feast. I would have a day a week, but it would vary as to which one it is. That has sort of worked, but in recent months, the pattern seems to have emerged that Tuesdays are usually free, so, having said it earlier, and now sharing it with you, dear reader, a new pattern is now official. Tuesday is my day off.

Upon arriving, I had a look in the castle (being a member of CADW I can get in free), and although I have been here before, I discovered the chapel, which, if I did come across on my last visit, I do not remember doing so. Yes, the chapel tower is a clue, but I had originally thought that the room which houses the castle exhibition was the chapel, it turns out to be the room below that. Although just an empty room these days, the clues are there, particularly the ante-room (vestry) and apse. So, day off or not, I found the place where it is likely the altar would have been and couldn't help but say the words "Cymerwch, bwytewch, hwn yw fy nghorff (take, eat, this is my body)" - thankfully there was no-one else around at that moment !!

So, a cold and miserable day weather-wise, but another stage of the walk successfully completed.

Prestatyn to Colwyn Bay

I've been walking again, continuing with the Welsh coast challenge. 17 mile walks do not get much easier than this.

The coastal path from Prestatyn is cycle path all the way. In my last blog, I commented how it felt as if I was miles from anywhere at times, even if it was just a few yards from the road, but this was decidedly busier. Not crowded out by any means, but there was a steady stream of walkers, joggers, people walking the dog, cyclists or just people taking the air. Once again, the weather was glorious, and happily this time, the sun cream reached all the places it needed to reach!

Walking through Prestatyn and Rhyl, my first question was "What has happened to the great British seaside?" Now, I realise that this is a school day just a bit out of the tourist season, so these resorts are very unlikely to be at their busiest, but all the same, it was sad to see kiosks, fun fairs and the like, not only closed, but looking like they have been severely neglected. I know that cheap flights, good package deals and the like to the costa notta lotta where there's a better guarantee of weather mean that holidays at home have declined, but what is the real cost we're paying ?

Approaching Abergele, walking by the large rocks that are used as sea defences, I noticed some wild poppies growing. They were beautiful. I thought about picking one and trying to press it to use as a visual aid in November when poppies once again come to the forefront of our minds. As soon as I did, though, a gust of wind blew the petals off and I was left with just a stem. A stark reminder of how fragile life is and of the futility of taking it away.

I felt as if I was flying. I was eating up the miles and it was possible to look along the great sweep of the North Wales coast beyond where I was planning to stop today. Indeed, at one point, I even considered pressing on, going beyond Colwyn Bay and trying to get to Llandudno. I didn't, but when the going was so good, the thought did cross my mind.

Before we go on, dear reader, can we please learn how to pronounce Llandudno correctly. Think "Clan did know" and you're not far off the mark.

I have driven along the A55 through N Wales many times, but did not appreciate just what a great feat of engineering there is in place around the road. At times, the road, railway, cycle path and sea all seem to go along side by side. Through a careful weaving of one through the other all traffic passes quite happily. whenever I pass that way again by car, I will make sure to just cast a quick sideways glance to anyone who might be walking or cycling along the path.

The final stages were uneventful, I reached Colwyn Bay, had a bit to eat and took the train home.

To be continued....

It is finished !

Last night, I did the final 4 miles of the CVM challenge. That has meant that over the past 30 days I have run a total of 131 miles, the equivalent of Oldham to Holyhead, or 5 Marathons.

The final 4 miles were along the sea-front at Rhyl - I went over there as I fancied a change of scene and it was something a bit special to finish with. Basically, along the front from the border with Kinmel Bay to the end of the Promenade and back is just under 4 miles, so a bit of a detour along the beach to make up the difference is what happened.

The detour, half-way through the run did not merely go along the beach. To celebrate the end of the challenge, what better thing to do than not merely run along the beach, but keep going and make a splash in the sea. It was fantastic!

So, now that I've dried off, cleaned the salt and sand from every nook and cranny and had a night's sleep, how do I feel now ? Tired, but fantastic!

There have been times during the challenge when I could not believe how tired I have felt. On the other hand, I also feel that I've been sleeping a little better, but perhaps not significantly so.

What has struck me in recent days is that a number of people have commented on how well I'm looking! It's kind of them to say so, I feel good, it must have helped with my fitness, and I feel somewhere between fighting fit and fit to drop!

I said at the beginning of blogging about this challenge that the principal of Sabbath rest is important. It is. All training schedules allow for rest, it is instituted in Genesis 2 and is one of the 10 Commandments found in Exodus 20. 30 days without a break is clearly in breach of that. Yet somehow, I feel that I can be forgiven.

I had doubts as to whether or not it is possible. It is. If I can do it, anyone can!

It's said that after successful completion of a challenge, allow yourself a little treat. Last night, when making a decaffeinated coffee before going to bed, instead of putting milk in, I used Baileys. How decadent ! But it was very nice as a little treat. I don't really feel like going out for a big celebration - that could easily undo all the benefits I have gained from this, but I am out for a meal with friends tonight, and no doubt they'll be keen to ask about how it all went and how it feels.

Maybe in the days to come, more thoughts will come through my mind. If that is the case, I will post further in due course.

Many thanks to all who have encouraged me these past 30 days - it's something I would consider doing again, but not right now. The CVM challenge is now talking about running 3 times a week, which is what I try to do anyway.

May I wish all readers of this blog "Your very good health"