Tuesday: Cemaes Head, Cardigan, Teifi Marshes

We checked out of the St Davids Cross Hotel and drove for an hour up to Poppit Sands and then took a narrow lane that turned into a gravel track and parked next to an unoccupied Yurt campsite. We walked around Cemaes Head: blue skies, dramatic cliffs, wild flowers, butterflies (inc Painted Ladies), Choughs. Hardly …

Monday: a good walk

We walked from the hotel down past the cathedral and ruined Bishop’s Palace. Then down quiet lanes to the headland at Tregennis. At the headland we joined the coast path. There were the remains of an old copper mine. We followed the coast path round to the lifeboat station at St Justinian’s, then headed inland …

Sunday: St Davids via WWT Llanelli

We stopped at the WWT Llanelli reserve on the way. Got there about 10:30. Nice sunny day, lots of ducks and warblers (Whitethroat, Blackcap, Cetti’s, Reed, Sedge, Chiffchaff, Garden). Found the rear end of a snake (probably an Adder) under a corrugated iron section. At St Davids we checked into the St Davids Cross hotel. …

Friday: Abergavenny

Bristol to Abergavenny took 2 hours due to Friday traffic and roadworks on the Severn Bridge. At Abergavenny we had a quick look round the castle and a quicker look round the museum on account of arriving at ten to four and the museum closing at four. We had a wander around the town and …

Boxing Day: walk

We did a 10-mile circular walk from the hotel. Up the combe to the top of the Quantocks, then past Halsway Post and Bicknoller Post and down to Kilve where we had lunch in the Hood Arms. Back up the lane and across the damp and foggy fields to the hotel. After dinner, scrabble. J …

Tuesday 24th: Shapwick, Ham Wall, Steart, Holford, Scrabble

Went to Shapwick Heath and Ham Wall. Whooper Swans, Egrets, Herons, male and female Marsh Harriers, lots of ducks including Pintails. Good views of Lapwings and a Snipe just as we were about to leave. Then lunch at the pub in Cannington and on to Steart Marshes. Lots more ducks and Golden Plovers. No Spoonbills. …

Monday 23rd: Odcombe

Checked into the thatched and thick-walled Mason’s Arms at 5pm, quickly ate some food we’d brought with us, and then headed off down the lanes to the village hall at Upper Odcombe. We were due to meet the other Odcombe carollers there at 5:45pm. R had met one of them, Steve C, at Sidmouth festival …