Another lockdown and a weekend in Pendine in The View from the Terrace

So here we go again, Cardiff, along with most of South Wales, is back in lockdown which means I can’t go home for visits. The government are saying most of the new cases have been caused by people allowing groups of people to visit in their own homes. I do know that the young people around here simply haven’t been obeying the rules. Louise said she saw dozens of uni students partying in the park just after the new term started.

I am grateful, though, that Hubby and I managed to get away for our long weekend. We just made it, we went last weekend and lockdown starts toninght. We had a lovely three days at at Pendine Sands and it was so good to get away from all that has been going on here for a while.

We drove down on Friday early evening arriving at about 8pm and decided to just settle in and have an early night. I woke at 6am the next morning with a migraine. A tablet cleared the pain, though leaving me washed out, but I couldn’t get back to sleep so I went into the living area and drew the curtains to be greeted by an amazing sunrise. I wished I’d felt better as I would have dressed and gone out to see it over the sea, but it was very beautiful sitting there in the caravan.

We went for a short walk on the beach later in the morning, round to the caves.

After lunch I still didn’t feel like walking far so we decided to drive along the coast road as far as Saundersfoot. So many of the beaches in that area have memories for us. When Louise was a baby and Chris was 4 we stayed at a caravan site called Trees. Hubby used to take Chris down to the beach at Wiseman’s Bridge each morning so that I could have a lie in as Louise used to wake multiple times in the night. Then there is the Coppet Hall beach where, years later, we went with Louise, Tony and Louise’s dog Friskie. A lot of the beaches don’t allow dogs and we were delighted to discover this tiny one along the coast from Saundersfoot where dogs were welcome. This time we stopped at Amroth for coffee and cake purchased from the cafe but eaten at the tables and chairs set out on the beach over the road. There are some good things resulting from this virus, I am really enjoying this outdoor cafe culture that has developed. Unfortunately, it can’t last much longer as colder weather is on the way.

On Sunday we had lunch at the Sunbeam Restaurant. Pendine is the place where world land speed records were made in the early 1920s. My grandfather was an engineer with the team for Sunbeam racing cars and was there when many of the records were made. We found this plaque on the Beach Hotel.

The building that housed the garage at the back of the Beach Hotel is still there but it is now the general store. I thought of Granddad a lot over the weekend. I remember a silver haired, twinkling eyed elderly man. It was my mother who told me of his many adventures as a young man.

After lunch Hubby went back to the caravan for a nap and I went for another walk on the beach. it was lovely there, in the sunshine, by the sea, watching children playing in the rockpools and wandering around the caves. There was an elderly couple asleep in the sunshine holding hands, so beautiful.

The following morning it was time to checkout but we still had most of the day to ourselves. We drove round to Laugharne. We have visited there twice before and it has become one of my favourite places.

Even if the car park does flood at high tide!

The white van belongs to Welsh Water which I thought was very appropriate.
And this sign made me smile

After a walk beside the estuary, we had lunch in the local pub. I wanted to walk up the hill opposite; I was looking for the house that was used in the TV show Keeping Faith, and I found it.

Then Hubby went back to the car for his nap and I walked up to the boathouse where the poet Dylan Thomas lived.

After that it was time to make our way home feeling very much recharged after a restful late summer weekend break.