Pembrokeshire Coastal Path Day 9

Distance 6+6.5 miles
Ascent 570m
Weather warm and sunny on land, chilly offshore

It waa clear blue skies and good visibility as we left Solva this morning. We stayed at the Cambrian Inn in the lower part of town) so had to walk up from the harbour on to the cliff tops. Walking around to St David's we saw choughs and linnets and solar powered yurts.

Leaving the coastal path we went into St David's to find out about possible boat trips to the islands. A trip was leaving shortly from St Justinians to Skomer so we booked tickets and Rhiannon very kindly took us down to meet the boat. We had a fantastic two hour trip out to Skomer and Ramsey Island, seeing grey seals, kittiwakes with young, guillemots, razorbills, lots of puffins, great black backed gulls (posted on high rocks) one shag, cormorants, indignant oystercatchers, caves and an oil tanker. On the way back from Ramsey Island we crossed the choppy waters of the Sound, getting quite up close and personal with the Bitches, the rocks that stick up from the waters here, which along with the strong current between has caused hundreds of shipwrecks. The boat pilot certainly knew what he was doing.

Back on dry land, we made a tactical error of getting pasties from the kiosk by the chapel, which led to serious indigestion. The walk back around the coastal path was a little uncomfortable - partly due to pastyitis, partly the boat motion and partly because the sea was on the right hand side and we'd become accustomed to leaning slightly the other way.

We saw a ragged looking buzzard and a gannet. After a bit of a sit down and taking things slowly for a while, we felt better.

The chapel of St Nun's, where we had left the path this morning, seemed quite near but there was the inlet of Porth Clais to walk down and around, with obligatory limekilns, which added quite a distance.

Back up on the clifftop, the path was rocky and pretty with flowers. Red Wall was pink with thift.  We has a look at St Non's Chapel (remains of) and Well. The bells of the cathedral ringing out at nine minutes to six.

Walking into the city we passed a cottage with the amazing name of Yr Hen Bopty. We are staying at the Grove hotel and there are a lot of noisy rooks roosting.