Dinbych-y-Pysgod / Tenby

Looking back as the sun sets over St Catherine's island.

The train journey took about five hours, including an unscheduled extra change at Carmarthen, when passengers had to get off one train and literally run across the tracks using a very improvised level crossing that appeared to be made of corrugated iron, to catch up with the train to Pembroke that most of them had missed at Swansea! However, from Newport onwards I had the company of a charming Aussie traveller called John, so the time passed much faster.

By the time I got to Tenby, the sun was blazing, so I walked to my B&B as fast as I could, flung down my bags, and headed out to to the beaches, pausing only to put on some sun protection cream I'd accidentally brought with me!

On Castle beach, overlooking St Catherine's island, I didn't actually paddle, but I played chicken with the waves, and enjoyed their booming reverberations. Headed up into town to work out the lie of the land (it's a walled town). Most of the restaurants and takeaways appear to be located in either Upper or Lower Frog Street, which will be handy.

Having found the supermarket and bagged a few staples, I strolled down to the harbour. It was even more attractive than last night's TV programme had suggested, and the lifeboat launching ramp looks steep and impressive. My next stop was the art gallery and museum (closed, but open again tomorrow) and finally I wandered 'home' into the setting sun, via Castle Beach again. Tomorrow I hope to walk out to the island at low tide, and visit the fort. Dolphins have been seen in the waters in the last few days. Maybe...

My B&B is pretty good,. I'd been expecting a cupboard because singles do get a raw deal sometimes, but this is comfy, big enough. A slightly dodgy internet connection and only half an hour for breakfast, appear to be the main drawbacks, but they're going to cook me g-f sausages and dig out their g-f toaster (I've got the bread) so I'm more than happy with it. The glorious half mile expanse of South Beach is less than five hundred yards' walk.