At the end

Being me, I should look up the geology or try to work out the chemistry, or figure out if something here is biology. I just stood and stared for ages, because the colours and shapes are amazing - sometimes that is enough

The radiance is partly down to blindingly bright, low winter sun. We had to walk the entirety of a wide beach - with this outcrop at on end of it - without looking forward, because the combination of direct light and reflected light were too painful to look at. The beach is shallow; wave after successive wave could be seen from the shoreline to way out at sea. The spray left a low white mist hanging over it, backlit by the sun. The green and brown of the hills, even the stone carn on the top, were reflected in the film of water left on the sand. This calmness will be enough to sustain me until the bulbs are emerging and the catkins are blowing in the wind 

We have decided to let this be our last memory of this trip - we intend to return tomorrow, 24h earlier than our plan. Torrential rains are forecast for much of tomortow evening, overnight and next morning. Flooding is inevitable. We don't want a bad ending to a wonderful visit

In our 'boots on' walks, on 21 different days, we have covered 145 kilometers. We have climbed up (and down!) almost 5100 metres - three and three-quarter times up and down Ben Nevis. We have taken in coast, farmland, woodland, wetland, moorland and estuaries. We have seen seals and choughs, foxes and kingfisher, and a lot of water and wading birds, but no cetaceans this time. Starling murmurations were an unexpected bonus - in fact all our expectations are exceeded

The town and county of Cardigan have left a particularly good impression. If there is something as intangible and undefinable as 'good spirt', then this place has it. Of course, our view is partial, self-selected, prejudiced and anecdotal. Nevertheless, we leave with the generalisation in our minds that people here are comfortable in their skin, open, inquisitive and welcoming - pleased to find that visitors enjoy their place. Certainly we will be back