A Spring break in Wales - Day One

Keith and I set off very early this morning (6.45am to be precise) for our weekend break in Wales. Mum and Dad had very kindly bought us a voucher for a night away and I chose  the Ty'r Graig Castle Hotel in Barmouth as it had received great reviews on Trip Advisor. We had extended our stay to two nights and I was really looking forward to having a break from work!

We sped through Birmingham despite it being rush hour which was a real bonus and we were soon on the M54 and heading towards the Welsh border. The plan was to stop for breakfast but we realised that good cafes were increasingly becoming a rarity! We did spot a place serving all day breakfasts but I'm very glad we carried on as we came across the Dyffryn cafe near the village of Foel and it was perfect and just what we were looking for. When we arrived the cafe was empty but within an hour more cars and families had arrived and were taking advantage of their delicious full breakfasts (I didn't ask for a full English as we were now firmly in Wales!).

After filling up with good food and lots of coffee we were back on the road and it was great to see the sun breaking through the clouds and a lot of blue sky appearing. I'd been dreading a weekend of rain but although the forecast said it was going to be dry, we had a beautiful weather throughout our stay.

We were relying on our SatNav (Gladys) to get us to the hotel and despite one instruction telling us to go off down what looked like a farm track, and which we ignored, she did very well. We arrived in Barmouth at about 11am and drove along the front, admiring the sandy beach and the views over to the headland beyond. We went off to find our hotel first, set up high over the town, and then returned to Barmouth to park near to the beach.

By now the sun had come out and it was becoming warmer by the minute. We strolled along the promenade and I felt we could have almost been abroad!

We noticed a couple of hotels along the way and had a quick look in the bars to see what beers they were offering. One, the Min-y-Mor had Abbot on which pleased Keith very much!

We walked right along the promenade until we could go no farther as the train line carried on around the headland. There was an unmanned crossing here and we noticed several people, including children, crossing the line. We could see our hotel in the distance and nearer, a large caravan and camping area. Little did we know but this was to be our view from our hotel room!

We walked back to the car park and then further on to the harbour which was very busy with people on holiday and enjoying the sun. We noticed some children playing with the largest jelly fish I've ever seen - luckily it appeared to be dead!

The harbour was lovely and lined with seafood restaurants, cafes and pubs. We were undecided about where we were going to eat tonight but we did spot a lovely pub called The Last Inn which looked promising.

Strolling around the harbour in the sunshine was perfect...I certainly wasn't expecting such lovely weather in Wales!

After exploring Barmouth we returned to the car and drove along the coast to Harlech, passing the village of Llanbedr on the way, where I'd stayed with my school a very long time ago! We noticed the Victoria pub so we turned around outside of Harlech (bustling with very narrow streets and the remains of an ancient castle) and drove back for a quick drink.

It was a big pub with a huge garden but not that friendly. It certainly didn't appeal as somewhere to go for a drink before dinner so Keith had just the one pint and we left to go and check into the hotel.

By now we were a wee bit tired as both of us had been up since about 4.30am and with all the driving and walking we were looking forward a to a nap. We were met by the owner of the hotel who was very friendly and chatty and gave us a guided tour before showing us to our room. The hotel was built in 1892 by a man called W.W.Greener who made guns and the house was set out to "resemble an opened double-barrelled shotgun when viewed from above." The hotel has fantastic sea views and a very comfortable lounge with sofas and armchairs. There was a also a conservatory bar and restaurant so we decided to eat at the hotel tonight and return to Barmouth for a drink.

Our room overlooked the sea (and the campsite) and had a balcony which was lovely. It was on the small side, though, and the en-suite shower room was tiny but it was spotlessly clean and the bed was very comfortable!

We unpacked, had a quick snooze (I managed about twenty minutes) before we showered and dressed. It was still very warm so we were glad of the french doors that opened out onto the balcony.

View from our room

We drove into Barmouth and managed to park opposite the Last Inn. The pub was very busy and we noticed that virtually every table had a reserved sign on it...good job we hadn't planned on eating here! And in fact, we never did as Saturday night was also fully booked! A popular place!

We sat at the bar and watched the place fill up with families and couples. It's a lovely, very quirky pub, with lots of nooks and crannies, low beams, candles and soft cushions everywhere. There was even a fish pond in a dim corner and the front of the pub was open to the street so the beautiful weather attracted a lot of people.

I loved sitting at the bar watching the staff cope with the rush, something they did very well. Several people were turned away and the staff never stopped serving drinks or taking orders for food. We had a couple of drinks (Keith had three pints of Hobgoblin) and then returned to the hotel for dinner.

We were seated right by the window so we had gorgeous views of the sun setting over the sea. The food and service were very good with the owner of the hotel overseeing everything. We chose fish and chips for our main course, with prawn tails as a starter for me, and potted crab for Keith. The wine list was very reasonable and I chose a Viognier to accompany our fishy dishes. For dessert we shared a plate of Welsh cheeses and then went out into the grounds to see the sun slowly sink behind the mountains in the distance. A beautiful end to a great day!