A motorcycle parked in front of a tent on a pleasant green campsite

Home Travel Stories North Wales Bed and Breakfast 2008 - By Ren Withnell

North Wales Bed and Breakfast 2008 - Aberdaron and Nefyn

As ever I’m awake too early. I move about and make a nuisance of myself and the gf wakes up. She curses me for being too noisy far too early. I’m like an annoying little child and pester her for another half hour till it is time to get up. I think I’m in the bad books now. We make the morning ablutions and dress for breakfast.

In a large spacious room we dine on a simple and basic breakfast. It seems a Welsh breakfast is much like an English one, bacon, sausages and egg with associated tomatoes and mushrooms. Back in the room we talk of what to do and look at the map. The first thing I’m happy to agree on is to stay here another night. The place is clean, the food is OK and the price is right. A quick word with the landlady and that is sorted no problem, we don’t even need to change room. We then decide to head westwards and see what Aberdaron has to offer.

The sun is already bright and high. We make plans as to what can be left where on the bike if we decide to go for a walk, and head off. We go back through Pwllheli and Abersoch then head down narrow country roads into the hamlet of Aberdaron.

Aberdaron is tiny, but busy. The glorious sunshine has brought out the tourists, sunbathers and quite a few cyclists too. There is a car park. Now I’m not a fan of paying hard earnt money to leave my bike somewhere, but the attendant only wants one pound and says if we leave it opposite the booth he’ll keep his eye on it. We leave our pants, gloves and gear in the top box, and chain the helmets to the bike. I don’t like doing this, I’m always worried some fool will deliberately fill a helmet with pop or even urine, as a kind gesture. It’s near the attendant and it’s too damn hot to carry them, so there they stay today.

The beach is sandy and pretty and not too packed. Obviously I’m a rough tough biker who goes round scaring old ladies and generally making trouble, so I’m not going to sit on a beach and sunbathe like some softy tourist. Sure enough I’m stripped to my shorts and my bike jacket is now my beach towel. The boots are off, the socks are off and I’m off to paddle in the gentle waves. I want to steal a large rubber ring of a child and play in the surf, but I’ve got an image to think off don’t you know.

The gf sunning herself on aberdaron beach
Notice the bike gear that doubles as beach towels. This is North Wales not the Med, yet the gf is almost naked! It must be very very hot indeed...

We sit and cook on our jackets for a couple of hours. Kids play about, babies scream here and there, sandcastles are built then destroyed and a windsurfer sails into and out from shore as he tries to master his craft. This is OK for a while but I’m getting bored now. We take a short stroll to the nearby churchyard on the hillside and look at the tombstones and take pictures of the bay. All the time the sun shines down and the air gets warmer and warmer. Back in the hamlet we stop for tea and a snack in the café before returning to the bike and getting kitted up again. It’s not nice to be putting on thick black heavy clothing but I’ve seen the scars and they are not nice either.

The roads round the back of Aberdaron are mostly single track lanes. Going slowly we wind our way along heading in no particular direction. The landscape is mainly agricultural around here although some of the hills are quite steep. I’m drifting at the moment, but as we drift we end up following a sign to Porth Colman. Porth Colman consists of 1 house, 2 tractors with boat trailers and a cutting in the rocks that allows the tractors access to the sea. We stop and take a few pictures and head off again.

Tractor for the boats, porth colman
I wonder if they move the nicely painted tractor before the tide comes in?

The next place of any significance on the map is Nefyn. As we arrive the sun is beating down across the long sweeping bay with golden sands. Nestled into the bluffs is a steep road with a café and a handful of beach shops. There’s nowhere to park the bike close to the beach but we’re happy to park near the café and whilst I drink pop the gf suggestively licks her ice cream. It’s mad hot now as we sit and watch a single jetski make its way up and down the bay out to sea and children play in the gentle surf close to the shore.

Nefyn Beach. Very picturesque and not too busy. Who'd want to go abroad?

The roads back to Criccieth involve a few steep hills mixed with single lane and 2 lane roads. It feels good to know where we are going back to and where we will be spending the night again, rather than having to look for a residence. Back at the BnB it feels even better to strip out of the hot bike gear and into some shorts. We promise ourselves a little rest but I make sure we don’t sleep, we don’t want to be too late for a pub lunch tonight. Sure enough we drift off despite our promises but we manage to wake in good time for our evening meal.

The Lion bar in Criccieth is not exactly a posh place. Still the food is standard pub grub fare and the gf dines on fish and I have the steak and ale pie. It’s nothing special but all good stuff and we leave with full bellies and a smile. We start our walk through the town and again the gf points out how magnificent the flowers look and how tidy the place is. We head down to the eastern bay to walk along the shingle. We discuss the finer points of erosion into the sea, geology, groins across the beach and higher philosophy. Obviously this is all too pretentious so I take some pictures of the gf on a rock in the setting sun, flashing a bit of thigh and looking all shy. Can’t be a rough tough biker and be caught talking intelligently now can we.

We are tired tonight and the bed part of Bed and Breakfast is most welcoming. It’s been a good day and the weather has been glorious. According to the man on the telly the weather tomorrow is not looking so hot, so we decide to make the return journey tomorrow.