Monday 28 September 2015

Solva in the sunshine


Today we had some sea air as we had to drive down to deliver a table  to a lady in Pembrokeshire. We had a lovely talk with her about local artists, local history, ghosts, life in general and then headed back to Solva to get some lunch.  What is it about the English who are so tolerant and polite  at times, to the point of stupidity?  Well, that was us today.  We decided to have a bite to eat at a little cafe beside the car park, as they offered fresh fish and chips, and our experience of seaside fish is that it is normally very fresh.  Well, the nearest thing to fish and chips on the menu was seabass, as a main meal!  We decided to opT for crab sandwiches (me, although I shouldn't be eating shellfish, but the rest of the menu was extremely dairy-heavy) and OH just wanted a BLT but without the L or the T! No change there then.

Well, first of all the crab was off - fair enough, you have to have a fresh catch of crab and obviously they hadn't had one.  She offered smoked salmon and a rocket salad sandwich.  I didn't like to say I shouldn't have smoked fish either, so I went with that and we sat down with our drinks.  We thought we had our sandwiches when the young lad bought two rounds out and gave them to us, but no . . . they were the cheese and chutney for the table behind us.  A table of 6 ladies who were there before us got served, then food started to go outside - several platefuls, and as only one couple had been out there when we arrived, we twigged we had been forgotten. By this time half an hour had passed (I said we were over-tolerant!)  I mentioned this to the lad who promptly came out with our sandwiches - OH's stone cold congealed bacon WITH Lettuce and Tomato so wrong on every count, especially the stone cold bit!  I ate mine and OH got a refund and when we got back to the car, made do with a melting chocolate bar I had bought him earlier on.



Anyway, then we decided to walk along the harbour and I was pleased to find it had been yarn-bombed!  My husband was most perplexed and couldn't understand why someone should do this!



We went a little away along this inviting path, only to find that it went onto the coast path towards St David's.


The harbour mouth was just so inviting, so we retraced our steps and walked along the beach on the far side, past 4 or 5 old lime kilns, and onto the beach.  There was a southerly wind and it felt like mid-summer and I really didn't want to leave!




Taking photos was difficult as the sun was in the wrong place, but I got some nice sunlight-on-water effects, along with what appears to be a thumbprint on the lens . . .



Looking back across the estuary to Upper Solva.


Looking back towards Lower Solva and the harbour, once a thriving place, as the board below tells you.  I would have loved to have done a long walk round there (I had the Pembrokeshire Walks book in the car today), but it was 2 p.m. by this time, so we went on to Newgale Beach instead (tomorrow's post).

We should come down to Pembrokeshire more often but St David's is 1 1/2 hours I think from home, and we would need to have an earlier start than today.




9 comments:

  1. Cut that awful cafe out of your minds for ever and just remember those absolutely wonderful views BB.

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  2. Will do Pat. The food that other folk were eating looked wonderful - the Ploughmans had about half a pound (plus) of cheese on each plate and a nice side salad, but someone wasn't Paying Attention! We had a FAB day.

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  3. What an interesting post with some wonderful photos :) Have only been to Pembrokeshire once for a short holiday and would so love to return. A shame about the lunch :( My son and I once had a 45 minute wait in a cafe for soup and a roll and I think we were forgotten about too :(

    I love the firescreen in your last post that you have finished. I am sure Annie would be so pleased. The Coleridge book looks very interesting. I recognise The Miniaturist - uploaded that to my Kindle a few weeks ago. Half way through The Magus of Hay at the moment - will be bereft when I have finally got up to date with the Rickman Merrily books. Did you see the ITV series "Midwinter of the Spirit" last week?

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  4. Oh bless you. What a shame about lunch. I'm happy it didn't spoil your day though. Seaside and sunshine....lovely. x

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  5. What a beautiful place it looks - apart from the cafe that is! Juliette and I had a similar experience in New Orleans a couple of years ago, the food was better than yours when it finally arrived and was accompanied by a free glass of wine each though.

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  6. Sue - it was SO hard to drag ourselves away. We haven't been by the seaside proper but for a couple of times, briefly, this year. The sea air helps my asthma too.

    R.Robin - I would say book yourselves a week's holiday in Pembrokeshire as there is a lot to see and ALL the beaches are just absolutely amazing, and apart from August, pretty well empty, especially the big ones where people are easily left behind. I'm glad you liked the firescreen - Annie would have been pleased, I know. You will just have to do re-readings of Phil Rickman's novels until the next one comes out on 3rd December. I thought the new series of Midwinter of the Spirit was excellent and VERY like the book, as well as being very well cast.

    Jules - my OH said he wasn't bothered, but I was! Especially as his choccy bar was melting : ) We will have to have another "date"!

    Rowan - The beach more than made up for the sorry meal, and at least we know NOT to go to that cafe again!

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  7. Your OH's BLT made me chuckle as it's EXACTLY how my HG has them!!! He will also ( romantically he thinks ) offer me the L and T if the order comes wrongly.
    When he ever saw me dish up a plate of warm salty lettuce and tomato with fat on it I have NO idea!! My HG says he is vegetable intolerant!

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  8. Solva my favourite place, I am very envious, as for the food that was bad luck Jennie. But your photos are a tonic, lovely one of K. As for Newgale, would always stop off to give Moss a run on the beach, it stretches for miles......

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