glyndwrs-way-day13-2

Published December 15, 2012 at 1550 × 886 in Glyndwr’s Way – Day 13
We did not linger for long since midges, not seen in Wales before, decided to join the flies in their attacks on my sweaty arms and face. Our route led us north, soon leaving the valley bottom on a steep, rising track that re-entered forest. This was a protracted struggle and I got well behind here, always choosing another trackside target, a bush, a patch of grass, a shady spot to aim for before pausing for another rest. At last we reached the high point of this pursuit and the trackway curved to the left and downhill. We emerged into daylight again, with an embowered lane on our left and, on our right, the first view of the region’s outstanding physical attraction: the dam at one end of the huge reservoir, Lake Vyrnwy. Unlike our experience with Llyn Clywedog, however, we would not be visiting the waters of this reservoir or accompanying its shore on our travels – our closest acquaintanceship would come with a descent to the village in the shadows of the dam, Llanwddyn. To accomplish this we climbed a stile and began a steep downward path, often over marshy territory, reaching the bottom shortly before 2:00. There were lots of tourists about and we joined them in heading over to the Old Barn Café, part of a complex of craft shops that also featured a garden center and bicycle rental. We chose a shady table and I had a Diet Coke and phoned tonight’s landlord to advise him of an arrival between 5:00 and 6:00 at our pickup spot. Tosh had some ginger ice cream and the ladies visited all the shops. I asked Margie to keep an eye out for bootlaces, since I had noticed that one of mine had begun to unravel this morning and she soon returned with some lurid orange ones and then with the proprietor of one of the craft shops, who brought with her a far more suitable white pair, refusing to take any money for them – “I just had them lying around.” I had advised my walking partners that we needed to leave by 2:30 and, each having bought some costume jewelry nearby, they duly reported for the next stage at that time. We left the village on roadway, then switched to track, heading east through a sessile oak forest on fairly level surfaces with the Afon Efyrnwy down on our left. Eventually we emerged from the woods into open territory near a road junction at Abertridwr, where Tosh left us because she had spotted a post office off to the left and reasoned they must have newspapers. When she returned we headed south along the highway, with lots of traffic for once, continuing to climb for a mile or so on tarmac. When we reached a Forestry Commission sign for the Dyfnant Forest I had Tosh take my picture for I had just realized that in crossing the Pont Bryn-y-fedwan at Abertridwr I had completed my 4400th mile on Anglo-Celtic footpaths.

We did not linger for long since midges, not seen in Wales before, decided to join the flies in their attacks on my sweaty arms and face. Our route led us north, soon leaving the valley bottom on a steep, rising track that re-entered forest. This was a protracted struggle and I got well behind here, always choosing another trackside target, a bush, a patch of grass, a shady spot to aim for before pausing for another rest. At last we reached the high point of this pursuit and the trackway curved to the left and downhill. We emerged into daylight again, with an embowered lane on our left and, on our right, the first view of the region’s outstanding physical attraction: the dam at one end of the huge reservoir, Lake Vyrnwy. Unlike our experience with Llyn Clywedog, however, we would not be visiting the waters of this reservoir or accompanying its shore on our travels – our closest acquaintanceship would come with a descent to the village in the shadows of the dam, Llanwddyn. To accomplish this we climbed a stile and began a steep downward path, often over marshy territory, reaching the bottom shortly before 2:00.
There were lots of tourists about and we joined them in heading over to the Old Barn Café, part of a complex of craft shops that also featured a garden center and bicycle rental. We chose a shady table and I had a Diet Coke and phoned tonight’s landlord to advise him of an arrival between 5:00 and 6:00 at our pickup spot. Tosh had some ginger ice cream and the ladies visited all the shops. I asked Margie to keep an eye out for bootlaces, since I had noticed that one of mine had begun to unravel this morning and she soon returned with some lurid orange ones and then with the proprietor of one of the craft shops, who brought with her a far more suitable white pair, refusing to take any money for them – “I just had them lying around.” I had advised my walking partners that we needed to leave by 2:30 and, each having bought some costume jewelry nearby, they duly reported for the next stage at that time.
We left the village on roadway, then switched to track, heading east through a sessile oak forest on fairly level surfaces with the Afon Efyrnwy down on our left. Eventually we emerged from the woods into open territory near a road junction at Abertridwr, where Tosh left us because she had spotted a post office off to the left and reasoned they must have newspapers. When she returned we headed south along the highway, with lots of traffic for once, continuing to climb for a mile or so on tarmac. When we reached a Forestry Commission sign for the Dyfnant Forest I had Tosh take my picture for I had just realized that in crossing the Pont Bryn-y-fedwan at Abertridwr I had completed my 4400th mile on Anglo-Celtic footpaths.