Manorbier and Pembroke

In all its beauty, Pembrokeshire National Park is also blessed by its wonderful public transport.  Town and park planners must have put their heads together at some point in order to ease tourism in and around the region.  They've put together the Pembrokeshire Coastal Bus Services, an amalgamation of the region's various bus companies.  The buses travel along the coast, seven days a week during the summer and link people to walks, beaches, boat trips, local villages and attractions.  They operate like a hop-on hop-off service for minimal prices and ease road traffic down the windy, often one-way roads.  The buses are frequent and efficient.

For the non-car drivers we are, both Paul and I were amazed.  This was part of the reason i'd never gone back to Wales after my car-wielding sojourn years ago; I just didn't think it was possible sans automobile.  Thus, if you're reading this and thinking about a carless journey to South Wales, know that it is possible: Summer Bus Timetable.

Obviously, this service is severely truncated off-season.  But even once-an-hour-buses connecting the bigger villages from 7am-6pm will suffice when you're a tourist.  Thus, we hit the bus stop located almost directly in front of Sainsbury's and made our way to Manorbier, the home of one beautiful castle, a stunning beach with surfers, a coastal path and an excellent cafe.

This is where I'm sad that most of my photos are gone (updated in March with my reunited photos!). The weather was blustery but with the tide slowly rising, walkers took their dogs for walks/swims and surfers braved the elements to make something of the waves.  The sand was fine and tide pools set up shop all across the beach.  What remains:

The coastal path and surfers in the way, way background 

Manorbier's only tea room--delicious soup and sandwiches 

The castle at Manorbier also served as the backdrop to the film 'I Capture the Castle' and in semi-state of ruin, it set the mood fittingly.  We ate, decamped to the bus station and made our way to the village of Pembroke, the home of Henry VII's birth castle, a series of cute pubs and two very odd antique shops that traded out of disused churches. 

Pembroke Castle, the home of one of the King Henries

We spent the rest of our time in Tenby, taking more pictures, drinking more beer and generally soaking up the good cheer.  Wales is an incredibly friendly place and despite the fact that it was probably more expensive to stay in the UK as opposed to going abroad, i'd highly recommend it.  It had that whole cold and kind of rainy romantic feel.  Perhaps that's how I know I've been in Britain too long--there's a romance to the rain.  

Bring on 2014's travels!