Day 1 - Amroth - Tenby

Time Departed: 9.20am

Time Arrived: 12.30pm

Distance: 10.5kms

Cumulative Distance: 12

Ascents and Descents: 364m

Percentage Completed: 4%

Weather: Sunny, brisk breeze, max 12

Accommodation: Roch Villa B&B, Tenby

Feelings: Neil - Apprehensive (due to last week's flu),  Henk - Excited, John - Looking forward to it, Di - Excited.

Despite being a cold morning it was sunny so the day was a good start for the walk. We had a delicious, slow breakfast and as it was only a short distance of ten kilometres to Tenby we left later and took our time along the coastal path. We passed a mixture of scenery from high cliff tops, pretty wooded areas with many bluebells and primroses and walked beside and along the wide, sandy beaches.

The tide was a long way out for most of the morning and we were surprised to see how quickly it came in during the early afternoon.

Our guidebook told us not to underestimate this stretch of the walk although it is not as rugged as the coastline further north. It said that there was enough up and down to make it a tiring introduction if the training has been wonting! We took note of this and decided we all coped well with the ups and downs so our individual training seems to have paid off. We hope so as the guide book further tells us that when we complete the 300kms that we would have ascended more than the height of Everest. 

In one section of the path we followed the route of the old colliery railway and passed through two tunnels which date back to the early 1800's when coal was transported to Sandersfoot and shipped to the continent. 

When we reached the small, sleepy seaside town of Sandersfoot only an hour from Amroth we opted not to have morning tea but to keep going onto Tenby for lunch. 

As we approached Tenby from the path on the high cliffs we had good views of the colourful houses of the town and it's harbour. The old red-roofed boathouse was conspicuous and this was filmed for the television program "Grand Designs" when it was converted into a home. 

Tenby which means in Welsh, "the Little Fort of the Fishes" is a good sized coastal town with quite an air of sophistication. It is a popular holiday destination. There are large well-preserved Norman stone walls within the town and St Mary's church spire in the High Street is seen from miles around. 

After leaving our backpacks at the B&B we headed to a cosy pub for lunch. Neil and I had Welsh Cawl which was a hearty lamb and vegetable soup. We split up for the afternoon and Henk and I headed for the picturesque harbour, the art gallery and the museum. Although it was still sunny there was a strong, cold breeze that had come along and it was good to be indoors. 

Dinner was at a local pub with the usual pub fare. The walk back to our B&B was a quick one so we could get out of the cold. The weather forecast is promising warmer temperatures as the week progresses. 

It was an enjoyable first day with stunning views. Tomorrow is another short day of about 13kms.