Great Yarmouth

Since we couldn't go the AWS National Conference in Seattle we were free to spend three nights at The Imperial, Great Yarmouth.

Good food, our first restaurant meals since March. During the day we had long walks.

Monday we drove  to Winterton-on-Sea and walked along the beach to Horsey...

and back along the North Norfolk Coast Path. Morning was cold but sunny, We had a terrible lunch at Nelsons Head pub in Horsey and being inside missed the worst of the afternoon's rain.

Tuesday we drove to Horsey and through Horsey Gap accessed the beach on which were a colony of seals. we spent some time there in constant drizzle and talked to a Seal Warden. Then a walk along the North Norfolk Coastal Path and back to the car.

Imperial has a good wine list and good food, well presented. 

The house Champagne was Piper-Heidsieck of which we had a glass of as an aperitif before Sunday's roast of the day which was pork and Rhebokscloof Pinotage and Tuesday's superb tender steak with De Loach Heritage Reserve Zinfandel, and a full bottle of Piper- Heidsieck Champagne with Monday's fish and chips.

 

Ashridge forest

A bright sunny but cold day in Ashridge Forest. We took the perimeter walk. Plenty of sweet chestnuts on the floor and although the nuts were very small they roasted well.

Aldbury village from Ashridge

Trees were starting to turn golden

Criccieth - Friday

 Our last full day in Wales.

In the afternoon we met Dan in Porthmadog and walked along the old tramway and through Tremadog up the hill behnd, through old woods with slate waste spilled down the cliff, horse grazing fields.  past a elephant shaped broken branch

and as far as we could go, where a house had been built over the track. In the evening Dan brought  Krisie, who'd been working during the day, to join us for dinner in Criccieth.  

Since we’d had our fish on Thursday to avoid the long queues at the chippie, we had our second takeaway from Dylan’s - and there was a 90 minute wait before collection because they were so busy. I had a hamburger because Joan had raved over it last time, this time she had grilled chicken breast burger which she said was even better. Grrr.

While we waited we had as aperitif N.V. Co-op Cava (Spain, Cava). Again I was impressed with the quality of this fizz which cost just £6.75. 

With the food we had 2014 Château Tour St Bonnet (France, Médoc), Lovely ripe claret and 2019 False Bay Pinotage Bush Vine (South Africa, Coastal Region) I bought two bottles of this in Pwllheli. It rings all the right bells: bush vine, wild ferment, cask aged. But I didn’t like it, it had a strange taste I couldn’t nail, one suggestion was violets. I’ll have to try the remaining bottle some time.

Saturday we drove home, stopping for a scone at Dobbies in Shrewsbury for lunch.

The following Friday Wales started a two week national lockdown.

Criccieth - Thursday

 

Thursday morning to Rhoslan where a short walk across another boggy field with sheep leads to the  more impressive Cefn Isaf cromlech. 

In the afternoon a walk across the Cob with great views over the estuary and Snowdon, clear in the sun without clouds obscuring its peak, 

then crossing the Ffestioniog railway track and up and up along a footpath at the edge of cliff with views down over the sea and Porthmadog and distant mountains.

In the evening we had cooked to order takeaway fish’n’chips, collected by Dan and Krisie (last time there was such a queue on Friday so Thursday was chosen).

After an aperitif of N.V. Co-op Cava (Spain, Cava). It was excellent and only £6.75 tho’ why the nearby Nisa Local was selling Co-op labelled Cava puzzles, then 2020 Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc Private Bin Early Release (New Zealand, Marlborough).

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Criccieth - Wednesday

Wednesday was bright and clear. Dan took us on a walk from Porthmadog along a disused tram way to Tremadog and back through Tremadog tree nursery, and back around Porthmadog's inner harbour.

 

The village of Tremadog (Tre Madoc or Madocks' Town) was built by and named after William Alexander Madocks (17 June 1773 – 15 September 1828) on marshland he had reclaimed by building a dam 'the Cob' across the estuary and draining low lying land. He also founded the town of Porthmadog (also named after him) around the port he'd built.

More than 300 ships were built in Porthmadog, and Madocks planted a tree nursery to supply wood for the boats. He built water channels to float felled trees from the wood to the harbour.

In the evening Dan brought a takeway from Sima Tandoori in Portmadog

Criccieth - Tuesday

Tuesday the drizzle had cleared so we took a walk to discover the prehistoric Caer Dyni Burial Chamber. 

We crossed a flooded field and stood gazing at the collapsed cromlech as the rain came blown horizontal by a piercing wind from the sea, so we skedaddled gingerly through the boggy ground and back to warmth and dryness.

Just the two of us, so we had a meat pie, new potatoes and a tin of chick peas and lentils with a bottle of 2014 Château Tour St Bonnet (France, Médoc)

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Criccieth - Monday

 

Monday was a bit drizzly so we took the opportunity to visit the marvellous Gwin Llyn  wine shop in Pwllheli with Dan and Krisie. I only intended to buy a couple of wines - luckily Dan offered to carry the case back to the car.

In the evening, with a takeaway from a limited Dylan’s menu we enjoyed 2017 Definition for Majestic Côtes du Rhône  (France, Côtes du Rhône)  and 2016 C.V.N.E. Rioja Cune Crianza  (Spain, Rioja)

Criccieth - Sunday

 

Our first full day in Criccieth. 

Criccieth Castle

In the afternoon  it was a bright cold day for a walk past the castle and along the sea front.

In the evening I cooked lamb shanks, roast parsnips and potatoes, cabbage and carrots we enjoyed with Dan and Krisie.

We started with an aperitif of N.V. Lanson Champagne Brut Black Label (France, Champagne) and the meal was enhanced by 2014 Kanonkop Estate Pinotage (South Africa, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch) 2014 Kanonkop Kadette Pinotage (South Africa,  Stellenbosch)

Criccieth - Saturday

Saturday we drove to Criccieth for a week. 

We rented the top two floors of this house, door on the left. (Right door is for ground floor flat.) The house had four bedrooms, two bathrooms and slept eight. Our bedroom was on the top floor, the right window.

This we the view straight ahead from the dining room window, middle floor, left window.

and at dawn.

Saturday was International Pinotage Day

and we had 2016 Bellevue Estate Pinotage Houdamond (South Africa, Stellenbosch).

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Anniversary

 

Thanks Toby and Emma