On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
knally
I’m pretty much a lurker on the site, but thought I could contribute a couple of On The Road items since you’re running short!
This is of a visit that a friend and I made to St Davids the smallest city in the UK in May 2019. My friend had recently bought an electric car and this was the first long drive she’d attempted (long as in 230 miles) and I think I was invited for moral support during range anxiety.
This is the view from where we stayed, Tower Hill – a Landmark Trust property. That’s St Davids Cathedral which gives the small town its city status. It was a popular place of pilgrimage in the middle ages. Pope Calixtus II decreed that “Two pilgrimages to St Davids is equal to one to Rome, and three pilgrimages to one to Jerusalem”
This is another view of the cathedral from the Bishop’s Palace. Although ruined, there was enough remaining of the palace, accompanied by excellent information boards, to give you an idea of its initial magnificence.
We did a couple of walks around the area and this is part of the paths around Marloes Sands.
This is the view down to the sands, with Gateholm Island – a tidal island, so reachable by foot at low tide. Further out to sea is Skokholm Island, a breeding site for many sea birds.
Down on the sands you might possible recognise the view if you’ve ever watched Snow White and the Huntsman. Although possibly not since they CGI’d a huge castle on top.
It was also possible to take numerous paths out from the city. Although not very obvious there is a holy well behind the other metalwork just beyond this kissing gate. As usual it is supposed to have curative powers and would have been popular with the pilgrims on the last stage of their journey.
As in many coastal areas, the trees were grimly hanging on for dear life against the wind. you might be able to work out which side the coast was on from the slight leaning on one side of this charming path.
And since I know pets are very popular on BJ, here is Jake, my friend’s blind golden retriever. He was a rescue dog and the UK vet thought he had probably been blind from birth. He certainly had total confidence and went through life like the ball in a pinball machine, navigating by bouncing off whatever was in the way. Here we have placed mats at the top and bottom of the stairs so he gets some warning on the approach.
Good News Open Thread
oldster
Thank you, knally! A good tale with good photos. Looks like a beautiful part of Wales, and I had never heard of St. David’s cathedral, or its status as a destination for pilgrims.
JanieM
Echoing what oldster said. These are lovely, and all the bits of information are fascinating. Hard to pick a fave, but the Marloes Sands one is especially lovely, and I like that second-to-last one with the path between greenery and gnarled trees. I would love to go for a walk there.
raven
My friend had a huge black German Shepherd named “Frog Dog” who got hit by a car and was blinded so my buddy was a “seeing eye person” for a blind dog!
Benw
Awesome photos! I stayed in Wales one day and it was lovely (but driving the tiny roads on the wrong side was terrifying!)
JPL
Lovely photos!
J.
Great post! Thanks for sharing. And I love the dog. ❤️
EmbraceYourInnerCrone
So lovely, Wakes is on my bucket list!
zhena gogolia
Beautiful. The path with gnarled trees is amazing. And the dog!
Marmot
Say, do you know if that stretch of Marloes Sands features in The Prisoner? Looks familiar!
Cool trip!
Anyway
@Benw:
Haha! Yep, for me the worst part was trying to shift the car door… I found the unpronounceable Welsh place names charming
Kevin
Lovely pictures, especially the bonus one of Jake at the end.
Albatrossity
Very nice. Holy wells and kissing gates! Who knew?
Oregon Girl
Lovely photos! Thanks for sharing them.
knally
Glad that everyone enjoyed the photos. I’ll have a rummage around my files to see what else I can produce.
knally
@raven: At one point we did get a sign saying “I’m Blind” to put on Jake’s harness … but then everyone just thought the person walking Jake was blind!
knally
@Benw: We went to Marloes Sands after visiting the Tourist Information Centre. They warned us about the narrow roads, and my friend said, “That’s alright, my friend can drive, she’s from Cornwall”
Meep!
knally
@Marmot: I don’t think any of The Prisoner was shot here. Most of it was shot at Portmeirion, which is up in the north of Wales, and there is a wide sandy beach there.
oatler
I recommend Ward-Lock & Co.’s “North Wales”, which contains fold-out maps and schedules for steamboat tours; also reviews of bathing machines.
MelissaM
Nice photos, but I’m only commenting because of the dog. Who’s a good boy??
Steve in the ATL
Wales is awesome. I always take a few vowels with me when I go.
stinger
Lurker no longer! Great photos and stories! Good boy Jake!
JimV
It all reminds me of Hogwarts for some reason. Thanks.
Elizabelle
Never heard of St Davids before, and now I want to go. Thank you, knally. And skritch Jake for me.
Will be fun to research the pilgrimage trails more.
Elizabelle
The British Pilgrimage Trust (love it; they’ve got a snail as their logo):
Northern Way of St. David.
Elizabelle
Some more photos of the Northern Route. https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/explore/do/experience/our-experiences/pilgrimage-walk-solva-st-davids
And there is a Southern Route. 5 days, 60 miles. https://britishpilgrimage.org/portfolio/southern-way-of-st-david/
pieceofpeace
Lovely pictures and your commentary is a welcome part. I was there in ’68 or ’69 (when free-wheelin it, time is a nuisance), loved it.
Jake is undoubtedly well-loved, a handsome, fortunate doggie.
Good, do look for more pictures, and thanks for these……
way2blue
I remember laughinig at the hopelessly long village names on the road signs in Wales. Not a chance I could parse them. Thanks for posting!
J R in WV
Sweet road trip — thanks for sharing!
The first post is the hardest, lurk no longer…
KrackenJack
Okay, I had to look up Pope Calixtus (the second nonetheless!). Seems like a decent Burgundian Guy. Which is why I didn’t know him. The dissipated, debauched and murderous ones get all the attention.
Drove a little car with stick in Ireland. The bilingual signage petered out pretty quickly, so I was left wondering what those giant Irish words on the pavement meant as I sped past. For a lot of the roads there wasn’t enough pavement for a right or left side.
Thanks for the informative post and the memory-stirring, Knally
C Stars
@EmbraceYourInnerCrone: Wales is on my bucket list too, after seeing these photos!
knally
@Elizabelle: I’ve done part of the Camino, and some of the Winchester to Canterbury Pilgrims Way so you may get to see some other pilgrim routes.