Shallow Pockets Brimming with Cliffs and Crags

Our second day at Tides Reach started off amazingly- full Welsh breakfast just down the stairs of our B&B. I wish I had a picture to show! All of the little tables were set with blue-patterned china, there was a fruit and yogurt buffet, fresh toast, tea and coffee were brought to us with mason-jared orange marmalade and then a platter of meat, eggs, hashbrowns and tomatoes. My tummy is never so happy as when it's full of breakfast.

And then our coasteering guide called to say he was en route... and my happy tummy started somersaulting all of the good food it had just been introduced to. I despise cold water and I'm a bit heights-shy... so why coasteering? Because I know those are silly things to dislike and I was hoping to cure myself with the help of a push from a guy I paid to push me. And hopefully the scenery of a foreign country might be of some help too, to aid me in forgetting my apprehensions.

So Wales isn't like Florida- the water just doesn't get warmer than a certain point. Wetsuits were required- which, okay, understood... but then we also had to wear drawstring shorts to prevent the suit from being snagged on sharp rocks, socks, tennis shoes, a life vest and a helmet. We looked like aliens to all of the scantily clad families enjoying their holiday on the beach.

But you know something? The crazy get up was well worth it. What an [enjoyable!] adventure coasteering turned out to be!

What is coasteering you might ask? Well, it's basically throwing yourself into the open ocean and letting the waves push you onto the sides of cliffs so you can grab on for dear life as the water pulls away, scramble up the side to the tip top and jump from the highest point back into the waves. Rinse and repeat.

Basically, it makes you feel alive!

 

I wish I hadn't been so hasty with my snapping away- I ran out of pictures before we got back to land. We washed up on a pebbled beach [a lot like the one from my trip to Homer, Alaska] and we had a decent hike through the most spectacular 'rainforest' pathways. Sincerely, all I could think to compare it to was The Swiss Family Robinson. Gower is a beautiful, beautiful piece of paradise.

After we thawed back in Mumbles, our tummies were once again ruling our decisions so we made it down the coast to a quaint little pub called The George. All of the window-tables that we'd had our eye on were reserved or taken so when a couple finally got up we swooped into their spots, only for this klutz to spill her freshly ordered half pint all over tarnation... I don't think I'll ever grow into grace and elegance, sadly. At least the bartenders were kind enough to still bring us our nachos with a smile as well as a brand new halfie and lots and lots of napkins.

Wales was magical. I already miss the sounds of the ocean... for some reason being near the sea makes me whole. I don't know what special juju it holds over me but no matter what my woes a splash of seagulls and a little salty breeze is all it takes to zen me out and remind me of all that is good.

Bye-bye Mumbles. Bye-bye sundaes. And bye-bye Tides Reach. I hope we meet again.