Travelogue

During my travels, I usually collect three or four personal accounts which I then recount in emails to friends. And since they find them very entertaining, I reckoned you might too. A travelogue is born.

From: Ilse

To: Harold F.

Date: 5 October 2007

Subject: Santa Clara vs Saint Patrick

Hi Harold,

Actually, coming down to Santa Clara will be a bit of a problem, as I am currently in Wales and on my way to Ireland. None of the US travel options worked out, the road bike trip was very unattractive in terms of accommodations available, carnivores present and October pricing. So I planned a solo self-guided tour in Ireland instead, which should be a great country in the scenery and heritage department.

I got on the ferry at Hook of Holland last wednesday night and disembarked in Harwich early the following morning. I drove 263 miles to a campground in the Brecon Beacons National Park, where I stayed overnight. Apart from a near crash, everything went smoothly. Mental note for future reference: if in the UK and someone painted 'reduce speed from here' on the road, they were not exaggerating.

When I arrived at Pencelli Castle Caravan & Camping Park, I still had time to explore the area. Thanks to Paul, the campground gardener, who gave me directions for a great hike. The weather was perfect, the scenery breathtaking and although I didn’t make it all the way to the summit, I took a lot of pictures. But as I went downhill on my way back, my trip seemed to go down with it.

I had hoped to have a meal at the Royal Oak, the only foraging place available. On arrival it turned out to be closed for the week. To have some sort of meal, I had the “emergency” soup I had had the wits to bring with me. My luck had also run out with the facilities on the campground. Although Pencelli’s is by far the best equipped park I have stumbled upon sofar, its free WiFi didn't work that night, which presented me with a bit of a planning problem. Being in the mountains, I didn't get a signal for my mobile phone slash internet browser. And to wrap it up, the electricity I arranged for used a special type of motorhome plug, no charging of batteries. It’s been a cold night.

Well, must be off now, for the one hundred mile drive through the Welsh mountains to Fishguard.

Ilse