People walking on the beach at Newgale.
We got up early in order to catch a train for the east. We were scheduled to meet Kelly and Denise in Newport, Wales at noon. Breda tried to get me to have "the full fry", but I stopped at the corn flakes. After breakfast, I paid the bill, caught a bus, and headed back to the train station in downtown Cardiff.
A ticket to Newport from Cardiff costs £3. The first train that we were going to catch was cancelled. Fortunately, trains to Newport are pretty common, so we were able to get on a slightly later train. After a 20 minute ride, we were in Newport. Kelly and Denise were waiting for us in the station. We loaded our bags into their car and started heading toward the west coast of Wales.
Our first stop was the Roman ruins at Caerleon. We saw the ampitheatre, the barracks, the baths, and the museum. Then, it was back in the car for a trip to Caerphilly Castle. There was a festival going on there. We grabbed a bite to eat at one of the food stands and toured the castle. After our tour, we started driving west to Haverfordwest and our B&B.
Kelly was nice enough to arrange our lodging for the evening. He has a knack for picking good places to stay, and this one was no exception. The name of the place was the Austalise B&B in Keystone Hill, about 10 miles west of Haverfordwest. This place was spectacular. Bathrooms and televisions were with each room. The beds were very comfortable. But best of all, were the terrific views of the surrounding countryside from the B&B. Doubles at Austalise cost £36 night, while singles cost £25 per night. I can't imagine a better place to stay in the Pembrookshire Coast area. The phone number is 01437-710-303.
Our hostess recommended that we take in the sunset at Newgale, which was only 3 miles away. She was right, it was impressive. Newgale's beach is a several mile long strip of sand. The tide was low and there were just a few people on it enjoying the sunset. I could make out the fog in the distance as it began to penetrate some of the coastal valleys to the north. It was another of those magical moments that one can only get if they travel off the beaten path.
After sunset (about 9 p.m.), we tried finding a place to eat. Newgale is a very small town, so there was nothing there. After driving up the Pembrookshire coastline for a while, we turned back toward Keystone Hill. Along the way, we found the Pelcomb Inn Restaurant in Pelcomb Cross. By this time, it was a little after 9:30. A sign over the bar said that they stopped serving food at 9:00. However, Kelly asked if they were still serving. They said they were and promptly seated us at a table. The food was great. Prices ranged from £2.10 for the soup of the day and bread to £5.95 for curry chicken. And both dishes were large enough to fill a person. After we'd finished, we got a chance to talk to the owners. It seems they've been running the restaurant for a few years and had developed a reputation for friendliness and good food. They even run a shuttle bus for parties of 8 or more within a 10 mile radius. If one is in the Newgale area, they should make the effort to visit this place. The phone number is 01437-710-267.
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