Bike Route: Fishguard to Newcastle-Emlyn 34mi 3400ft of climb
Accommodation: Pretty self-contained annex near castle and river (Airbnb); hosts Ishtar and David. A stylish little annex with green space around, a full kitchen, bathtub and shower, a comfortable bed, and a cute little veranda. There's a sauna in the garden too. It's a new space so everything is fresh and the space feels energizing.
Dinner: The Bunch of Grapes pub. Grilled lamb steak, mussels in white wine sauce, mushrooms sauteed in butter with garlic, vegetables, and salad. Delicious.
It was nice to start out again after a day of rest, with clean clothes and fresh legs. The first 10 miles or more we were backtracking on the same roads we had taken to get to Fishguard--but as always, the views are different when you are going in the opposite direction, so it seemed a little new. The hills were mostly ridable, the weather was beautiful, the scenery was spectacular, as we made our way north and east through the rolling Welsh countryside, through sheep farms and villages.
Our host Ishtar called out to us from an upstairs window of the main house as we entered the gate at our "home" for the night. She said she was cooking and couldn't come down right then, but to message her if we had any trouble getting in or needed anything. We found the key to the annex easily, stored the bikes, showered, changed into "evening" clothes (clean shirts, pants, and socks), and walked back down the hill into town for dinner.
After eating, we found the ruins of the old castle and explored the castle park, before hiking back up the hill to our annex.
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| Mile after mile of farms, trees, villages, and occasionally a castle or abbey ruin. |
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| The castle at Newcastle-Emlyn was founded in the mid-1200s, and the first stone portions were built in the early 1300s. It was refurbished and expanded several times over the years. After the Royalists surrendered at the end of the civil war, in 1645, it was blown up to render it indefensible. |
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| A sign said the clock tower to the old market hall was open, but a gentleman inside said it was not accessible to the general public. We asked because of course we wanted to climb it for a bird's-eye view of the town. |
