Wetness and wildlife (but no pics of the wildlife)

After a fun time by the coast over Saturday and Sunday, Monday saw us heading home, and the weather looked suitably depressed with light rain from early morning just getting worse as the day wore on.

We didn't want to jump in the car and just drive back. First we returned to Abereiddi, for one last look at the (not so) Blue Lagoon. This is a huge hole scooped out of the cliffs and now flooded; one of many remnants of slate quarrying in the area.

It's normally a sheltered spot, with calm blue waters (hence its name) but not this particular day; it was wild and forbidding.





















There were a couple of folks out doing the coasteering thing, and looking like they were having fun despite the rough sea, and elsewhere in a more sheltered spot were seals - an adult and a couple of pups.










My husband claimed he saw another seal surfing on the waves on the main beach, but I'm not so sure.

Our route home took us north following the coast, with a brief stop at Newport Parrog, before heading to New Quay for lunch.

Fish and chips by the beach seemed like a good idea, but the rain started to fall again while we were eating. Somewhere out to sea was a fishing/crabbing boat and not particularly close to it but the same distance out were dolphins! Well, I assume they were dolphins as at that distance all we could see were dark shapes jumping out of the water.










I was determined to see at least a little of New Quay but by the time we'd walked to the end of the pier, the rain was heavier, so after a very brief look at the boats in the harbour (and an encounter with a seagull, the only wildlife I managed to photograph) we headed back to the car.

I've been in summer when New Quay's a busy bustling place, with the sheltered beach an excellent place to swim, but even the pretty painted houses looked drab in the rain.

 Heading up to Aberystwyth then inland towards home we pass the Forestry Commision's visitor centre at Bwlch Nant yr Arian. We always stop. Sometimes to just see the sea from the viewpoint. Sometimes to catch the regular red kite feeding. Previously we've seen dozens of kites, but not this day. The food was spread out for them, and a dozen or so came and circled the lake, but they didn't seem interested in eating. We sat and watched a live-screen in the cafe for a while, and a couple of kites investigated the food, but in comparison to other visits it was a disappointment. Not the best end to our weekend, but the other days had been good.