Day Three - Pont.... to Ponterwyd. 20.4 miles.

Total ascent 1076m (3530ft).

Well it's a sort of big thumbs down for the Black Lion at Pont... For the second time in a year I've found myself hammering on a door and waiting for someone to get up and serve breakfast. Last time I just left and drove to a Little Chef, this time I had no choice but to wait. And wait. And wait. I'd been told breakfast was from 8 to 9. It was now 8:55. I half expected someone to lean out of the window and say "Sorry, breakfasts finish at 9."

A lad wearing boxer shorts eventually opened the door and apologised. Then he disappeared. I turned the lights on in the dining room and waited. Nothing. Another couple arrived and told me how nice breakfast had been yesterday. I had a look in the cupboards and found the crockery and cutlery, so we set the tables. We also found cereal and jam. Now all we needed was food to go with them. Eventually the landlord arrived looking hungover and dishevelled, shrugged and said "Whoops!"

It was a complete shambles, but in the end we had food which wasn't awful and I got my packed lunch (which included a litre bottle of orange juice!). The 80th time the landlord entered the room, this time with a teaspoon, he announced that his partner had gone away for the weekend so he had to do everything himself. Well, apart from get himself up and set the tables for breakfast.

He was so shambolic we started to warm to him, especially when he said, "I miss her so much." (she'd been there when I went to bed!). I'm sure Jennie would have gone to help him in the kitchen had she been there. When I asked for the bill he couldn't find the book, so had to ask me how much my room was, what I'd had to eat and how much the meal was (he couldn't find a menu either). He didn't though charge me for any drinks or for the packed lunch (a FREE litre of orange juice - result!). On reflection maybe I'll go back again sometime, it was certainly memorable.

Despite having 20 miles to do and having eventually left the Black Lion at 10 o'clock (so much for the early start), I wanted to visit Strata Florida, a monastery only a mile into the walk. I had seen it in "Wales: 100 places to visit before you die", and thought it looked interesting, despite reducing my life expectancy (only 19 to go, gulp! One of which is Merthyr Tydfil, enormous gulp!). Maybe it's because we'd just spent 2 weeks in the Bavarian Alps visiting King Ludwig's majestic castles, but it was rubbish. In fact if I'd just been to Merthyr Tydfil it would still be rubbish. All that was there were two arches joined together. It looked as if the monks had started to build a McDonalds, then changed their minds. Still, at least it didn't hold me up for long.

I was expecting rain so was waterproofed up apart from the jacket, but thankfully it took a long time to arrive, and this meant a fantastic first few hours. I was back in hardcore remoteness amongst the Teifi Pools, a series of small lakes and reservoirs, and the grey skies just added to the experience. I had been worried that the paths would be like the second half of yesterday but they were much better, so striding out was in order.

Hardcore remoteness, earlier today.

I met the first other walkers of the trip just when I least expected to, in the middle of nowhere (though I could see them coming from about 4 miles away!). They were 5 army cadets, all young lads, and one of them was struggling. He had fallen in a river which can't have helped. I wondered what they'd be ordered to do with a straggler in a combat situation, give him support or shoot him? I'll have to check when I get home.

WAIT!!! I need to stop. Will explain why later.

Well, I'll cut the walk bit short, because there are bigger fish to fry. Basically, the first half of the walk was fab, the next quarter to Devil's Bridge was dull and the last quarter to Ponterwyd was great but hard work, including the steepest hill of the walk so far. It drizzled from 2 till 3, then got heavier, then stopped at 5. I'm staying at the George Borrow Hotel and had a delicious slab of pork in sauce with veg' for dinner.

Now, to important issues. Just as I typed "when I get home" earlier a voice coming through a microphone said, "Welcome to the music quiz." I was up to the bar like a shot to get a quiz sheet. The landlord said, "Why don't you go with Gareth? He's on his own." Gareth, a local lad, was standing at the bar and seemed happy enough but he wasn't on his own, his girlfriend was with him, but as the evening went on I could see what the landlord meant.

The 40 quiz questions were entirely of the 'name this song and artist' type, and we won by 10 clear points with a resounding 67. Gareth was absolutely delighted, initially joking with the other teams, then becoming a bit aggressive for his own good. I suggested he take the first prize bottle of Cava home, but he was adamant that we should drink it. At this point his girlfriend showed a sudden interest, though she only got a glass after Gareth asked me whether she'd done enough to earn one. I was tempted to say, "No, she did bugger all." I actually said, "Yes, of course."

So as I go to bed the George Borrow Hotel is the best pub in the world and everyone here is my bezzy mate. And I've got to get up in the morning.


-- Posted from Kev's iPhone