Walk 5 Swansea Bay 24th July, 2013

Well..a bit delayed in getting up-to-date with our walks. It's been a lovely summer, hasn't it, so other interests took over too! So to get us to where we are today....first of all was Swansea Bay on a beautiful summer's day and all the better because our grandsons were able - and willing! - to walk with us! We found a suitably placed, if expensive, car park, near the docks and off we set. first of all in wrong direction but as we headed over the old jetties, a gentleman guided us back to the coastal path signs. Interesting too as he explained to us that his father had been a fisherman here, following the herring, but like in lots of fishing communities, it suffered and died due to overfishing...(by the Spanish too)..a heritage to remember.

Lovely views as we rounded onto the bay front and of course onto the beach - irresistible to 2 boys! Tide was out and going further out - Swansea is a big bay!!

Had such great fun - the boys ran for miles, even venturing onto the dunes at the back of the beach by the prom.

Lunched at the 360 degree beach cafe and then continued along the bay. Many sand drawings were done

 and a game of throw the lime was enjoyed when the boys found a substitute ball.

 They enjoyed following in footsteps....

The beach did seem to go on for ever that afternoon and although we were amazed at sand sculptures - we wanted to stop to do one really - we did decline visiting an amazingly busy park and stuck to the vast openness!

So we pressed on and dried out Alex's shirt after he fell in the water! He did lots of writing his name in shells too. Saw lots of cockle shells..inevitable in this part of the world..and also lots of slipper limpets here. I used to call them devil's toenails but in fact they are only available as fossils! the more accurately named slipper limpets are in fact imports and not really good for our own seafood types. A bit like grey squirrels etc!

We pressed on and had to leave the beach as we approached the Mumbles and take to a footpath accompanied by cyclists and roller bladers...and an occasional little prom train which had its own little stations.....

....and as we passed the purple house, we had some rain so the dry T shirt was wet once more - but not for very long!

We walked in the end to Verdi's Cafe approaching the pier as we couldn't see anywhere else to have tea - and we were hungry! Afterwards we eventually caught a bus but had to walk back again to the bus stop in the town...5 went the other way before ours arrived.....then a longish walk to the car from the bus station. About 6 miles in 6 hours - well done all of us!