RUSH HOUR IN PEMBROKESHIRE

Dagmar and I cycled 53 miles today from Llandovery to Amroth near Tenby. Last night we stayed at the Whitehall which deserves a 5* rating as a best place to stay for a slow bike ride. Knicknamed the Drovers, Llandovery is home to one of Wales' premier rugby teams. It is a market town and used to be on a drover's trail. It started life as a Roman settlement. The Whitehall is a proper community pub that talks rugby, farming and community events.

The wind has disappeared but it drizzles gently along the A40. There is no cycle route locally so we set a fast pace for 15 miles to find NCN47 where happily a gentle pace can be resumed and we meander comfortably alongside the Afon Tywi. We now have joined a cycle route known as the Celtic Trail. The weather also improves. We stop in Camarthen for lunch and here we find two things. Firstly it has lots of locally owned shops and secondly the NCN is proudly displayed. Unexpectedly, we also need suncream as the clouds disappear.

We leave on NCN4 as a continuation of the Celtic Trail. This winds itself up into more hills but this area is tranquility itself. We find 5 dogs fast asleep. We stop and ask ourselves if this is potentially dangerous. It will not be the first time that I have been rounded up by a Welsh collie on my bike. I cycle on saying soothing words to the dogs like "Good boy" and "Good girl". It seems to work because the dogs don't move.  Meanwhile Dagmar stays behind and I wonder if she is terrified. I suggest she says the same soothing words but I am sure they won't mind if it is in German. No, Dagmar wanted her photo taken, so here it is

We meet a farmer shortly afterwards and he told us that they don't move for cars either. We peddle through a forest and past some wind turbines to find a breath taking view out to sea

Amroth is a small seaside town between Pendine and Tenby and is a good place to say for a slow bike ride. "Will we be in Ireland tomorrow?" I ask Dagmar. "Of course," she replies, "Ireland is not far if you take the ferry from Pembroke dock"