Saundersfoot

All of our explorations of the delights of Pembrokeshire started and finished in Saundersfoot and most of our days in Saundersfoot started and finished with a walk around the village. The harbour area is always a picturesque spot with plenty of photographic opportunities, many of which I took advantage of. This one from near the boat yard opposite the Yacht Club also shows evidence of the mild climate in this part of Wales with some flora not generally seen in our home town some 200 miles to the north east.

Much of the sea front near the harbour doubles as a large car park which is overlooked by the prominent building in this picture that houses the Harbour Master's office.

Between the Harbour Master's office and the Yacht Club, a slipway slopes down to the water's edge. I have often seen vehicles here, usually on Sunday evenings, with trailers attached as weekend sailors winch their vessels ashore. Midweek though, when this picture was taken in the evening sunshine, the slipway was clear of vehicles.

Flower beds and seating areas separate the car park from the beach along the sea front and iron railings serve a dual purpose in being a safety barrier between the promenade and the vertical drop to the beach below as well as providing something to lean on to watch the world go by when all the seats are taken.

The seagulls don't have any problem at all when it comes to finding a seat! They can settle anywhere and usually do, whether it be on top of lighting columns, close circuit television camera gantries or parked vehicles (left) or just some of the ornamental features in the area. The main picture above also shows the steep road that leads up St Bride's Hill with the luxury hotel that sits immediately above the harbour contrasting sharply with the simple building, bottom left, on the harbour wall.

All of the pictures so far on this page were taken during our evening strolls around Saundersfoot but the one immediately above and the two below come from an early morning walk. With few people about, the car park was almost empty and no-one had yet claimed a seat but the gulls were still present. It looks as though this one had spent the night sleeping on the rubbish bin which someone or something had obviously ransacked, no doubt in search of breakfast. Not that I'm pointing any fingers but that gull's expression was far too innocent and seemed to be saying, "Not me, Guv!".

One of the few people that were about was this one who had found a perfect spot for a little Bible Study. This is the same young lady that we had first met a few days previously when she was leading the Emmanuel Mission's Sunshine Centre for youngsters on the beach. In the peaceful atmosphere near a deserted beach with the warm sunshine beating down and the Good Book to hand, what better way to start the day?

So as the village began to wake to face another beautiful and busy day, the receding sea seemed to have completed its work for a while having washed the beach clean. But this is no time to be watching the tide go out - breakfast is waiting.