Swansea to Penarth

Day 46 & 47
We had a pleasant and uneventful 8 hour trip to Penarth. The coastline was lovely and as we all noted, very unspoilt.  No dolphins or jelly fish this time but we had sunshine and it did get very warm in the middle of the day. We had to hand helm most of the way because there wasn't enough wind to use the wind steering and as you know the auto-helm had broken some time ago. However, the time went quickly and we arrived at Penarth at 1800. We had to lock in and as they were quite large locks, that provided a bit of excitement for the day.

Nine boats in the large no 1 Barrage Lock
Penarth consists of two marinas and we were given a berth at the very far end, where we were met by our guest's son Mark who lives locally. We all shared a welcome meal of fish and chips on board and then we said goodbye to Roy and Mary as they were leaving us today.  Josh and I had an early night as we were both tired. Luckily the engine had behaved itself all the way over with one or two wobbles but it had been a worry for Josh.

The Customs House Penarth
The next day dawned bright and sunny and we went exploring the Cardiff Bay waterfront of Penarth and found ourselves at the Custom's House, which has now been converted to a very nice  restaurant and coffee bar. So we sat outside in the sun and enjoyed a coffee overlooking Cardiff Bay. Penarth is just a few miles across the bay from Cardiff and there is a ferry that goes at regular intervals.

Josh enjoying his morning coffee overlooking Cardiff Bay
Penarth Pier
Our friend Celia had taken the train from Broadstairs to Penarth to spend a few days with us. She arrived at lunchtime and so, in the afternoon, we went for a rather steep walk around Penarth, through the gardens and found the quaint Victorian pier. The whole town is rather genteel and very neat and is a well kept reminder of the Victorian seaside era. We had a Welsh cake and a stroll around the pier and discovered the beautifully kept park (one of several in the Penarth) and walked back along the coastal path.

One of Penarth's parks with topiary
The evening was spent in the Customs House again, where we enjoyed  a very good meal and a couple of glasses of champagne. The perfect end to a perfect day.


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