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| This sign was hanging inside the Spaghetti Incident, a lovely pasta restaurant where I had dinner upon my return to Bristol. Of course, it is cliché, but the simplicity of this version makes me smile. |
There weren't many route options in leaving St. Davids. So going further north in Wales was unnecessary and only complicated my return to Bristol for my Tuesday flight. Notably, all routes pass through Swansea and Cardiff due to Brecon Beacons National Park, located north of Cardiff. This National Park bifurcates Northern and Southern Wales. The Brecon Beacons is one of three National Park in Wales; the others are Snowdonia (northern Wales) and Pembrokeshire Coast National Park (visited the past few days). It dawned on me that I had not previously included a map of the coastal trail. In the figure below, I hiked the purple segment and part of the blue segment (Pembroke Dock to Milford Haven), which offset the mileage for the segment I omitted (Milford Haven to Dale).
As such, Friday was a long and mostly uneventful long day. I left Whitesands Beach at 830 am. Three connections later, St. Davids, Fishguard, and Cardiff, I arrived back in Bristol around a quarter to 9 pm. My only hang-up was the bus from Cardiff to Bristol was 1.5 hrs late in arriving. It could have been somewhat challenging if it weren't for the driver change in Cardiff. The new driver waited with the rest of us for the bus to arrive. So, I used the extra time to set up my tent on the lawn to let it dry out from the light rain this morning at Whitesands Beach.
This brilliant, striking piece catches my eye, as does the subtle message contained within "All Woman Experience Sexual Harassment. Call it out."
I also continue discovering more of these globes connecting modern people to the African slave trade. This one is particularly moving. Within each shape is a unique story written by a different person sharing their experiences with the difficulties of our modern world. As I read through each story, I get the sense that the authors simply want to be understood. I enjoy exploring these globes whenever I encounter them.
As I walk by this, I start laughing at the irony of this statement. That is AWESOME! I am so grateful for the clever and talented people who bring joy to my day.
This weekend is a Bank Holiday, i.e., Holiday Weekend, in southern Wales. As a result, finding a reasonably priced place to stay was impossible. So, I decided to push on to Bristol a few days early, which will afford me a little more time to take care of some housekeeping things. In preparing for the upcoming Camino, I've thought a lot about my equipment. I've proven I can cover the distances I need to walk with my backpack as is. However, I have maxed the volume, and stuffing my rucksack into my external travel bag for air travel is a bit of a challenge. I also believe the walk would be more enjoyable if my pack were lighter. I considered several options, including using a shuttle service for my rucksack along the Camino; this would cost me about 8-10 euros per day. And I thought about donating my sleep back to an organization that helps Ukrainian refugees in Cardiff. So I finally opted to ship all my camping gear back to my parent's house in the States. This creates space in my bag and will save me about 10 lbs (5 kg) of hiking weight. I have no further plans to camp now that Fall is approaching. Camping gear is not essential for the Camino; there are plenty of Albergues, i.e., pilgrim hostels, along the way. Albergues are part of the Camino experience. Below are the items I am letting go of and no longer need. I packed well, and each item was used at least once.
Before I started my trip, I invested heavily in acquiring ultralight gear, mainly because my equipment was dated and inadequate for this type of travel. Notably, shipping something back to the U.S. is a more significant challenge than I expected. As a result, I spent the better part of Saturday on a scavenger hunt across Bristol. Locating what I considered standard supplies, such as a cardboard box, sharpie, and shipping tape, and finding a UPS or DHL access point. This had me wandering through new parts of the city. For example, I was surprised at how difficult it was to acquire a shipping box. As I pass by this familiar site, I notice the canvas has evolved again in the two weeks I've been away from Bristol.
I figure out that UPS and DHL access points are unhelpful and are nothing like the UPS stores in the states. The sole job of access points in the United Kingdom is to collect packages from the public. These must be packaged properly and be ready to ship with labels printed off-site for them to accept the package. They also are worthless for acquiring supplies.
So, I opt to use UPS to send my gear home. The shipping cost is relatively reasonable, only 70 quids. However, even though I purchased all my equipment in the States, the tariffs from customs will cost me another 120 quids. I contemplated reducing the value and decided against it. What if the package got lost, and I needed to replace the equipment? I decided it was best to claim the actual value, about $1500. This created another challenge for me. UPS.com informed me, after completing the transaction, that due to the valuation of my box, I can no longer use an access point and must hand my package to the driver directly or use a UPS customer service center. And, of course, the nearest UPS customer service center is closed for the weekend. Monday it will be then. Along the way, I pause to take a few photos of some memorable art. I love this one! It is important to find solace within the chaos of the city.
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