Machynlleth to Llanbrynmair on Glyndŵr's Way: Day 6

Another day when I was battered by wind and rain.

Machynlleth town centre with clock tower.

Local butchers shop and small shops rather than large supermarkets seem typical of towns in Mid Wales.

I briefly visited Machynlleth town centre to see it in daylight, it was another attractive Mid Wales town with a clock tower. The clock face showed 9:30 (the same as when I passed it last night as it struck 8:00). A sign in the butcher's window said he had received an MBE, not normally a profession in the Queen's honours. I had planned to buy something for lunch at the bakery but decided not to, deciding the large size of the generous breakfast filling my belly would mean I was unlikely to feel like eating again until the evening.

As it rained most of the day, this proved a wise decision, stopping for lunch would have been a miserable experience. Sheets of rain were driven across the hills by strong winds, pelting me with rain drops and rapidly wetting anything exposed. I started with the rain cover on my rucksack but this blew off as I crossed an exposed ridge. All my dry clothes and electric goods were in dry bags in my rucksack so they were protected, but the rucksack itself did drip rather badly when I reached my Bed & Breakfast. 

The initial part of the walk, on roads out of Machynlleth was not too bad, but as the path started crossing hills, it was a matter of just keeping walking. Not that there was much of a view, most of the surrounding country was obscured by clouds. There were a few villages with houses and modestly sized, old mills built of the local grey-green  sandstone, which splits easily into flat but uneven pieces of building stone. As I passed I could smell heating oil, or wood smoke or the dusty taste of coal. Old tractors gave off fumes of diesel. No cafés though. 

Again today I was squelching up and down hills, across large green fields, now saturated with water, the sheep staring at me. Some looked like they had recently had dealings with a ram (based on the coloured patch on their backs, left by a sack attached to the ram). There was a little moorland as well and one section of clear cut forest, but very little shelter from the rain and wind. I was therefore glad I was not camping but could dry out in the Wynnstay Bed & Breakfast at Llanbrynmair. On arriving the owner welcomed me with a cup of tea and a slice of excellent fruit cake (a light texture with some nice bits of dried fruit and glacé cherries). This was despite me dripping everywhere.

One of the enjoyable parts of this trip are the pubs where I have my evening meal. The Wynnstay Arms looked a bit run down from outside but inside it was warm and friendly. I had an excellent lamb shank for my dinner. The sprightly old lady behind the bar cooks the food as well as pulling the pints, so a little wait for service but it was worth it. Only a handful of people were present, one produced films, and I was persuaded to buy a DVD on the history of various sights in Wales.