Sue and Martin in Mallorca 2019

Sue and Martin in Mallorca 2019
On the Archduke's Path in Mallorca

Saturday 8 May 2021

Saturday 8 May 2021 - The Cob, a Nature Trail, Portmeirion and a pond


A rainy morning provided the perfect excuse to stay at home and watch the comings and goings of the harbour from the comfort of our couch.

The afternoon brought better weather and an opportunity to leave the car behind and take a stroll across the Cob, the Glaslyn estuary's antidote to invasion by sea.


The path beside the narrow gauge railway line is lined just now with the blue and yellow flowers of ground ivy and birdsfoot trefoil. Egrets patrol the seaward side of the structure. 

The trains are operating a limited service.


There's apparently an excellent cycleway along this section of coast. Must try it sometime, though I suspect the busy roads in the area would necessitate a 'there and back' route.


Beyond the Cob, pleasant woodland leads through beds of bluebells to the interesting site of Portmeirion.


A new Nature Woodland Walk has been devised, using all manner of discarded objects - boots, helmets, teapot, radio, kettle, etc.


From a viewpoint above the trail, the panoramic scene was rather more subdued than it would have been in yesterday's sunny weather.


I found this variegated ivy eye-catching.


The nature walk passes a couple of Bug Hotels.


Well done! whoever created this short trail, and laid the blue string that keeps visitors on the straight and narrow.


Judging by the frantic activity at the bird feeders, they must need frequent attention. 

After enjoying a figure of eight loop to the fences surrounding Portmeirion, which must be a 'pay to enter' village, we returned over the Cob to pass a building site guarded by this chap.


Here, there's a tidal pond, home to many more bird species. Normally there would be a mountain backdrop, but today the cloud was well and truly down.


Here's our 9.5 km route from home, which is marked by a small purple circle. A well spent couple of hours with little more than 100 metres ascent. Click on any picture for a better image.

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