Felinwynt + Wild card rest day

I wanted to start early on the sixth day, as I was very excited about the reunion with Alfi. He's Angela's dog, my ex-landlady from Cardiff. She invited me to visit them in their hostel in West Wales during my trip. 

So, lots of exciting meetings planned for the day. But, the weather got in my way... I wanted to have lunch with her and her husband, but I couldn't even start cycling from Machynlleth before 11 a.m.

That day was horrible. The worst thing I could do that day was cycling. 

I started the coastline route with a very powerful storm. There weren't any nice moment; hailstones, rain and constant wind were hitting my face all day. That wasn't only the most challenging cycle, but most challenging activity of my life so far. The two things that motivated me were some fellow travellers' good luck wishes who I met on the road, and that I didn't want to fail fundraising for Ty Hafan.

While having a little break in Aberystwyth's harbour, I got literally scared of the weather. The sky was darker than the sea, and the wind was louder than my thoughts. 

Fighting the wind for 10 hours, being blown off the road a few times, pedalling with all my power even downhill, I almost reached my finish line for the day with an average 6 mph speed. My hosts came to look for me on the road as I was so late, and they gave my bike and I a lift for the last 2-3 miles.

It wasn't hard to fall asleep after that apocalyptic day. 

Nothing had changed when I woke the next morning. After looking out the windows and listening to the storm for about 10 minutes, I felt like it would never stop, and I would end up waiting here, in that big stone house forever, like in the Torin Horse from Bela Tarr. I decided not to ride that day, and rest on my seventh 'Sabbath'.

Luckily, I didn't have to spend all day at the window, as Angela and Paul very kindly showed me around in their beautiful, rustic hostel complex and then drove me to some hidden, secret places nearby.

Machynlleth+The sheep thing

On the fifth day I started my way back to Cardiff.
The guys who hosted me a few days ago offered me a couch in Machyntllath for tonight too, so I came back here, resting a bit after my last hilly day, before I hit the coastline.
Today was cold, windy, wet, hilly, but for some unknown reason it was also my longest distance, and the quickest ride as well. As the bridge at Penrhyndeudraeth was closed I couldn't change too much on my way back, but I still found some interesting segments on my first day - WITHOUT pushing my bike up any hills!
After the empty roads on the weekdays, today I had the chance to join to a convoy of cyclists twice, and share a few thoughts. It was good.

A ship instead of sheep

THE SHEEP THING

Dear population of sheep in Wales,

I know that one of my previous posts was a bit harsh; I said I was bored of seeing you around me all the time. I want to apologize for that sudden aggression. 

You have to know that I am one of you. My nickname, Racka, comes from my surname in Serbian+the the Hungarian -ka ending which means 'junior'. But after having dreadlocks and meeting a band called Rackajam I found out that my name actually belongs to a traditional Hungarian breed of sheep, as well.

I am attaching the only document that proves that I did cycle all the way to the Hungarian-Slovenian-Austrian triple border just to see you sheep. (I was very happy, but my cyclist friend Edina smiled instead of me, because I was too deeply touched to show it on the surface.) 

Penmon+Snowdon

Day 1 - backwind; day 2&3 - fighting the wind; day 4 - no wind. Suspicious. 

Skipped Holyhead, but still wanted to get to the edge of the mainland to take my 'end of the land' photo, and because I have a childish penchant for bridges and lighthouses. So, I've chosen Penmon  as my end-point of Wales.

After discussing Tito, Milosevic, Yugoslavia, Austro-Hungarian Empire and all the good old questions in the last few days, I was wondering where my Yugo nostalgia was coming from. How do I have one at all?
When the smell of the sea hit my face as I cycled along the coastline, a memory came back, clear as playing a tape back. My godparents once took me to Brela, a village on the Croatian  seaside - that's the bluest water I've ever seen. I think when I stayed there with them (a mix of ex-yu adults) that was a magical feeling, seeing their common memories, even though we were in international company. I think, to me, Yugoslavia means a very nice blue, the integrity of the strongest language boundaries, and holidays with whipped cream on the top - which I could have everyday for brunch. What brought all this to mind was the funny smell of the dead seashells.

Magic! There is a saying in Hungarian: every piece of magic lasts for three days. True. After three days without rain (lasting longer than 10 minutes, at least), I got it all on the fourth. Because of that, my day was cut short by 10 miles. I couldn't make it up to Snowdon. :(
BUT, luckily my very kind host Annie saw that sad smiley, and offered me a ride up to the top.

I've named this day my luxury day: bridge, lighthouse, car-ride, reggae music, huge dinner, live music - where the band dedicated one of their songs to my charity cycle, and listening to looooooots of Welsh talk (I didn't hear any English, except when they were talking to me). Beautiful language -  hopefully gonna have enough rain not to dry out these green valleys.  

Brecon

On the road again! Today I cycled the shortest distance of the trip - good for a warm-up and to test everything. First, my nice Welsh flag fell off - picked it up; then, my water bottle - picked it up; then the whole pannier rack - fixed it up. After all that happened, I managed to leave Cardiff. :)

proud of my nice flag.

With the wind behind me the first thing that could stop me on Route 8 was a super-tight, one-way passage - I was on the 'give way' side. Behind that short road were hiding all the hills of Brecon Beacons. The wind wasn't strong enough to help there; the up-n-downs stopped me a few times. Twice I had to push the bike, once go mud-surfing on a temporary chunk of the Taff Trail, and do 2 extra climbs because I got lost.

Today's fun expedition cycling wasn't the only reason why this leg took me 6 hours. Cycling through Brecon Beacons is also hard without slowing down and being amazed by the stunning landscape (another reason for having a break there is the thought that I have a box of my Hannah's delicious flapjacks in my bag).

After a very warm welcome and a refreshing warm shower at a fellow cyclist couple's house in Brecon, here are some spots that you shouldn't miss out on!

at the tight lane with my travel-buddy LostnFound Bunny

levitating lake

No cyclist-blogger can avoid these road-pictures.

Traffic jam in Wales

shephard style

hmm, this just simply cool

Good night from Brecon, the place where I am having my first (brilliant) Warmshowers experience!

THE PLAN

Empty keyring - I don't need a room anymore - just the road!

Cymru Cycle starts on Monday, the 5th of May.
Here's THE PLAN:

Day 1

  Cardiff - Brecon (50 miles / 80,4 kilometres)

Day 2

  Brecon - Machynlleth (72,8 miles / 117 kilometres)

Day 3

  Machynlleth - Caernarfon (60,8 miles / 97,8 kilometres)

Day 4

  Caernarfon - Holyhead - Caernarfon ( 66,1 / 106 kilometres)

Day 5

  Caernarfon - Machynlleth (72,8 miles / 117 kilometres)

Day 6

  Machynlleth - Felinwynt (53,9 miles / 86,7 kilometres )

Day 7

  Felinwynt - St. David's - Haverfordwest (60,3 miles / 97,1 kilometres)

Day 8

  Haverfordwest - Llanelli (51,2 miles / 82,4 kilometres)

Day 9

  Llanelli - Cardiff (60,9 miles / 98 kilometres)

+ one wild card rest-day when I want (or need!!!) one.

At the Rocky statue in Žitište, Serbia on a cycle tour in 2011

After receiving lots of good luck wishes from family and friends, and getting amazing support and sponsorship from my workplace, Café Junior, the time had come to say thanks to all of them, and to my very special Hannah and her family for their kindness (especially for lending me a bicycle - quite an important part of the trip). 

Your help will be a very good downwind up the hills!

I'll keep you updated from the valleys!