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Another short trip with long driving involved in the summer of 2024. I left home early in the morning towards Skanda Vale. Skanda Vale , The Maha Shakti (also known as the Maha Kali) Temple houses a striking six-foot-tall murthi (sacred image) of Maha Kali, surrounded by shrines to Lakshmi, Pattini, Saraswati, Mother Mary and more. The drive was about 6 hours and we had a mishap, on the way we had rest stop and while adding air the tire valve blew off. So we got stuck there for a while and called AA, which took couple of hours to arrive . Nevertheless he fixed the car but it was still leaking . So , when I arrived Skanda Vale tire was almost flat. Skanda Vale itself has a cluster of temples , located uphill . It was quite a drive in single track road. We walked around visited some of the temples but was quite worried about flat tire. Anyhow we visited some of the temples but did not went uphill to main Kali temple. I borrowed pump to fill tire and then left for the YHA , YHA Borth. The hostel is right at the end of the Borth village and next to the beach.
We walked a long way to had our dinner in an Indian place. In the morning after breakfast we walked at the beach . It was cloudy but the sun rise and colourful Welse houses were really beautiful. I had to sort out my car as well . The tire was completely flat. It was bank holiday , not many garages were open. We got pick-up from a grage in Barmouth. They took a while to fix the wheel , meanwhile we roamed around the little town , went to the beach and spent some time.
We had our lunch at Barmouth, now the car is fixed properly we left for St Davids where we will be staying for 2 nights. I left my YHA and had a nice walk to the Whitesand beach . For dinner we had some noodles and biscuits . Communal kitchen was very busy and this was the best.
Next morning we explores St Davids. St Davids, located in Pembrokeshire, Wales, is officially the smallest city in the UK. It earned its city status in 1995, primarily due to the presence of St Davids Cathedral, which has been a site of pilgrimage for centuries. The city has a population of around 1,751, making it significantly smaller than other cities in the UK.
Towering over St Davids village is the cathedral . It’s one of Britain’s oldest cathedral settlements, evolving from a monastic site to a prominent place of pilgrimage and a stunning example of medieval ecclesiastical architecture.
A ruined medieval palace adjacent to St David’s Cathedral in Pembrokeshire, Wales, has a rich history dating back to the 6th century.Initially, a monastery was established by St David, which later became a significant religious site and pilgrimage destination. The current palace, primarily dating from the 13th and 14th centuries, was built by various bishops, notably Bishop Henry de Gower who oversaw significant construction between 1328 and 1347. The palace, once a symbol of ecclesiastical power, fell into disrepair after the Reformation.
The ruins are preserved and they run some touristic show on certain days.
Walking in the alleways of St Davids was charming . Houses were decorated beautifully .
We had a leisurely lunch in a pub and then we came back to the YHA. My mother decided to take rest and I left for a walk along the coast.
