Welsh coast, Irish flag

No passport is needed to get here but it's a different country with its own language and signage. I'm on an autumn break in Aberystwyth and it's an attractive seaside town with the ambience of a resort (not that there's much recreation going on. off season). But some of the scenes show what it can be like, and of particular interest is the funicular railway, built in 1896, rising over 400 feet to the clifftop. Other pleasures are at sea level as I try some of the local brews.

Aberystwyth as a transport hub gives access to other places along the coast. A bus ride south-west takes me to New Quay, an attractive fishing village where the dolphins feed on the fish and photographers shoot the dolphins. On the same coast is a remarkable sight where in the small town of Aberaeron, London seems to have been transplanted to mid-Wales with a perfect late Georgian square.

In the other direction, it's a train ride to Borth and then Barmouth. Both are looking very shut down in mid-October but provide a taste for a possible summer return.Read more