Day #70 Flint to Rhyl, Denbighshire.

       Woke up 6.00am to the distinct feeling that I was the only inmate of the Ship Inn. Satisfied myself with my usual light breakfast and proceeded to exit....not so easy! All doors locked and I am on the inside. At least I could  have drowned my sorrows at the open bar! Eventually located a key and was able to make my escape just after 7.00am. The walking today was good for the navigationally challenged, comme-moi. A straight line up along the Welsh side of the River Dee turning west-wards along the Irish Sea  coast.

Duke of Lancaster.

Mid-morning rounded a bend in the road at Mostyn and came face to face with a rather dilapidated & beached cruise liner---the "Duke of Lancaster". Apparently, it has rested high and dry at Mostyn since 1975 with plans for an after-life as a 'pleasure centre', that never came to fruition.
      The caravan parks reappeared with a vengeance along this stretch of coast and read recently that caravan parks are the preferred holiday destination of 17% of the UK population ie: 10 million people! Which might explained the run down state of hotels & guest houses in many of the resorts that I have visited. Certainly Holiday Inn, Marriot, Hilton, Sheraton etc., don't see much opportunity.
      Arrived in my target destination of Rhyl at about 1.00pm---like to start early and finish early, finding ample vacancies at the B & B's from which to choose and to rest a pair of weary legs. Last visited Rhyl circa 1954 on family holiday and was able vaguely to remember the approximate hotel where we stayed on the sea-front. The environs of Rhyl appear to be quite affluent, populated by the retired and as one would expect, well maintained. The town core is another story & seems, like many other British resort towns, to be devoid of long-term development/growth plans and appears content to be on a race to the bottom.
         Quick note on walking distances and time. I find after 70 days 'on the road' that I can estimate almost to the minute the time that I will arrive a certain point on the day's walk. My walking cadence on flat land is a regular 6000 steps per hour, 100 per minute, 75 cms. per step. The long distance walker has many hours to consider such important calculations!

 28.5 kms. walked today per pedometer.             Cumulative Kms. covered: 1690.7
Hours of walking today including rest stops: 6.75
Type of accommodation: Arnside Guest House.
Cost of bed & breakfast: pounds. 20.00 incl. breakfast.
 Please go to Flickr.com (traveller6666) to view pics of the walk.

I’m ‘Giving 110%’ to Trillium through my “4 Million Step Walk” because I can. Donate Now:  www.trilliumhealthcentrefoundation.org