Today's walk followed a little more prevarication. We might have done it yesterday, but the forecast was for showers, so we deferred to a day when there might have been showers, but fewer. As it turned out, that was a good choice, as we had no rain at all during our walk.
Public transport took us back to Ffynnongroyw, where we were again on the Path where we had left off last time, and soon back to the shore. We got there at about high tide, so were able to enjoy the full extent of the Dee estuary, with blue water and blue sky. Views were clear, and as we approached the Point of Ayr, we began to see beyond the Wirral peninsula. What we first thought were white buildings turned out to be ships leaving Liverpool (they moved) but we could also see structures on the coast beyond. As the walk progressed, hills behind - maybe the Pennines - became clearer. What appeared to be red and white spikes above Hoylake turned out to be the cranes of Birkenhead over on the other side. I searched in vain for Blackpool Tower.
Turning the corner at the Point of Ayr, the experience changed entirely. We were no longer walking on one side of an estuary, but on a proper coast: there was no other side to be seen. Also, for the first time since leaving Chester, we were on a beach! A sandy beach, with waves audibly lapping on the shore (the tide was still quite high at this point) and lots of walkers and daytrippers around.
As we walked, the waters began to recede and, leaving the more accessible area, walkers became fewer and further between. After walking on sand of varying softness, and thousands of crunchy razor shells, we eventually reached the Prestatyn Gutter, with the odd muddy section of path as we approached Gronant. At Gronant, the path crosses the Gutter, and winds through dunes a little inland of the shore. We got to Barkby Beach, and stopped for our picnic lunch as soon as we arrived at a bench on the promenade.
From here, it was a straightforward walk along a concrete promenade, or sea wall, all the way to Rhyl. We didn't see much of Prestatyn as we passed by. Ahead of us we could see the next few days' walking, reaching to the Great Orme. A little to the left we could see the mountains of Eryri, today capped with snow. And approaching Rhyl, we looked over the latest coast protection works under way, adding a meter or so to the height of the sea wall and preparing for the next encroachment: scary.
This day's walk was blessed by excellent weather. We were in static caravan territory, but pleased that the path itself didn't afford too many views of their parks, but instead looked towards the coast. We crossed into Denbighshire and noted that their waymarking along the path (so far) had been upgraded in places, and overall was an improvement on the previous county.
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