Aberystwyth is quite wonderful in terms of the interesting, the beautiful, the strange. Its cult 60s upper floor brutalist diner.

Its interior decoration.

Its basement of books.

Its splendour of shop windows.

Its rumble of bikers on sunny days.

Its gangsters or the sweeney or the owners of the funicular railway?

The view over Aberystwyth in the UKs largest camera obscura

The view heading back down on the funicular railway:

A genuine welsh choir

A site of the first protest for the survival and revival  of the Welsh language.

The city itself charms, it is amazing the difference paint makes to pebbledash, which I can never find other than utterly grim when left unpainted. I care not how it weathers rain. The streets wind, open up on new vistas. There are a scattering of large stone buildings, some old beamed things. This old pub still has this small area in front of it expanding the public space of the street — once common here, or so the plaque says. Such a brilliant space.

And again I am reminded the importance of paint, but also the bow windows and the variegated surface, the light and shadow and interest this creates.

Beyond the castle rises Pen Dinas Hill Fort, built around 400 BC. Every town should have one of these. As we climbed, we were also able to look down on preparations for a day of horse racing. And we met the loveliest dog.

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