I left Rosslare, Ireland, on a Stena Line ferry, crossed the Irish Sea, and arrived in Fishguard, Wales. I had rented a house there and was excited to explore the small town, home to about 3,400 people, and do research for my book.
A bus took passengers from the ferry to the station, which also served trains. After a quick stop at the restroom, I came back to find the station empty except for one person behind a transportation counter. I pulled my luggage outside and started walking, but when I walked to the end of the buildings, the sidewalks ended too.
Oops, wrong way.
I walked back to the station and saw it was still empty except for the woman behind the counter. I realized I needed to ask her for help. She looked up and smiled as I approached.
“I’m not sure where I need to go, or how to get there.”
“Where are you going?” She said in a pleasant tone.
“Fishguard.”
“Are you staying in Upper or Lower Fishguard?” Not knowing there were two, I found it a tough question, and I didn’t know the answer.
“I don’t know,” I replied, digging my itinerary out of my carry-on. She pulled out a map and pointed out the upper part of town and, further north, the lower part. I handed her the address, and she checked it.
“Ah. You’re staying in Lower Fishguard.”
“Is there a bus, or should I call a taxi?”
She frowned, and I started to worry. Uh-oh. Problems.
“Let me see what I can do for you.” She picked up the phone and made a few calls. After a few minutes, she hung up and said, “Taxis are usually reserved in advance, but I found one willing to take you to your place.”
I felt relieved. “Where should I wait?”
“Go out the door and turn left. At the end of the building, you’ll see a bench where you can wait. He’ll pick you up there.”
I thanked her for helping me; it was more than her job required. Then I went outside, turned left, and followed the sidewalk along the train tracks to the end of the building.
I passed a sign that read:
Stop
Press plunger (What plunger? Do they need help with stuffed-up toilets?)
Obtain white light (Isn’t that what you do when you’re dying?)
and whistle before (Password to heaven?)
proceeding (Since I can’t whistle, that counted me out.)
The train sign made me laugh, especially as a pedestrian, and I thought about all the funny thoughts it brought to mind.
At the end of the building, a few people were sitting on the bench, waiting for something. I leaned against the building to wait too. The woman had told me it would be about a 15-minute wait. I was still relieved to have a ride to the house, so I didn’t mind waiting.
The taxi arrived, and I gave the driver the address. After we found my new place and dropped off my luggage, he took me back to Upper Fishguard so I could get something to eat and buy groceries. Before dropping me off at the coffee shop, he pointed out the grocery coop and bus stop. I was impressed by how thoughtful and helpful he was.
With my travel done for the day and my luggage safely at the house, I could finally relax. I went into the Cove Corner coffee shop (Instagram @covecorner_), hoping for a chai latte, and treated myself to a pick-me-up after the early morning trip from Ireland. The woman behind the counter greeted me in a way that left me confused. I’ve already written about that part, so if you’re curious, and haven’t read it, go here: https://debbieteashon.com/2026/06/you-ori/
While I ate lunch and sipped a delicious chai in the coffee shop, I looked across the street at the brightly painted buildings, not knowing they would become important places in my research.
On one building next to the town hall, a mural showed a ship and the name Abergwaun (very top photo), which means Mouth of the River Gwaun. I didn’t realize at the time that this was the town’s Welsh name. I’m not sure why it needed an English name, since I think Abergwaun is perfect, especially with its meaning. The historic ship RMS Mauretania visited Abergwaun on its maiden voyage. There’s more to that story, but I didn’t explore it further because my research took me elsewhere.
The Gwaun River flowed near my temporary home and empties into Fishguard Harbor. I walked by it almost every day.
The next day, as I walked to the harbor, I photographed flowers and ferns growing in the rock walls. Bellflowers (Campanula portenschlagiana) covered the walls along the narrow street out of the neighborhood. Tiny maidenhair ferns (Asplenium trichomanes) grew in the rocks, and other spots had ivy (Hedera helix). In the rainy part of the Pacific Northwest where I live, English ivy is a big problem, but here it seemed much more manageable. It still climbed on things, but from what I saw, it wasn’t hurting the trees. I could be wrong, but something seemed to keep it under control.
Then there was the Kennilworth ivy (Cymbalaria muralis), which isn’t an ivy at all. It held its own scrambling over the real ivy. Snow in Summer (Cerastium tomentosum) also grew on the walls, although the specimens I found seemed to be struggling where the Campanulas dominated.
Walking past a charming little garden in the neighborhood, I photographed a swath of Saxifraga ‘London’s Pride’ blooming with its pretty little flowers, above its variegated, succulent foliage.
Just to the left of them, a lichen-encrusted boulder sat as a grave marker. It read:
Stop! Stranger stop and shed a tear
For “Frantic” the hound lies buried here.
This is what I love about staying in neighborhoods like this—you come across the unexpected. The stone and plaque looked like they had been there for years. I don’t know the story behind it, but I appreciate the tribute to a beloved pet. With a name like Frantic, he must have been quite a character.
I want to share a few photos of the house I rented in Abergwaun. I loved staying in a quiet neighborhood in a comfortable home. My must-haves for this trip were a kitchen and a washer and dryer. That way, I could cook for myself if I wanted to stay in. Since I was traveling for almost a month, having laundry at home meant I didn’t have to spend hours at a laundromat.
The best thing about this house was that it took me to a part of Lower Town I might never have visited otherwise. It was big enough for a large family, but I was perfectly happy staying there on my own.
I shared this on social media a few times, so I put it at the bottom of this post for those who don’t use Facebook. I came around a corner to these wondrous hues on two buildings, and I noticed a man walking toward them. His two-toned shirt matched both buildings. I waited until he walked in front of them and snapped a few shots—my introduction to this wonderful country. I knew the rest of my journey would be magical.
Fishguard Harbor (the harbor, boats, buildings and more plants) coming soon.