Harlech and Cymraeg

Thursday 10th July: This castle can be seen from our B&B breakfast room, it sits on the edge of a cliff and can be seen from miles around. It is one of 4 world heritage protected mediaeval castles in Wales. Its so steep that you nearly slide down the narrow roads in you car! We also had to go 3 miles out of town to find a place to turnaround. Its vert Welsh, and the local castle tourist shop is one of few that stays open after 5pm. They also spoke Cymraeg in the shop. Hywl Fawr for now!

Portmeirion Gwyllt

Thursday 10th July: Perfect day to wander around the village at Portmeirion and also do a longer circuit of the peninsula and see first hand evidence of the microclimate woodlands 'Gwyllt' caused by the gulf stream, as there were bottlebrushes, magnolias, palms and many other sub-tropical plants growing in the understorey. The Architecture on display is phenomenal! A must see! The views of the estuary of Afon Dwryd are also sensational. Patrick McGoohan must have loved his time here!

Gwrach Ynys and Portmeirion

Thursday 10th July: Our stay at 'Gwrach Ynys' near Harlech started as a wonderful Welsh greeting 'Noswaith da. Sut ydych chi? Da Iawn, diolch yn fawr!', and a pot of tea in the lounge room in served in Portmeirion china, last night at about 6pm. This is my convenient link to our morning activiy.....pictured here in front of the Dome at Portmerion. I later learnt that we missed some of the Wales Rugby team stayed on Saturday night. The hosts were extremely welcoming and highly recommend this B&B.

Betws-y-Coed

Wednesday 9th July: Betwys-y-Coed has some great rock climbing gear! We decided against loading ourselves up with this gear :-(, and instead scrambled over the rocks in the river, marvelled at the slate and granite architectures, and bought a pair of outdoor socks and a fancy bandana! We discovered the rock cannons engraved in the rocks all around here, and took many photos like this around this beautiful scene! This is the beauty of Cymru!

Yr Wyddfa

Wednesday 9th July: We did manage to get in a fantastic morning mountain walk above the coastal town of Penmaenmawr before arriving here! This is a typical sight in the Snowdonia mountains in North Wales. This is near Llanberis Pass, where many walks take you up to the summit of Yr Wyddfa. We were going to catch the mountain train, but the weather put a stop to all ascents on this day :-( Another Day maybe! This is a beautiful scene, even in the wet and misty conditions. So...on to Capel Curig and our meandering drive over the Snowdon mountains.

Castell Conwy

Tuesday 8th July: We enjoyed exploring the castle and the mediaeval walled town at Conwy. The wall almost completely surrounds the town and you can walk on top of most of it for no cost as well. The castle is amazingly good condition for something over 700 years old. This picture was taken at about 5pm, we ate fish and chips on the quay below later on. The views are fantastic from the very top of the towers, but you do need a good head for heights!

Pen-y-Gogarth

Tuesday 8th July: This is the real Welsh name for 'The Great Orme' headland. Plenty to see and look at around this colossal headland, including sheep, goats, wildflowers, birds, penguins, limestone rock formations, fishermen, walkers. The remote control operated camera on top, allowed us to zoom in on a group of penguins huddled against the seas facing cliff edge. We also drove around the headland to capture all of these scenes.

Great Orme Tram

Tuesday 8th July: This is a section of the panoramic view we experienced from the cable drawn tram as it climbed to the top of the Great Orme (Pen-y-Gogarth) next to Llandudno town. Its very steep! The oldest attractions seem to last forever, its certainly very popular despite being there since 1902. This is an immense limestone headland rising to 200m above sea level, with remarkable views as far as Snowdonia, well, the clouds allowed us to see Conwy and Anglesey today, anyway. It was windy on top, but pleasant to walk partly back down amongst the grassy heathland. We had a nice tea and lunch on top at the café, taking in the views!

Llandudno Pier

Monday 7th July: Its only a short drive of 1 hour along the marvellously engineered A55, under the Mersey River, across the River Dee, from Liverpool to Llandudno, arriving at this historic seaside town in North Wales. We stayed for 2 nights in 2 rooms on the top floor of a B&B, 'The Branstone', immaculate place, with comfortable beds, large rooms, friendly people and big English breakfasts. We had time for a walk along the promenade near the pier to breathe in the fresh sea air, after a hearty dinner at the Queen Victoria pub 2 blocks away from our stay. There is plenty to see and do. We'll certainly stay here again sometime in the future. What a great holiday town!

John, Paul, George and Ringo

Monday 7th July: All 4 of us spent a whole 3 hours transfixed at this most excellent exhibition of 'The Beatles Story'. The story uses all facets of audio visual presentation methods, including an exact replica of the Cavern Club, where we could experience the Beatles scene and music in the 1960s. Photos, videos, music and interview recordings from the actual band members and their personal associations in the 60s were all excellent. We are all very much more knowledgeable of the most influential and successful bands in history. This is a truly amazing exhibition!