A Spring break in Wales - Day Two

We awoke to grey skies and mist over the mountains but it didn't deter us from setting off for the Snowdonia National Park after a lovely breakfast. I'm very glad we hadn't pre-booked a train ride to the summit as it took us a lot longer to get to Llanberis than I'd imagined.

We relied completely on Gladys and although she does have a fetish for the narrowest of roads leading to obscure places, she was spot on this time as there was no direct main road to the village. We followed a very windey route with hundreds of bends, at least two mountain passes and some sheer drops to get to Llanberis at around 11am.

Keith had warned me that if we were unable to get on a train he would do something very nasty to me but luckily (phew!) we obtained tickets for the 1.30pm departure so we had about two hours to kill. We walked into the village itself and it was in a shop while I was buying the newspaper and a bottle of water that I heard the first Welsh accents of the weekend. Up until now everyone we had come into contact with had very English accents!

Llanberis looked a bit sad and forlorn. All the action was taking place at the edge of the village with the Snowdonia Mountain Railway, the lake train and various museums all vying for the visitors' attention. A lot of the shops were closed down in the village and some of the buildings were painted in extremely bright colours for some unknown reason.

We walked slowly back to the train station along the shores of Lake Padarn and admired the stunning views of the surrounding mountains.

Although it was still a bit cloudy, the sun was still very much in evidence and it looked like the summit of Snowdon would be clear. I'm not sure I would have paid £54 to go up on a misty day!

Back at the train station we had a cup of coffee and sat in the sun watching the various passengers coming and going. No doubt a lot of people milling about were also walking up the mountain as some of them wore very serious looking climbing boots and carried heavy rucksacks.

At about 1.15pm people started queuing for our train. Keith had told me not to worry about getting to the front as all the passengers spread out along the platform before boarding. We were in Carriage E and when the train arrived we could see people squashed in like sardines. There are ten people to each carriage and we had a family party in with us, one of whom had to go and sit in another carriage, which was a bit strange. There was a woman travelling on her own (who wasn't on the train on the way down) so she must have been in the wrong carriage, but this certainly upset the rest of his party who did a fair bit of grumbling!

It takes the train an hour to ascend the mountain which is 1085 metres high (3560 ft). The views were stupendous all the way up but I did feel a bit of a fraud sitting in the train as we watched literally hundreds of people climbing up. The rail line stays very close to one of the routes up - the Llanberis Path - so we could see the walkers along most of the route. For the most part it looked like a gradual incline, until nearer the top where it became much steeper.

Many years ago I did part of the mountain with my parents but we took the Pyg Track which is less used. I don't remember much about it (it was in 1989, the weekend of the Hillsborough disaster) but I do remember how steep the path was!

When we arrived at the summit, it was packed with people! We left the platform via the cafe and shop and walked out the other side to access the summit itself. There were broad steps leading up to the summit cairn and a crowd of people on top.

Keith on top of Wales and England

Summit views

I am not keen on heights so I climbed up to where I felt comfortable and then sat down to admire the views. It was stunning and I felt a pang of envy for the climbers who had made it to the top the hard way.

We had thirty minutes at the summit before the train left to go back down. When we got back to the carriage there was just two spaces left for us as the rest of the family party had beaten us back and included the old man who had travelled in a different carriage on the way up. I was not looking forward to the squashed conditions on the way down!

Our carriage

On the way down we passed a steam engine. To go on one of these is even more expensive (£35 for an adult) but it looked like the passengers had more room. After it had passed we noticed that the grass next to the track was on fire - probably caused by some burning coal escaping from the engine. It was a bit dramatic and I did wonder whether anyone would go up to put the fires out?

It was a relief to get back to the station and stretch our legs a bit before we got back into the car for the journey back to our hotel. By now the weather was absolutely gorgeous and we had a lovely trip back. The scenery is simply beautiful and I have to mention the huge bushes of purple rhododendrons that grow in abundance. One mountain was covered in them...

We never saw red or pink flowers, just the deep purple ones and they were everywhere, growing wild and in gardens.

On the way we drove through the village of Beddgelert, somewhere I've always wanted to go. According to legend the village is the resting place of a faithful dog called Gelert who belonged to Llewelyn Prince of North Wales. He'd been out hunting without the dog and when he returned Gelert greeted him covered in blood. The Prince naturally became alarmed as he had a baby son. In the nursery he saw the cot overturned and without thinking immediately killed the dog. However, as Gelert died, he heard his baby son's cry and saw the body of a huge wolf that Gelert had killed to protect the baby. Filled with remorse and grief he built a memorial to the dead dog, and apparently never smiled again.

It's a lovely story but I'm not sure how much of it is true! We tried to stop and find the tombstone, but the village was busy and there wasn't a lot of parking (plus Keith was not that interested and wanted to get back) so we drove on.

Back at the hotel we had a quick shower and then drove to the Min-y-Mor hotel for a drink before dinner. Keith was overjoyed to sample his favourite beer but I wasn't keen on the pub and I definitely preferred The Last Inn.

We had another delicious meal back at the Ty'r Graig Castle - mushrooms in a tarragon sauce inside a pastry shell for me, potted prawns for Keith. For my main course I had Cassoulet with smoky mash while Keith couldn't resist the fish and chips again. Both dishes were beautifully cooked and we had a bottle of Argentinian Chardonnay to go. We found room for pud - cheese and biscuits for Keith and "Curly Wirly" sundae for me. After the meal we had a tot of whisky in the lounge and watched the sun sink behind the mountains again. It had been another very enjoyable day!

A Spring break in Wales - Day One

Keith and I set off very early this morning (6.45am to be precise) for our weekend break in Wales. Mum and Dad had very kindly bought us a voucher for a night away and I chose  the Ty'r Graig Castle Hotel in Barmouth as it had received great reviews on Trip Advisor. We had extended our stay to two nights and I was really looking forward to having a break from work!

We sped through Birmingham despite it being rush hour which was a real bonus and we were soon on the M54 and heading towards the Welsh border. The plan was to stop for breakfast but we realised that good cafes were increasingly becoming a rarity! We did spot a place serving all day breakfasts but I'm very glad we carried on as we came across the Dyffryn cafe near the village of Foel and it was perfect and just what we were looking for. When we arrived the cafe was empty but within an hour more cars and families had arrived and were taking advantage of their delicious full breakfasts (I didn't ask for a full English as we were now firmly in Wales!).

After filling up with good food and lots of coffee we were back on the road and it was great to see the sun breaking through the clouds and a lot of blue sky appearing. I'd been dreading a weekend of rain but although the forecast said it was going to be dry, we had a beautiful weather throughout our stay.

We were relying on our SatNav (Gladys) to get us to the hotel and despite one instruction telling us to go off down what looked like a farm track, and which we ignored, she did very well. We arrived in Barmouth at about 11am and drove along the front, admiring the sandy beach and the views over to the headland beyond. We went off to find our hotel first, set up high over the town, and then returned to Barmouth to park near to the beach.

By now the sun had come out and it was becoming warmer by the minute. We strolled along the promenade and I felt we could have almost been abroad!

We noticed a couple of hotels along the way and had a quick look in the bars to see what beers they were offering. One, the Min-y-Mor had Abbot on which pleased Keith very much!

We walked right along the promenade until we could go no farther as the train line carried on around the headland. There was an unmanned crossing here and we noticed several people, including children, crossing the line. We could see our hotel in the distance and nearer, a large caravan and camping area. Little did we know but this was to be our view from our hotel room!

We walked back to the car park and then further on to the harbour which was very busy with people on holiday and enjoying the sun. We noticed some children playing with the largest jelly fish I've ever seen - luckily it appeared to be dead!

The harbour was lovely and lined with seafood restaurants, cafes and pubs. We were undecided about where we were going to eat tonight but we did spot a lovely pub called The Last Inn which looked promising.

Strolling around the harbour in the sunshine was perfect...I certainly wasn't expecting such lovely weather in Wales!

After exploring Barmouth we returned to the car and drove along the coast to Harlech, passing the village of Llanbedr on the way, where I'd stayed with my school a very long time ago! We noticed the Victoria pub so we turned around outside of Harlech (bustling with very narrow streets and the remains of an ancient castle) and drove back for a quick drink.

It was a big pub with a huge garden but not that friendly. It certainly didn't appeal as somewhere to go for a drink before dinner so Keith had just the one pint and we left to go and check into the hotel.

By now we were a wee bit tired as both of us had been up since about 4.30am and with all the driving and walking we were looking forward a to a nap. We were met by the owner of the hotel who was very friendly and chatty and gave us a guided tour before showing us to our room. The hotel was built in 1892 by a man called W.W.Greener who made guns and the house was set out to "resemble an opened double-barrelled shotgun when viewed from above." The hotel has fantastic sea views and a very comfortable lounge with sofas and armchairs. There was a also a conservatory bar and restaurant so we decided to eat at the hotel tonight and return to Barmouth for a drink.

Our room overlooked the sea (and the campsite) and had a balcony which was lovely. It was on the small side, though, and the en-suite shower room was tiny but it was spotlessly clean and the bed was very comfortable!

We unpacked, had a quick snooze (I managed about twenty minutes) before we showered and dressed. It was still very warm so we were glad of the french doors that opened out onto the balcony.

View from our room

We drove into Barmouth and managed to park opposite the Last Inn. The pub was very busy and we noticed that virtually every table had a reserved sign on it...good job we hadn't planned on eating here! And in fact, we never did as Saturday night was also fully booked! A popular place!

We sat at the bar and watched the place fill up with families and couples. It's a lovely, very quirky pub, with lots of nooks and crannies, low beams, candles and soft cushions everywhere. There was even a fish pond in a dim corner and the front of the pub was open to the street so the beautiful weather attracted a lot of people.

I loved sitting at the bar watching the staff cope with the rush, something they did very well. Several people were turned away and the staff never stopped serving drinks or taking orders for food. We had a couple of drinks (Keith had three pints of Hobgoblin) and then returned to the hotel for dinner.

We were seated right by the window so we had gorgeous views of the sun setting over the sea. The food and service were very good with the owner of the hotel overseeing everything. We chose fish and chips for our main course, with prawn tails as a starter for me, and potted crab for Keith. The wine list was very reasonable and I chose a Viognier to accompany our fishy dishes. For dessert we shared a plate of Welsh cheeses and then went out into the grounds to see the sun slowly sink behind the mountains in the distance. A beautiful end to a great day!

From winter to summer.

Ironically enough, we were busier this morning than we've been all week, yet today has been the best weather!

It's been a morning of good and bad news at work, so emotions were running a little high. Mum and Dad came in and they were staggered by how busy we were yesterday and how busy we were first thing. Our cook, Maureen, is off work sick at the moment which has been a blow this week and has made things a little difficult! I just hope she makes a return next Tuesday as Mum and Dad are off for a break and I really don't fancy manning Reception all day!

As the day went on, the weather improved and by the afternoon we'd made a return to summer as the temperatures hovered around 20c and the sun came out. I had both children in with me and I have to say Mikey looked a bit bored as he lolled against the dishwasher in the kitchen. I know he would far rather be at home but at least he was earning some pennies!

Back at home there's still no sign of Monty and we're all worried as it's so unlike him to wander off. Sophie is quite upset and both of us hate not knowing what's happened to him. He could be annoying at times, especially as he sprayed in the house and hated being picked up and cuddled, but we still miss him.

As we were home early from work I busied myself with hoovering my car out as the inside resembled a field. Not only that, but there were empty crisp packets and bottles of half drunk water all over the place so it felt good to have a clear out. I left the outside of the car as I have a feeling we may have more rain overnight!

I am rejected...again!

It's been grey and miserable again today - will the sun ever shine again?

This morning was a wee bit stressful as Mum and Dad decided to take today off and Keith had an appointment at the hospital for his research thingy. I took Sophie in with me and arrived just before a man came to repair a huge rip in our inflatable slide. Polly had done a really good job of patching it up until we could get it fixed properly but the man with the machine mended it so it looked like new.

He's a great man and very friendly, but he can go on a bit! Luckily, as he was starting to explain to me about another repair he had planned, the phone rang and I was able to escape! I whizzed about unlocking and doing the tills (Sophie did "help" but it took me longer to explain to her how to do things than it would have taken me to do it myself!), hoping that Booker wouldn't deliver before Keith arrived.

By a stroke of good fortune, they arrived just after he did so he was able to offload it all for me and take it to the kitchen. It was then that we realised they'd left off all our drinks, a considerable part of the order! We both rushed outside to stop the driver from leaving! Phew!

When all the staff were in, Keith and I popped to the bank but on the way his phone rang and it was the hospital again. Keith had to go in for a blood test this morning and then he had to go back in for a cholesterol busting injection and it was ready to go. Rather than go to the bank and then all the way back to work to get his car and try and park, I dropped him off at the hospital and went to the bank on my own.

Needless to say the rain hasn't stopped all day and it's been a fine drizzle that soaks everything. At one time the weather resembled a November late afternoon and it was only the green fuzz on the trees that stopped it looking like a winter's day. Horrible!

After work Sophie and I went off to give blood at her school. It's been a year since Sophie donated and about seven months for me, so I was looking forward to getting my 30th donation in. However, when they did the health check and found out that my doctor had prescribed me Vitamin D tablets, they said that they wouldn't be able to take any blood from me on this occasion. I was quite upset with their decision but I was glad that Sophie was able to give a pint of blood and I've made an appointment for August.

When we got home we were a little worried as Monty has not appeared all day, even though he rarely ventures far from the house. Keith handed me a glass of wine and we sat and played cards in the conservatory while dinner cooked. It was a real antidote to all the noise I'd been experiencing at work!

After dinner Sophie and I walked around the estate calling Monty's name, in the hope he'd been trapped in a garage or shed, but we heard nothing. We know he has various cat "friends" dotted around the estate so at the moment we're just hoping he's found a new mate to hang out with for a while!

Grey, miserable and damp...and the weather wasn't much better!

I awoke from strange dreams about getting on buses and taking part in a car rally with a heavy heart this morning and saw that the weather was exactly the same as yesterday! My lovely daughter woke me up as she came into our room to use our en-suite shower - I'd asked her to help us this morning because we had the cleaning to do first thing...does it get any better than that?

We sloshed our way into work and started the cleaning before Mum and Dad arrived. The only good thing was that the crows were waiting for us and eagerly gobbled up the offerings from the weekend, including a couple of rejected sausages from last night's non-barbecue. They looked drenched as well, poor things, and kept constantly trying to shake the rain off their feathers!

Predictably, we were busy but I did manage to escape for most of the morning by going to Booker with Keith and Mikey and then popping over to the bank and into Tesco...not sure what was worse, staying at work with all the noise or experiencing the crowds in the supermarket!

By 4pm we'd had enough and we sloshed our way back home. The rain has been unrelenting all day with more forecast tomorrow... The weather didn't stop me from planting up my geraniums though, even though I became thoroughly wet and muddy while I was doing it! A long soak in the bath afterwards made me feel much better!

The non-barbecue barbecue...

The beautiful warm and sunny weather of last week was a distant memory when I got up this morning and looked out on grey skies. I had really wanted today to be sunny and dry but the weather obviously had other ideas as the rain has fallen almost constantly all day.

It irks me very much as we are closed at work today and I just know that we would have been busy! Never mind...we decide in advance to close on Bank Holiday Mondays so it's a decision we have to live with, whether it rains or not! We were smug last time so it's all a question of balance!

Keith and I were up later than we wanted to be, but we didn't really have a lot to do, except tackle the huge pile of ironing and change the bedding on the children's beds. We did get the map of Florida out and have a look at it, but our grey skies and drizzle put a dampener on looking at hotels and planning the holiday. I'd much rather do that when the sun is shining!

In the afternoon, Sophie, Mum and I went over to Beckworth Emporium. I was looking forward to a late lunch and some shopping, but when we saw the queues for the restaurant we decided to leave. I've never seen it so busy!

We drove through the pouring rain to a Nursery between Holcot and Brixworth that I've wanted to try ever since it opened, but it was closed. Before we went over to the garden centre near Harlestone Firs we tried Covey Plant Nurseries as they advertised a cafe. Sophie wasn't at all keen and tried to persuade me to drive on, but it was now almost 3.30pm, I was low on diesel and the other garden centre was another ten minutes away.

We didn't have the best of experiences, I'm afraid. It was chucking it down with rain, and the man in the cafe seemed reluctant to make us anything to eat so Sophie shot me looks of pure venom as she said she was famished. We settled on a slice of cake each and a cup of tea, but the place was very quiet and with the grey skies and rainfall outside it wasn't the most cheery of places!

After we'd had our cake we ventured out into the rain and I bought some geraniums and a lavender plant. By the time we'd chosen and bought them, we all resembled drowned rats!

Back home we abandoned all plans to barbecue and Keith cooked the meats in the oven and on our George Foreman grill. Not exactly what we had in mind, but it had to do. It was so chilly we even lit the fire in the living room...brrrr!

Lazy Sunday...

Today has been very lazy, so I do feel a bit guilty! Keith took Sophie to work this morning and Mikey to a party so we had the day to ourselves. We decided to walk up to the pub in the next village and have a drink before coming home and devouring the leftovers from our dinner last night (chicken and chorizo bake).

It was a lovely day but still very windy. We walked to the pub and managed to grab some chairs in the window where we were able to see all the comings and goings in the village. We had a very pleasant couple of hours lingering over our drinks and then walked home to the lovely aromas of lunch.

I fell asleep on the sofa and then Sophie called me to pick her up at 4.30pm. She'd had a quiet day but told me that yesterday was very busy indeed. More rain is forecast for next week so it looks like it'll be all hands on deck. The Whitsun break is always a funny week for us as the weather is traditionally warm and sunny, but it looks like we may have hordes of customers coming in to see us!

Mikey had phoned to say that he was going to sleep over at his friend's house, but in the end we picked him up at 6pm. Keith and I were still full from our lunch so we abandoned the idea of a barbecue and put some potatoes in the oven to bake instead. We'll barbecue tomorrow, no doubt when it's raining!