Our flight from Hong Kong was delayed by 3 hours due to bad weather and "red lightning alerts" - we sat in the plane, on the tarmac, waiting to take off for approx an hour! Then the fun began - we've never experienced such turbulence and at the biggest dive there were several shouts from the passengers (Ruth's was completely involuntary) and Brian's jar of boiled sweets flew out of the seat pocket in front of him, landing with a bang on the floor. The most scary part was the decrease in engine power and I wondered if an engine had been struck by the lightning that continued to flash all around us. We felt the plane change direction, the turbulence gradually subsided and the rest of the flight was plain sailing.
Our first sight of Aotearoa "Land of the Long White Cloud" was the Hokianga harbour (Brian's homeland), followed by the Kaipara harbour, Waiheke Island and finally South Auckland. We arrived at Auckland airport at about 2.30pm and were greeted by my best friend, Judi, in the Arrivals lounge at around 3pm.
We were pleased to be safely back after a wonderful holiday. In addition to the time we had with our family in Hong Kong, we had a thoroughly enjoyable time with Ruth's Scottish cousins and know the family links there are firmly established again. Our mothers were such dear friends and it's a good feeling to think that we and our families will continue to stay in contact and visit each other. Ros and Maggie have convinced Ruth that the best way to eat porridge is with only raspberries and Brian and Steve have similar tastes in single malt whisky. The only place not ticked off our travel wish list was Laphroaig distillery on Islay - a good excuse to return!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Last 2 days in Hong Kong
Saturday was Ruth's birthday and Kat had 2 choices of venue for us to visit and have birthday lunch:
1. The Stoep, a South African brai//barbecue restaurant right on a lovely beach
2. Stanley, a popular market with nice restaurants on the waterfront
As we woke to an overcast day, we all voted for Stanley and that turned out to be a very wise choice! We took the ferry to Central and then double decker bus (we sat upstairs of course) to Stanley. We started and ended the day in the market and ate lunch at Seafront, a restaurant mid-way along the row on the waterfront. We chose it as the menu covered all our tastes, it was reasonably priced and they could provide a table for 6 outside. By now the sky was looking very dark grey out to sea and we were pleased to see the awning and umbrellas were very substantial at this restaurant. The food was really good - Sean, Lee and Brian had fish and chips. It was sole with beer battered chips and looked so good we all had to sample them - the best I've tasted in a very long time! While we were eating, the staff started organising the umbrellas so water would run off without wetting tables or people and soon the rain started. It was really heavy and we stretched our meal out with drinks etc waiting for it to end. But it had set in so we went to the candy store in the mall (this was what Lee and Jasmine wanted to go to Stanley for) and then a quick browse through the rest of the market before catching the bus back to Central.
Kat bouight some yummy macaroons at a French chocolatier in the IFC mall on the way home for Ruth's birthday - a very special treat after dinner that evening.
The rain continued on Sunday, our last day in Hong Kong. Kat, Jasmine and Ruth took the ferryto Central and went shopping in Causeway Bay for a few hours in the middle of the day. We were heading for 2 shops in particular - a shoe shop that sells cute shoes and Ikea for towels, teatowels and shower curtains. Unfortunately, the shoe shop didn't open by the time we left - about 2.30pm - but we had a successful time at Ikea. Brian, Sean and Lee went to the hardware shop on Park Island hoping to buy a puncture repair kit and then fix Lee's bike tyre but all they got was soaking wet!
Kat cooked canneloni while we packed our bags. We had a relaxing afternoon and evening, which was extended by an hour as our flight was delayed. Everyone went with us to catch the 7.30pm bus to the airport and another rather sad parting. We had a lovely holiday and a great time with Kat, Sean, Lee and Jasmine - more relaxed and more time spent just with the children than on our last visit. Although we'd been together for 22 days, the time seemed to go very quickly!
1. The Stoep, a South African brai//barbecue restaurant right on a lovely beach
2. Stanley, a popular market with nice restaurants on the waterfront
As we woke to an overcast day, we all voted for Stanley and that turned out to be a very wise choice! We took the ferry to Central and then double decker bus (we sat upstairs of course) to Stanley. We started and ended the day in the market and ate lunch at Seafront, a restaurant mid-way along the row on the waterfront. We chose it as the menu covered all our tastes, it was reasonably priced and they could provide a table for 6 outside. By now the sky was looking very dark grey out to sea and we were pleased to see the awning and umbrellas were very substantial at this restaurant. The food was really good - Sean, Lee and Brian had fish and chips. It was sole with beer battered chips and looked so good we all had to sample them - the best I've tasted in a very long time! While we were eating, the staff started organising the umbrellas so water would run off without wetting tables or people and soon the rain started. It was really heavy and we stretched our meal out with drinks etc waiting for it to end. But it had set in so we went to the candy store in the mall (this was what Lee and Jasmine wanted to go to Stanley for) and then a quick browse through the rest of the market before catching the bus back to Central.
Kat bouight some yummy macaroons at a French chocolatier in the IFC mall on the way home for Ruth's birthday - a very special treat after dinner that evening.
The rain continued on Sunday, our last day in Hong Kong. Kat, Jasmine and Ruth took the ferryto Central and went shopping in Causeway Bay for a few hours in the middle of the day. We were heading for 2 shops in particular - a shoe shop that sells cute shoes and Ikea for towels, teatowels and shower curtains. Unfortunately, the shoe shop didn't open by the time we left - about 2.30pm - but we had a successful time at Ikea. Brian, Sean and Lee went to the hardware shop on Park Island hoping to buy a puncture repair kit and then fix Lee's bike tyre but all they got was soaking wet!
Kat cooked canneloni while we packed our bags. We had a relaxing afternoon and evening, which was extended by an hour as our flight was delayed. Everyone went with us to catch the 7.30pm bus to the airport and another rather sad parting. We had a lovely holiday and a great time with Kat, Sean, Lee and Jasmine - more relaxed and more time spent just with the children than on our last visit. Although we'd been together for 22 days, the time seemed to go very quickly!
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| View from the bus window of a building with a hole through the middle - to let dragons pass through |
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| A view of the waterfront from our table |
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| Waiting for the rain to stop |
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| At the sight of rain coming, the big umbrellas were quu ickly pegged together at the sides and cleverly angled so the rain ran off, away from the tables. The building in the background was moved to Stanley from Central and when it was reconstructed there were some pillars left over. No one knew where they should have been, so they just put them in a row out in front. |
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| Making use of the $2 parkas in grandad's backpack - he knew they'd come in handy! |
Friday, May 20, 2011
Farewell UK and hello Hong Kong
We were up bright and early ready for a quick get away so we could get to Blaenavon and the Big Pit in time for the first tour. We'd been told the tours don't start until 10.30 but we wanted to make sure we got out by 12.00noon.
When we got there we could see 2 buses disgorging their loads and thought we'd be lucky to get on a tour. So I went up to the ticket desk while Brian was putting the Pay & Display ticket in the car. I was amazed when they said first that we could go straight on in and then again when they said there was no charge. They were superbly organised, taking groups of approx 10 on a guided tour of the pit. We put on helmets and headlamps, carried a battery and gas mask and went down 400ft. A collier (we'd call him a miner) was our guide and was very informative and entertaining. This was definitely a highlight of our trip and we'd recommend it if you find yourself in Abergavenny and haven't already done it.
Another highlight of the day was getting to Trevethin, where my Gran's family lived before going to Scotland. I'd actually given up on it when we didn't get there on Monday and the lady at the Information Centre in Abergavenny said it wasn't signposted. The men at the Mountain Information Centre at Brecon had been equally dismissive, saying it was just a suburb of Pontypool and if I didn't know what I wanted to see there it seemed pointless to look for it. Anyway, just on the outskirts of Pontypool, I spotted a signpost pointing to Trevethin. I had a wicked time convincing Brian to turn back and go there as by this time he was hellbent on getting to Heathrow! We'd left Blaenavon by 11.30 and our deadline was 12.30 so we had heaps of time. We were there in 5 mins as it's only 1 mile off the main road.There wasn't a lot to see but I took a photo (very rushed as the driver was very impatient by now) of the only sign we saw there, pointing to a walkway. We did drive on a little further but it was raining and all we saw were houses, a group of workmen with weedeaters and lawnmowers going flat tack to tidy the verges and a couple of men in their front yard. I leapt from the car and asked one of them (not the ones with weedeaters) if this was Trevethin. He asked me if I was looking for a particular street or address and when I said no, I was just looking for Trevethin because my family had lived there long ago, he pointed at the ground near his feet and said "This is Trevethin".I think Brian thought I was completely mad when I got back in the car and said "This has made my day!"
The rest of the drive to Heathrow was uneventful except for a quick toilet/lunch stop on the M4, and a bit of a run around finding our way to the drop off for rental cars. After leaving time for motorway traffic, road works, etc, we arrived at the airport 3 hours before our final check in time.
We were very lucky to be booked on an almost empty plane (maybe it had something to do with the Osama bin Laden affair or the fact that a Cathay Pacific plane blew up an engine just a day or so ago!). Anyway, we were able to each stretch out over 4 seats and have a good sleep. We arrived in Hong Kong at about 3.30pm and were at the apartment an hour later.
On Thursday, we put in a load of washing at the local laundry and met Kat in Central for lunch at Crystal Jade, a dumpling restaurant. Afterwards, we rode the trams in the opposite direction to Kennedy Town - the end of the line in the opposite direction to where we went last time. We got ourselves back to the ferry pier in time to catch the Park Island ferry and get home to be with the kids after school.
When we got there we could see 2 buses disgorging their loads and thought we'd be lucky to get on a tour. So I went up to the ticket desk while Brian was putting the Pay & Display ticket in the car. I was amazed when they said first that we could go straight on in and then again when they said there was no charge. They were superbly organised, taking groups of approx 10 on a guided tour of the pit. We put on helmets and headlamps, carried a battery and gas mask and went down 400ft. A collier (we'd call him a miner) was our guide and was very informative and entertaining. This was definitely a highlight of our trip and we'd recommend it if you find yourself in Abergavenny and haven't already done it.
Another highlight of the day was getting to Trevethin, where my Gran's family lived before going to Scotland. I'd actually given up on it when we didn't get there on Monday and the lady at the Information Centre in Abergavenny said it wasn't signposted. The men at the Mountain Information Centre at Brecon had been equally dismissive, saying it was just a suburb of Pontypool and if I didn't know what I wanted to see there it seemed pointless to look for it. Anyway, just on the outskirts of Pontypool, I spotted a signpost pointing to Trevethin. I had a wicked time convincing Brian to turn back and go there as by this time he was hellbent on getting to Heathrow! We'd left Blaenavon by 11.30 and our deadline was 12.30 so we had heaps of time. We were there in 5 mins as it's only 1 mile off the main road.There wasn't a lot to see but I took a photo (very rushed as the driver was very impatient by now) of the only sign we saw there, pointing to a walkway. We did drive on a little further but it was raining and all we saw were houses, a group of workmen with weedeaters and lawnmowers going flat tack to tidy the verges and a couple of men in their front yard. I leapt from the car and asked one of them (not the ones with weedeaters) if this was Trevethin. He asked me if I was looking for a particular street or address and when I said no, I was just looking for Trevethin because my family had lived there long ago, he pointed at the ground near his feet and said "This is Trevethin".I think Brian thought I was completely mad when I got back in the car and said "This has made my day!"
The rest of the drive to Heathrow was uneventful except for a quick toilet/lunch stop on the M4, and a bit of a run around finding our way to the drop off for rental cars. After leaving time for motorway traffic, road works, etc, we arrived at the airport 3 hours before our final check in time.
We were very lucky to be booked on an almost empty plane (maybe it had something to do with the Osama bin Laden affair or the fact that a Cathay Pacific plane blew up an engine just a day or so ago!). Anyway, we were able to each stretch out over 4 seats and have a good sleep. We arrived in Hong Kong at about 3.30pm and were at the apartment an hour later.
On Thursday, we put in a load of washing at the local laundry and met Kat in Central for lunch at Crystal Jade, a dumpling restaurant. Afterwards, we rode the trams in the opposite direction to Kennedy Town - the end of the line in the opposite direction to where we went last time. We got ourselves back to the ferry pier in time to catch the Park Island ferry and get home to be with the kids after school.
Today, Lee and Jasmine had a day off school and took us to TST to the Hong Kong History Museum and the Science Museum, right next door to each other. We spent several hours at the latter as it was full of interactive exhibits as well as a special exhibit on the life of Albert Einstein.Iit took the whole day and we had a great time, finishing off with Ben and Jerry's ice cream for the kids and beer for us at the ferry pier on the way home.
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| Blaenavon Big Pit museum |
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| Trevethin - walkway to village |
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| One of the many dried seafood outlets on the way to Kennedy Town - some vendors were drying the fish on big racks right on the pavement |
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| Arriving at TST with another Star Ferry at the pier |
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| Time out between museums |
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| Playing with bubbles at the Science Museum |
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| Our tour guides outside the Albert Einstein exhibit |
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| Jasmine wearing her thistle earings inset with red crystals from Gretna Green |
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| Lee asked us to bring him back a kilt from Scotland - how about this beach towel that converts to a kilt with all the trimmings in seconds! |
Mid and South Wales
We've had a busy few days so there's quite a bit of catching up to do....
We set off from Wyn's place, again reluctantly (we could easily spend at least a week in each of these places as there's so much to see and the people are so friendly) but reasonably early as we were keen to stop off at Corris, a few miles down the road where there's a craft centre, and walks through slate mines. We were in time to get on the first tour of King Arthur's Labyrinth but, as it was Sunday, not many shops in the craft centre were open. Luckily one that was open specialised in woodwork and Fair Trade items from South America. So we had a look around the workshop and storeroom and Ruth splurged on an alpaca bedspread. The tour was through a slate mine and included King Arthur's activities in Wales - very good value, especially for Ruth who has always been a keen reader of King Arthur's stories and Welsh mythology.
We drove south through Llandrindod Wells, and stopped off for Sunday roast with a good number of locals doing the same (yummy!!!), Builth Wells and on to Hay-on-Wye. We made straight for Booth's Bookstore to see if Julia Robson (a cousin of Ruth's colleague John Robson) was at work. Unfortunately, she wasn't but her colleagues were very helpful and Ruth was soon chatting to her on the phone. We spent a few hours scouring the shops in this amazing town of 2nd hand bookstores for our favourite authors and came away with carry bags, planning how we'd make up for the extra weight in our suitcases when we take to the skies.
Brecon was our choice for the night. We wondered how we were going to find a place to stay as the Information Centres were all closedon Sunday, and so were most of the pubs we'd passed. So as soon as we entered the township and found a clutch of B&Bs, we parked and set off on foot. The first one we went into had off street parking, a room at ground level (by now we were getting a little tired of lugging our bags up narrow flights of stairs) and a very friendly proprietor, as we found everywhere in Wales. It turned out to be one of the oldest buildings in Brecon (built in 1640) and it took 2 of us to guide Brian safely through the archway that was built for horse-drawn coaches rather than modern cars with wing mirrors on both sides. After a few recommendations and one warning from our hostess, we set off to explore and find somewhere for dinner.
As we walked up past an old, and very ornate church, we overheard a taxi driver of a smart black car saying to his colleague, "I'm going to spray this thing silver. I've only had it 3 weeks and I'm already sick of cleaning it". After a bit more walking, we found the George Hotel staffed by a youthful but very sad looking barman who told us that the locals couldn't afford to drink anymore. It turned out they'd had a very busy lunchtime and this was just a quiet night. Before long, we had company - a chap who'd lived in NZ for a while in the 70s and had played in the Ponsonby 3rd Grade rugby team. Needless to say, he and Brian were soon reminiscing and shortly afterwards another local who'd visited NZ back in those days also arrived. So we had quite a good time drinking the local ales and chatting before they left and we sat down for dinner.
Next day, we went first to the Information Centre for advice on where to go on our last 1.5 days in Wales and then to the Mountain Information Centre for information about and good views of the Brecon Beacons. We had so much advice by then that we couldn't go wrong - yeah right! By the end of our time in Wales we learned that the peole are so friendly and helpful that you need to focus very carefully on exactly what the directions are. Anyway, we had an amazing time and travelled through a wide range of scenery, managing to find all the places we'd hoped to. We drove down through the Rhondda valley, including Trelochy, to Pontypridd, then on a scenic route around the back of the Brecon Beacons. At this stage we took a few wrong turns and asked a few very helpful people for directions. We stopped for lunch at The Red Cow pub where Ruth had a Welsh dish, Faggots and Peas - a bit like a Welsh version of haggis in a rich beef gravy with mushy peas. We were quite close to the Brecon Beacons at times, took a walk to some waterfalls and drove along a section of the Brecon-Abergavenny canal to Abergavenn.
We spent our last night in the UK at the Park Guest House in Abergavenny, which was perfect for us. It was run by a young, very well-organised couple who had returned that day from a holiday in Bath and our plan was to clean out the car and organise our bags ready for a quick getaway to Heathrow from the rental car drop off.
The lady at the Information Centre had warned us that many restaurants are closed on Monday evenings but she knew the Angel Hotel would be open for meals. So, after sorting out the car and our bags, we set off on foot to explore the town. This was the most cosmopolitan place we stayed in in Wales and we wondered what occasion the very well-dressed people were going to in the town centre as we searched out somewhere to eat. We decided The Angel was a bit over-pricedby our standards and settled on a pub with an attached restaurant that was filled with a bus tour - we started with an ale each and the barman said we could move into the restaurant when the people returned to their bus. We chatted to a few locals and learned that the event of the evening was the mayor's inauguration - all the "right" people were going along dressed to the nines. It was a short evening as they all (including a couple of visiting mayors) trooped back down the street while we were eating - Brian had an excellent rib eye steak and Ruth, who was determined to try the Welsh lamb, had a lovely lamb tagiine. We had a short chat with a young Welshman, sitting at the next table, who was extensively tattooed. We recognised some Maori designs which he told us came from the Internet but he had carefully planned his tattoos and they all had meanings for him.
We set off from Wyn's place, again reluctantly (we could easily spend at least a week in each of these places as there's so much to see and the people are so friendly) but reasonably early as we were keen to stop off at Corris, a few miles down the road where there's a craft centre, and walks through slate mines. We were in time to get on the first tour of King Arthur's Labyrinth but, as it was Sunday, not many shops in the craft centre were open. Luckily one that was open specialised in woodwork and Fair Trade items from South America. So we had a look around the workshop and storeroom and Ruth splurged on an alpaca bedspread. The tour was through a slate mine and included King Arthur's activities in Wales - very good value, especially for Ruth who has always been a keen reader of King Arthur's stories and Welsh mythology.
We drove south through Llandrindod Wells, and stopped off for Sunday roast with a good number of locals doing the same (yummy!!!), Builth Wells and on to Hay-on-Wye. We made straight for Booth's Bookstore to see if Julia Robson (a cousin of Ruth's colleague John Robson) was at work. Unfortunately, she wasn't but her colleagues were very helpful and Ruth was soon chatting to her on the phone. We spent a few hours scouring the shops in this amazing town of 2nd hand bookstores for our favourite authors and came away with carry bags, planning how we'd make up for the extra weight in our suitcases when we take to the skies.
Brecon was our choice for the night. We wondered how we were going to find a place to stay as the Information Centres were all closedon Sunday, and so were most of the pubs we'd passed. So as soon as we entered the township and found a clutch of B&Bs, we parked and set off on foot. The first one we went into had off street parking, a room at ground level (by now we were getting a little tired of lugging our bags up narrow flights of stairs) and a very friendly proprietor, as we found everywhere in Wales. It turned out to be one of the oldest buildings in Brecon (built in 1640) and it took 2 of us to guide Brian safely through the archway that was built for horse-drawn coaches rather than modern cars with wing mirrors on both sides. After a few recommendations and one warning from our hostess, we set off to explore and find somewhere for dinner.
As we walked up past an old, and very ornate church, we overheard a taxi driver of a smart black car saying to his colleague, "I'm going to spray this thing silver. I've only had it 3 weeks and I'm already sick of cleaning it". After a bit more walking, we found the George Hotel staffed by a youthful but very sad looking barman who told us that the locals couldn't afford to drink anymore. It turned out they'd had a very busy lunchtime and this was just a quiet night. Before long, we had company - a chap who'd lived in NZ for a while in the 70s and had played in the Ponsonby 3rd Grade rugby team. Needless to say, he and Brian were soon reminiscing and shortly afterwards another local who'd visited NZ back in those days also arrived. So we had quite a good time drinking the local ales and chatting before they left and we sat down for dinner.
Next day, we went first to the Information Centre for advice on where to go on our last 1.5 days in Wales and then to the Mountain Information Centre for information about and good views of the Brecon Beacons. We had so much advice by then that we couldn't go wrong - yeah right! By the end of our time in Wales we learned that the peole are so friendly and helpful that you need to focus very carefully on exactly what the directions are. Anyway, we had an amazing time and travelled through a wide range of scenery, managing to find all the places we'd hoped to. We drove down through the Rhondda valley, including Trelochy, to Pontypridd, then on a scenic route around the back of the Brecon Beacons. At this stage we took a few wrong turns and asked a few very helpful people for directions. We stopped for lunch at The Red Cow pub where Ruth had a Welsh dish, Faggots and Peas - a bit like a Welsh version of haggis in a rich beef gravy with mushy peas. We were quite close to the Brecon Beacons at times, took a walk to some waterfalls and drove along a section of the Brecon-Abergavenny canal to Abergavenn.
We spent our last night in the UK at the Park Guest House in Abergavenny, which was perfect for us. It was run by a young, very well-organised couple who had returned that day from a holiday in Bath and our plan was to clean out the car and organise our bags ready for a quick getaway to Heathrow from the rental car drop off.
The lady at the Information Centre had warned us that many restaurants are closed on Monday evenings but she knew the Angel Hotel would be open for meals. So, after sorting out the car and our bags, we set off on foot to explore the town. This was the most cosmopolitan place we stayed in in Wales and we wondered what occasion the very well-dressed people were going to in the town centre as we searched out somewhere to eat. We decided The Angel was a bit over-pricedby our standards and settled on a pub with an attached restaurant that was filled with a bus tour - we started with an ale each and the barman said we could move into the restaurant when the people returned to their bus. We chatted to a few locals and learned that the event of the evening was the mayor's inauguration - all the "right" people were going along dressed to the nines. It was a short evening as they all (including a couple of visiting mayors) trooped back down the street while we were eating - Brian had an excellent rib eye steak and Ruth, who was determined to try the Welsh lamb, had a lovely lamb tagiine. We had a short chat with a young Welshman, sitting at the next table, who was extensively tattooed. We recognised some Maori designs which he told us came from the Internet but he had carefully planned his tattoos and they all had meanings for him.
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| Entrance to King Arthur's labyrinth |
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| Llandrindod Wells, an historic spa resort |
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| The Castle Bookshop, Hay-on-Wye |
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| The brown building is Booth's bookshop where Julia Robson is the chef in the cafe |
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| Brian on a mission in Hay-on-Wye |
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| Courtyard/parking space view of Borderers Inn Guest House, Brecon |
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St Marys and the new black taxi in Brecon |
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| Main street of Trelorchy |
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| Driving through a village in the Rhondda valley |
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| The Brecon Beacons from the back road to Abergavenny |
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| Houses or apartments Abergavenny style |
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Snowdonia
We reluctantly left Bron Celyn and Betws-y-Coed, after breakfast cooked and served by Jim and Lillian. There is so much to see and do there, it seemed a crime to be leaving after only one night. We met people at the pub who were staying in the village for 2 weeks. We drove through beautiful rural scenery towards Llanderis and were so busy enjoying it that we took a wrong turn and ended up past Beddgelert on a road parallel to the one we should have been on. A woman herding sheep in an area very similar to the one in the book, "I Bought a Mountain", directed us back onto the right road and we headed off thankful that we'd heeded Lilian's advice and left early.
Hazel phoned just as we reached the outskirts of Llanberis to say she, Richard and Charlie were in the carpark for the Mountain Railway. We met up just after 11.00am and were booked on the 12.30 train. So we had a bite to eat and drink, browsed the gift shop and filled in time until it was time to board the train. Ours was a genuine steam engine but at least one that we met was diesel driven. There were lots of people walking to and from the summit as well as some on mountain bikes. Charlie spent a good deal of time waving to the hikers and the passengers on two other trains that passed us. The views were amazing until the clouds closed in near the summit. We had time to walk to the summit and go to the toilet before boarding the train again. The cafe was packed with people eating huge pasties, drinking hot drinks and generally warming up before the hike back down. Richard seriously considered walking down but changed his mind due to the poor visibility and lack of signage to the start of the downward track.
When we returned to the carpark we said our goodbyes and Hazel, Richard and Charlie went home to Amlwch while Brian and went southwards as far as Dolgellau. We were just in time to call at the Information centre where we were directed to a B&B in a listed (historic) house - the man who helped us spoke to the owner in Welsh and told us "Mrs Price will make you very welcome". Fronallt was built in 1840 and Wyn Price did indeed make us very welcome. She was delighted to host New Zealanders as one of her sons had lived there and worked as a shearer. So we started our stay with a cup of tea and a long chat. Afterwards, we walked into the township in search of dinner and stopped off at The Unicorn pub for a drink. Three young mountain bikers approached us asking if we were from NZ - they had recognised our accents and were very proud of the fact they hadn't mistaken us for Australians. At least one of them had lived in NZ for a few months and we had a great time chatting with them about their holiday in Snowdonia and the Lleyn Peninsula - two of them had been hiking on Cadair Idris that day. We ate at a restaurant that had been a place where criminals, particularly witches, were tried and dealt with long ago. Wyn had told us earlier that Dolgellau had some "very bad prisons" in the past. We continued our discussions with her after she'd cooked us a lovely breakfast. She taught me how to pronounce the name of her house and the difference between the "ch" and "ll" sounds - she said my pronunciation was good (better than some English people) and that if I stayed with her for a month she'd have me speaking Welsh!
Hazel phoned just as we reached the outskirts of Llanberis to say she, Richard and Charlie were in the carpark for the Mountain Railway. We met up just after 11.00am and were booked on the 12.30 train. So we had a bite to eat and drink, browsed the gift shop and filled in time until it was time to board the train. Ours was a genuine steam engine but at least one that we met was diesel driven. There were lots of people walking to and from the summit as well as some on mountain bikes. Charlie spent a good deal of time waving to the hikers and the passengers on two other trains that passed us. The views were amazing until the clouds closed in near the summit. We had time to walk to the summit and go to the toilet before boarding the train again. The cafe was packed with people eating huge pasties, drinking hot drinks and generally warming up before the hike back down. Richard seriously considered walking down but changed his mind due to the poor visibility and lack of signage to the start of the downward track.
When we returned to the carpark we said our goodbyes and Hazel, Richard and Charlie went home to Amlwch while Brian and went southwards as far as Dolgellau. We were just in time to call at the Information centre where we were directed to a B&B in a listed (historic) house - the man who helped us spoke to the owner in Welsh and told us "Mrs Price will make you very welcome". Fronallt was built in 1840 and Wyn Price did indeed make us very welcome. She was delighted to host New Zealanders as one of her sons had lived there and worked as a shearer. So we started our stay with a cup of tea and a long chat. Afterwards, we walked into the township in search of dinner and stopped off at The Unicorn pub for a drink. Three young mountain bikers approached us asking if we were from NZ - they had recognised our accents and were very proud of the fact they hadn't mistaken us for Australians. At least one of them had lived in NZ for a few months and we had a great time chatting with them about their holiday in Snowdonia and the Lleyn Peninsula - two of them had been hiking on Cadair Idris that day. We ate at a restaurant that had been a place where criminals, particularly witches, were tried and dealt with long ago. Wyn had told us earlier that Dolgellau had some "very bad prisons" in the past. We continued our discussions with her after she'd cooked us a lovely breakfast. She taught me how to pronounce the name of her house and the difference between the "ch" and "ll" sounds - she said my pronunciation was good (better than some English people) and that if I stayed with her for a month she'd have me speaking Welsh!
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| Welsh ponies grazing on the foothills of Snowdon |
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| Looking towards Snowdon from the intersection of the roads to Llanberis and Beddgelert |
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Charlie waving to hikers and trains |
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| The summit |
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| Just as many people were hiking as riding the train |
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| Richard, Hazel and Charlie |
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| Fronallt - our bedroom is on the far right and is on the 2nd floor (the first floor is hidden by the hedge) |
Chester and Betws-y-Coed
On Friday we drove down the M6 to Chester. After a bit of a run around and asking directions, we found our way to a parking building right beside stairs up onto the city walls. We walked right around the walls, looking at major landmarks such as the railway, the racecourse, the River Dee, The Queen's School (a private school for girls complete with bras hanging from the flagpole and girls playing tennis) as well as the high street and byways, including the backyards and courtyards. We had lunch in the bar of the Albion, an Edwardian pub. The only other customers were men and the pub is unashamedly "family hostile" but the food was good and the loud conversation between two of the men was very entertaining.
After lunch, it was off to Wales, along with crowds of others heading to the beach or the ferry to Ireland. We literally crawled along the A55 until after the Holywell turnoff - some people may have decided to take alternative routes. After reaching Colwyn Bay, we took the A470 to the picturesque village of Betws-y-Coed and found a B&B, Bron Celyn, overlooking but out of the village. Our hostess, Lillian, made us very welcome and gave us directions and advice on the mountain railway and other local attractions. She was also keen to chat about Wales and New Zealand.
Ruth had been trying to text Hazel on and off all day, as she hoped to meet up with us at Llanberis to ride the mountain train, but the messages just sat in the Outbox - very frustrating! It may have had something to do with loss of service at Ravenglass and trying to send texts there. So phoned Hazel and left a message on her phone and eventually, on the advice of a girl at the Information centre, phoned Tesco and got the texting sorted.
We walked into the village for dinner and, after reading some menus outside various pubs and restaurants, found ourselves at the Royal Oak Hotel where many others were eating and drinking. We had an excellent and reasonably priced meal - fresh trout followed by the most amazing apple pie for Brian and butterfly salmon steak followed by bread and butter pudding with yummy custard cream for Ruth. During dinner, Hazel phoned and we arranged to meet at Llanberis the next morning. It poured with rain most of the time we were inside but had stopped by the time we set off for the B&B.
After lunch, it was off to Wales, along with crowds of others heading to the beach or the ferry to Ireland. We literally crawled along the A55 until after the Holywell turnoff - some people may have decided to take alternative routes. After reaching Colwyn Bay, we took the A470 to the picturesque village of Betws-y-Coed and found a B&B, Bron Celyn, overlooking but out of the village. Our hostess, Lillian, made us very welcome and gave us directions and advice on the mountain railway and other local attractions. She was also keen to chat about Wales and New Zealand.
Ruth had been trying to text Hazel on and off all day, as she hoped to meet up with us at Llanberis to ride the mountain train, but the messages just sat in the Outbox - very frustrating! It may have had something to do with loss of service at Ravenglass and trying to send texts there. So phoned Hazel and left a message on her phone and eventually, on the advice of a girl at the Information centre, phoned Tesco and got the texting sorted.
We walked into the village for dinner and, after reading some menus outside various pubs and restaurants, found ourselves at the Royal Oak Hotel where many others were eating and drinking. We had an excellent and reasonably priced meal - fresh trout followed by the most amazing apple pie for Brian and butterfly salmon steak followed by bread and butter pudding with yummy custard cream for Ruth. During dinner, Hazel phoned and we arranged to meet at Llanberis the next morning. It poured with rain most of the time we were inside but had stopped by the time we set off for the B&B.
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| Brian walking on the wall near the Eastgate. In front of him is the clock built for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897 |
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| Looking down on the High street - this reminded us of looking down on Queens Rd from the Mid-levels escalator in Hong Kong |
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| A tower on the wall |
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| The flagpole at The Queen's School |
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| The Albion |
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| Bron Celyn. Our room is the top right bay window, from which we had views of the village, fir trees and mountains |
Exploring Cumbria
We have internet access again, after 4 days, so will try to catch up with our travels. After leaving The Muncaster Guest House in Ravenglass with a packed lunch, we spent approx 45 minutes in a traffic jam following an accident on the A595. Soon after passing the smashed up motorbike lying on the road, we took a side road up to Wast Water, a very scenic area of lake and mountains, said to be the most frequently photographed place in Cumbria. It was a beautiful drive, we walked around the area and, needless to say, Ruth took a few photos. After returning to the A595 at Gosforth, we continued our scenic drive past Sellafield, where Hazel will work from 1 June, through Cockermouth to Buttermere, where we stopped for a picnic before driving through Honister Pass and on through Borrowdale to Keswick. We walked around the Castlerigg Stone Circle there and had another walk and an icecream at Grassmere before driving down Lake Windermere to Lindale, where we checked into the Lindale Inn. We walked to Grange over Sands and back before having dinner at the inn but didn't stay on in the bar as they were expecting 80+ students to come in for a boozy night. Although we didn't stay long, we explored a great deal of the very beautiful Lake District. The quaint villages, miles of stone walls, beautiful lakes and mountains viewed through tunnels of trees bursting forth in spring growth was a wonderful experience
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| Sellafield |
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| Wast Water |
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| Buttermere |
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| Slate mine at top of Honister Pass |
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| Castlerigg Stone Circle |
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| Lindale Inn |
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