One of the things I have yet to do in all my trips to the northwest corner of Wales is get to the top of Snowdon. A couple years ago I went to Pen-y-Pas and parked my car and began, protein bars and water, along with camera and cellphone (Welsh wilderness is great this way, cellphones works almost everywhere!) stuffed my my backpack. I walked along the trail taking snaps of little lakes is small glaciel cymoedd and began picking my way along the trail. Eventually tho I gave up. I had been excercising regulary for about 6 months at the time, but my "keep fit" routine was part of a comeback from passing a gallstone and a brush with death induced by a misprescribed medication. I wasn't yet strong enough to make the walk.
Since then I've been too busy with other activities to take on the mountain on foot, but this year I decided I would try to take the train, never mind walking, I was on vacation after all, and figured I would save the 20 miles bikes rides and minor mountain climbing for home. As I mentioned, on Monday I had tried to catch the train, but the tickets were all booked until very late in the day. I figured that if I arrived earlier in the day I might be able to catch an earlier train. I arrived in Llanberis around 10AM, parked my Corsa and trotted off past the Electric Mountain center and was shocked to see that the line for the train ended well past the souvenir shop. I enquired to the lady waiting in front of me if the line had been moving steadily, and she reported that her friend had ventured to the head of the line to see what the reservations were like. When he finally returned (he probably had to stop to water his horse along the way...) he revealed that the trains were already book to 4:30! I gave up and headed back to Caernarfon.
I stopped at Galeri and enjoyed a nice Coffi Dwyfor while observing the boats and people along Doc Fictoria. Then I decided it was time for lunch, and so I walked into the walled part of Caernarfon town. Just past the wall was a nice looking pub, the Hole in the Wall, where I stopped and had a Welsh beef burger, sglods (chips), and a couple pints of Guinness (it's a well known fact that dark beers counteract the bad fats in red meats ;) ). That afternoon was going to be the first official day of the Gwyl Caernarfon - the Caernarfon Festival, and a number of bands from the record label Sain were supposed to be playing in the town square, y Maes. After lunch I wander up to the Maes, but no bands appeared! I was disappointed, but I was already well acquainted with the Guadalajara aspect fof the Welsh collective psyche.
The day was warm and the sun was shining, so I got in my car and decided to drive down the Llŷn peninsula and see what I could find. The Llŷn is in some ways among the wildest parts of Wales, and also among the most Welsh speaking. The weather really was great, and soon I found myself tracking down medieval curiosities nestled in the coves and glens along the western side of the peninsula. After investigating a couple medieval churches, and stopped and followed a path down to one of the many small and semi-isolated beaches that punctuate the Llŷn. After my short hike, I head back to the car and picked my way up along the side of the peninsula that faces Cardigan Bay, and then back to Tai'n Lôn for supper with Mary and Olwen.
Subscriure's a:
Comentaris del missatge (Atom)
Cap comentari:
Publica un comentari a l'entrada