Rwy'n caru Cymru

...oh yesh, indeedily, I LOVE WALES!!!  We are back from our adventures and I have a *ahem* few more piccies to show you... starting with this one.  Which is one of the reasons I wanted to go to North Wales.  To find my ancestors.  My Grandma was born in North Wales and I remember the stories she used to tell me when I was little, I was incredibly lucky to have a Gran that spoilt me utterly with her time - there was no need for toys and presents when I was with her - she spent so much time talking with me, telling me useful stuff and sharing her wealth of knowledge about flora and fauna that to me, that was all I needed.  How I wish that I could tell her about our travels but to be honest, I think she already knows.  For you see, this strange thing happened.....

We set out bright and early to find Port Dinorwic, this is where she was born.  I had, in my minds eye, a picture of what it would look like and I figured that if I could find the chapel where she played organ, I would be able to find a cemetery.  Well, off we went into the hills and couldn't find it!  The Sat Nav was no help, it wasn't even recognising the place we were looking for.  There we were, driving along, I was feeling a bit dejected when I spied a local chap walking along.  Never being one for being shy, I hailed him and asked where we needed to be going.  He firstly told us that it isn't called Port Dinorwic anymore (hence the Sat Nav being crabby) it is, in fact, called Y Felinheli.  Thank you Mr Welsh Man, you have been a great help.  Off we went and found Y Felinheli and found a chapel.  But.  It had no cemetery!  Well, at least I had been to where she had grown up, that was good enough.  So off we set to the Menai Bridge.  And we took a wrong turn out of the village and I saw a sign saying "Cemetery".   I got a bit excited and we decided that we would go and have a looksee.  Well, I was a smidge downcast when I saw the amount of graves in the cemetery.  I decided to give myself 30 minutes to see if I could find anything.  I came across a few graves bearing the family name but not theirs.  It was about 28 minutes into my quest and I said, out loud, "Grandma, help me please, I want to find them."   What happened next has me both slightly spooked and incredibly comforted.  Something in my head told me to turn around and ignore the line of graves right in front of me and walk to the next line... and, yes, this is the God's honest truth, there it was.  Their grave.  I know some might say it is just a mighty coincidence.... but I don't believe it was.  In a graveyard with hundreds of graves, only two minutes left to find it... and me asking Gran to help... there it was.  I have myself a little emotional here but also very happy to have found such an amazing thing.   Also on the grave was an address, so off we went to have a look!   I saw the very house my Gran grew up in, like I said... an amazing experience.

The next day dawned ever so bright and early for we were away to the top of Mt Snowdon.   Oh yesh, we were off a-hiking.  Well, actually, that is a fib, we went on the train up to the summit.  We got an "early bird" trip which was a bit of a daft thing to do because overnight, it had snowed up there... oh yesh, snow on Snowdon!  The little train chugged its way right up to the top of the mountain, blimey, that train is a strong one because that is one heck of a climb.  When we got to the top, this was the spectacular view we were greeted with!  Hahahaa, it is typical of a Grim and Hels' Trip that the weather plays up... this time it was the snow and mist...

The awesome and spectacular view of.... erm.... mist!!!

After our descent back to terra firma, we went on a little steam train around the lake in Llanberis and I was too excited to see all the woodland that surrounds the lake to take many pics... Grim got this one of me though... I was being a big kid again and slurping a Slush Puppie....

We headed off to Port Meirion in the afternoon... oh wow!! This place is awesome and here are some pics of it.... and also, there's a piccie of a plant that I LOVE!  But I don't know what it is... so if any of you know..... please help.

Check out this little guy, all around the village are statues, hidden away or in plain sight...

All is not what you see....

Not a real ship at all!

What is this plant???  I LOVE it!!! 

My dream house

more rocks....

All the houses/buildings in the village of Portmeirion are painted in beautiful colours

yes, even more rocks... they are gorgeous tho...

The chessboard from The Prisoner TV show isn't there anymore....

how cool is this!!! King Grim!  The crown was actually a-top a spire on a fancy building, I just got Grim to stand in the right position.....

Topping up on my dragon addiction

 When we left Port Meirion, we drove back the long way around so we could see more sights and scenery... how could anyone fail to be moved by this stunning vista?

Lake Gwynedd... this is the most beautiful place

Breath-taking...

And there you have it!  Our adventures in Wales are over now but will always be there as a wonderful memory... I just want to go back... now!   Thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

Anturiaethau yng Cymru...

...ah yes, thank you Mr Google for your amazing translation skills... todays post title in Welsh means... Adventures in Wales... which is exactly what Grim and I have been up to!   As promised, more photo's of our trip.  Yesterday we set off bright and early  to explore the beautiful countryside that surrounds Llanberis.  We kept stopping off and leaping out of the car to take photo's... here are a few (again, 'scuse the lack of photographic skills... never a strong point of mine!)  I will try to keep the waffle to a minimum (hahahaa... who am I kidding?)

View of Llanberis - you can see our hotel from here!

Awww.... too cute not to get a piccie of...

I have a thing about flora and fauna... and check this out... aren't they just beautiful?

Gotta love springtime...

And following on from my pics of the rocks at Betsw-Y-Coed, here is a stunning hunk of Welsh slate... another fabby background stamp methinks...

Rocky... erm... 2 *groans*

And the last pic for today... the internet here is sooooo slow and it is getting late... here's a piccie of the name of the town with the incredibly long name... isn't it fab!!!  And of course, it is a railway station sign... gotta get the railway in there somewhere right?

Speaking of the railway... we have booked onto the Snowdon Mountain Railway first thing in the morning so I best get a wiggle on and get myself to bed.... I shall blog more pics tomorrow if the internet will allow!   Thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

Cyfarchion....

...from Wales!   Hey, did you know that I am actually part Welsh?  My beautiful Gran was born and bred in North Wales... and how I wish I had actually listened to her when she spoke in her mother tongue to me... if only I could speak this amazing language!  Anyways... if you hadn't guessed, cyfarchion means greetings!   I know, I sound dead clever... actually Mr Googles helped me!  Rather than do a load of waffling (as is my wont) I thought I would just pop some piccies on of our experiences so far and do a "caption" for each... and here goes with our first stop on our trip, Llangollen.... **edit, after writing up the post... erm... I waffled... a bit... lol **

Taken from the bridge over looking the River Dee

And of course, a trip for us wouldn't be a proper trip without finding a railway... and a steam train...

I wish I could take credit for this fab pic but alas, it wasn't me... Grim is an expert photographer

Continuing on our journey, we arrived at Swallow Falls, Betws-y-Coed. This is truly stunning and sooooo noisy, very soothing at the same time though.

Swallow Falls... natural beauty.

As ever, I am easily distracted and saw this rock... this would make a faaaaab background stamp... whatch finks?

Rocking it....

Indiginous to this area blooms the Snowdon Lily... I tried and tried to get a close up photo of this beauty... I will try again as they are pretty much growing all over... or maybe I shall just ask Grim to do it lol

In the middle... there it is...

Grim has this cool gadget that is a tripod for the camera but it has articulated legs (bit like mine haha) and he strapped it to the railings so we could pose a-front of the Falls....

Awwwww.....

And, as ever, why have sensible photo's when silly ones are much funnier... I seem to have adopted a "Beckham pout" for some reason... and Grim, well he looks like he is picking his teeth lol

Goofing about....

And finally, a piccie of the scenery just before we got to Llanberis, which is where we are staying... in a lovely hotel that has a real, live, proper parrot in the bar.   He is called George and he can sing and whistle and chatter away and now he knows how to say .... "ay-up George"  teehee... I am going to try and get a photo of him later when I don't need to use the flash, I don't want to upset him!

More of these pics to follow!

Right, I shall away... I am fair pogged as we just ate a delicious dinner of gammon (with proper real chips no less) and it is time to get some sleepz... Thanks for looking... TTFN!

Hels x