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It's hard to believe we've now been in the UK for 1 month already..!!..and the last week has certainly been one to remember...British royal history,Castles and some of the best walking trails in UK, we would both agree without any doubt that Wales has it all...SongHi & I booked into a friendly little B&B guest house called Ty Newydd Guest House in the tiny little village of Trefriw, which is in the heart of Snowdonia...Unfortunately,we arrived over 3 hours later than expected,thanks to the British Rail system, which I thought would have improved since being privatised..Anyhow,this & the wet weather forcast was definately not going to dampen our spirits (pardon the pun..!!) for what turned out to be an energetic but memorable trip for both of us.For me & the type of photography I enjoy, the combination of autumn,overcast & being in the mids't of nature are a perfect mix...the Olympus has certainly worked it's little heart out & enjoying a well earned break..!!.Not for long though..!!..
Though all the walks we did have their own unique points of interest,our 2 favourites would probably have to be the 4.5 hour twin lakes trail to Geirionydd & Crafnant Lakes,which took us through some beautiful woodlands with fine views of the Crafnant valley & the historic Klondyke slate mines.....and the second one being the miners track from Pen-y-Pass to the top of Mt. Snowdon.. With the weather being against us,we unfortunately did not make it to the top which would have been approx. a 7hr round trip.It all brought back a few memories for me though, as this was the area that I did most of my training when serving in the british army.
Close to & within a good walking distance to where we stayed are the 2 beautiful villages of Llanrwst & Betws-y-Coed, the 2nd being more touristy & a good base for a lot of the walks & trails in the area. Llanrwst is the typical picture postcard little hamlet,with the narrow cobblestone streets,old church, & stone bridge over the River Conwy (both still standing from the 16th century),including Gwydir Castle which amazingly shows records of it's first owner being a commander under the Black Prince in the year 1356.It is also reputed to be one of the most haunted houses in Wales....and certainly felt it too..!!
Though SongHi & I are more partial to a good bottle of Merlot or Cabernet Shiraz of an evening,it was amazing how welcoming & refreshing a pint of good welsh ale is, after a day of walking the trails of the Snowdonia mountains.As many in Oz. would say "It's Flat & Warm" and "I would not touch the stuff"..!!!..Well,it is an acquired taste & I guess, to only a select few..!.It was very convenient having the "Ship Inn" pub across the street from where we were staying in Trefriw.
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