Holiday 1994
Saturday 20 August Got up later than we intended, finished packing and tidying, left the key for Cathy and headed west around the M25. Hit traffic just before a junction near Amersham (?) and decided to leave the motorway and make our way through the back roads. Eventually picked up the M40 and the M4 and headed west again. Got to Hugh and Mary's early afternoon where Pushba and the kids were. Had bite to eat and then set off to the fair on the green in the village. Mooched around, Pushba won a coconut, took some photos, ate ice cream and then went back to Hugh and Mary's for tea. Spent evening chatting... Sunday 21 August About 11.30 left Hugh and Mary's and headed off to Pushba's... up the M5 and got lost going towards Birmingham... eventually got there 40 minutes late... Liz already there... had lunch and then sat round for a while... Liz and Nick went off to Clun Castle and Janie and Pushba stayed behind to chat. Stayed at Pushba's in the evening, Alan came home with Graham the hitchhiker from Boston, US. Had dinner and drank champers and cheap wine stuff... Monday 22 August Left Pushba’s at about 11.00 and headed west again. Had good solid breakfast outside by side of road at (?). Then drove up into the Montgomery hills above Newtown. Listened to the Archers on the side of the road. Threw sheep shit at Janie. Descended into town. Tourist information, shoplifting in Smiths etc. Returned to the road and headed towards Aberdovey. Had coffee in the park by the sea and then went on to Tywyn where we paddled, played tennis and ate ice cream. Eventually went to the B&B at Llwynddu Farm totally shagged out. Decided to eat out. Went to Barmouth and looked for somewhere... the Inglenook was perhaps the brightest restaurant ever... walked out because they wouldn’t let us have a shady corner... went to harbour Bistro - lovely meal outside in the almost rain, went inside for pudding and found leaflets on Portmeirion, Ffestiniog Railway and Llechwedd Slate Mines. Returned to B&B - late bath to disturb the neighbours. Tuesday 23 August Raining when we got up but cleared up pretty quickly. Drove north, sustained damage to wheel in lane above Harlech, changed wheel on way to Portmeirion... wandered around village, had coffee, went down to the woods and the estuary where the tide was ebbing... Janie out onto the sand and through the channel to sink in the sand... Nick followed at a distance with rolled up trousers. Walked back to the village along the sands and eventually managed to get back to shore. Sat in the sun for a while and then had lunch of sandwiches and fresh cream trifle... went to Number Six's shop and finally left for Porthmadog and the Ffestiniog Railway. Too late to do the trip to the Slate Mines so we got the vintage train to M(?) and the regular train back. On way back south stopped at Harlech and ate at the Plas Café with a view of the sea, the beach and the sound of the 'rar rar rar' people (poor Christine!). Returned to B&B via churchyard overlooking the sea. Wednesday 24 August Up later than intended, late to breakfast, late packing car, and late on the road... south to Penmaenpool (?) by the side of the estuary and a coffee on the terrace while it rained. After in the signal box we saw birds (cormorant, grey gull etc.) from the RSPB lookout point... then up the valley towards Dolgellau and then getting lost eventually finding our way via a narrow track back onto our route down the valley towards Tywyn. Stopped to take pictures of Talyllyn Lake from up the valley, then a little further on stopped to pick up hitchikers from Hay (London and South Carolina) who were heading west. Paused at Talyllyn lakeside cottage hotel/pub for coffee and then on to Aberdyfi to find B&B before going on the railway... no room at the inn all along the estuary and seafront... eventually went to Tourist Information who found us Ty Mawr near (?) with magnificent view along Dysinni Valley... too late for trains so decided to go to Tywyn for dinner at Arthur’s on the seafront... got window seat - blinded by floodlight... met woman from Ludlow... returned to B&B Thursday 25 August Packed bags and headed to Talyllyn Railway... up to Nant Gwernol and then walked back down to Abergynolwyn along the valley... nice picnic in the clearing... took lots of photographs of grass and moss... had coffee at Abergynolwyn and then caught train back to Tywyn... went to beach played tennis, swam in sea and then played more tennis... then got dressed and went back to Aberdyfi for coffee and sandwiches before heading south... long 3hr journey via Newtown, Ludlow, Hereford... eventually arriving at Mum & Dad's at 10.00-ish |