Friday September 6

This was our first day in Llandudno in North Wales. We are staying at Del Mar B&B in  this small town where we started the day with a “full English breakfast,” which included ham, egg, tomato, beans, sausage, toast, juice, and coffee. Then we rolled ourselves out to the car and began a full day touring the area.

The Process

The Product

The weather forecast was dreadful for the afternoon and evening, but the morning was bright and sunny as we drove south toward Trefriw (pronounced TREV-roo), where there is a working woolen mill and we could watch the weaving process. At one time this was a significant mill, but now they mostly cater to tourists who are interested in how the work is done. The plaids were beautiful, the process of making them was impressive, and the fabric was plentiful and pretty.

Our next stop on this day’s journey was the Llechwedd Slate Caverns where Terry and I decided that a 1.5 hour tour over 200 feet down was beyond our capacity. Ultimately we all decided to shop in the store and head further south to Gwynedd for a look at Portmerion village and its pottery.

Portmerion

Portmerion is a fairy tale construction situated between two estuaries that was created by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis between 1925 and his death in 1978.  He employed a number of tricks (such as trompe l’oeil windows and curtains, including the creases in them, on the façade of one small house), several unusual acquisitions (such as the statue of Buddah from the movie The Inn of the Sixth Happiness), and a statue of Hercules which he had to drive 750 miles into Scotland to buy from the estate of the original owner. 

We took a short and bumpy tram ride around the property, popped back into the car and headed northwest along the coast of Wales to see the exquisite scenery and get to Comwy, near Llandudno, and visit one of the five castles of Bruce. Too late, unfortunately, but we will return there tomorrow morning on our way to London.

It sounds like a simple day, but Steve had challenges driving these small winding roads. The weather held until the end of the day and then it wasn't too terrible. We have been surprised by the quite nice weather.

Walked 10,522 steps, 5 miles.