Day 11 - Wales Coast - Llandudno - Bronze age records to Victorian splendours

Well-known travel writer Bill Bryson knows the UK well...he wrote a comprehensive travel book called Notes From A Small Island, about his journeys all over the island. And so when he said in 2003 that Llandudno was his favourite town, his opinion must carry a lot of weight.

And one can see why he thinks this way. The town of Llandudno is on a peninsula between two huge outcrops, called Great Orme and Little Orme. The bay curves round between the two, and a long beach lies in front of a succession of Victorian-age hotels and apartment blocks. Lording over the whole scene is the Grand Hotel, which sits at the base of the Great Orme.

Walk to the top of Great Orme, for great views over the sea, Llandudno, and onto the mountains of Snowdon. It really is a pretty sight - even when it rains, as it was when I was there.

But the town is not only superficially pretty and neat. Dig a little deeper under the surface of Great Orme, so to speak, and you'll find the biggest bronze age copper mine in the world. In fact, you could dig 70 metres below ground to get to the bottom of a mine that was first dug 4 000 years ago by neolithic people.

Yes, I know, if you're not a geologist or archeaologist, it may not sound that interesting at first, but trust me, once you get there, and get talking to Nick Jowett, you'll find it fascinating. When they're not operating the visitor centre during summer, Nick and his team are working right through winter to keep digging out more and more rubble. They keep discovering more and more tunnels, in a labyrinth that extends to 6 kilometres! You'll get to walk down deep into the earth, through the original tiny tunnels, which, in neolithic times, were literally hacked out bit by bit with animal bone. You don't want to get lost, because you won't get out - but there is a guided pathway, so don't worry.


The Great Orme Copper Mine in Llandudno.

Almost 1800 tons of copper was mined, enough to make 10 million axes, which was what everyone wanted in those times. It was the most valuable mine in the world during the bronze age. And then the Victorians came thousands of years later, and mined it even more. Since excavations started in 1986, a human jaw bone has been found, as well as one black cat (dead) surrounded by a circle of berries...all from Victorian times. Sinister stuff.

The Great Orme is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, one of 4 000 in the UK. It not only hosts the copper mine, but also an iron age fort ruin, with a rock that was used to determine whether someone was guilty of a crime. The accused would stand on the rock (which is there to this day), and if it didn't rock, you were guilty. Try it out. I was guilty of my crime - didn't move one millimetre!

A great way to get to the top of Great Orme is the cable car, which starts in town and takes you to the summit, with more superb views of the area. And while you're up there, there is a tabogan run, which is great fun even for old folk who feel the need for speed.

I stayed with Annie Cooper of Boscombe House, a grand Victorian three-storey home a few blocks back from the promenade. "Stayed with" doesn't really describe adequately how things are at Boscombe House. It would be more accurate to say that Annie looks after you like you were one of her own grand children.

She does things in style, and with a serious amount of care and love. Her rooms are HUGE, the ceilings are HIGH, and the decor is way more comfortable than it should be for £30 a night, which is what Annie charges for Bed & Breakfast.

The first thing Annie did when I arrived was give me scones, jam and big pot of tea, and we sat in her homely lounge talking about the horrible weather. When she heard I hadn't eaten lunch, she jumped up and immediately made me a sandwhich. When I went to bed, she had turned down my bed, and left two teddy bears to keep me company for the night, as well as a glass of sherry and two biscuits to help me start dreaming deeply. And in the morning, breakfast kept coming and coming...if you didn't ask Annie to STOP bring more home-baked bread and scones, then you'd be eating all day. And when I left, Annie had made me a packed lunch for the road...

For more things in the area check out Llandudno's tourism website.


My room at Boscombe House, with two teddy bears to keep me warm.


Old and new...


Imposing Conwy Castle near Llandudno is part of a World Heritage Site that includes several other castles in the area.

Day 10 - Wales Coast - Abersoch - Some scenic pics from www.totallyabersoch.co.uk

While I was in Abersoch, I bumped into John Wormald, who's a photographer based in the town, with his own studio and shop that sells photographic prints. He's got lots of outstanding photos of the area. Check them out at http://www.totallyabersoch.co.uk/.

Here are a just a few of them. All were taken in the Abersoch area.

Day 10 – Wales Coast – Royal Welsh Show – Wales vs New Zealand Test

Nope, not a rugby test. It’s a sheep shearing test. Ever year, several countries’ best sheep shearers gather at The Royal Welsh Show to see which nation is best.

I know this topic is a bit off the subject of my coastal trip of Britain, but while driving to Abersoch, I was listening to BBC Wales in the car, and heard the latest from the Royal Welsh Show. One comment from the Welsh presenter stuck in my head: “The New Zealanders are World Champions, and looking very strong, agile and skilful this year." Just to be clear, he was talking about the New Zealand sheep shearing team.

Apparently, shearers are scored by points being deducted. So competitors start with maximum points, and for every mistake/misjudgement made, points will be deducted. For instance, shearers should never have to cut twice over the same area – apparently, that’s not very skilful. The winner is the shearer who has the least points deducted. The presenter interviewed one of the New Zealanders, and his best time for shearing a sheep was exactly 18.08 seconds.

Random fact of the day: There are 10 million sheep in Wales, compared to a human population of three million. That's a lot of lamb chops to get through...


A YouTube clip of the final of the All Nations Competition from 2008. To the uninitiated, it looks like the poor sheep is being roughed up quite a bit, but on the BBC Radio Wales program, the New Zealander competitor says they actually enjoy the rough stuff.

Day 10 – Wales Coast – Abersoch and Lleyn peninsula – Island of 20 000 Souls

King Arthur died here, and so did 20 000 Christians...

Bardsey island, two miles long, off the western tip of Lleyn, must be one haunted place. Back in the 6th century, the Pope decreed that three pilgrimages to Bardsey was equal to one pilgrimage to Rome (because the journey to Rome was too dangerous). Over a period of time, thousands and thousands came to the island, which eventually became known as the Isle of 20 000 Saints, because as many as 20 000 pilgrims came and died here.

Make your own way there with Colin Evans of Bardsey Boat Trips, which offers boat trips to the island from the town of Aberdaron. Besides the historical aspect, the island is noted for its nestings of Manx Shearwater and Peregrine Falcons.


Pic of Bardsey Island, courtesy of Bardsey Boat Trips.

Day 10 - Wales Coast - Abersoch and Lleyn - Mad adventurer now bespectacled chef...

The town of Abersoch lies on the Lleyn peninsula (also spelt Llyn, and pronounced “khleen”), sticking out into the Irish Sea. Like the Gower Peninsula further south (see my post from a few days ago), this has been decreed an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.


Panorama of Abersoch, a small village on the Lleyn Peninsula in North Western Wales. This area is considered the stronghold of Welsh culture. Click on the image for full screen version.

You are never far from the sea, and it is less populated – it was great to be one of the few cars on the smaller roads. And people seem more laid back here than anywhere else I’ve been so far (maybe it’s just me though!). Even though you can't compare, Cornwall, for all its plusses, was one big traffic jam and had a bustling energy. Lleyn is a bit slow, in a good way, if you're slow like me.

What makes Lleyn special and unique, I think, is the amount of Welsh spoken. It is the first language of most locals, and you’ll hear it on the streets and in the shops. When I went to the Welsh Heritage Centre at Nant Gwrtheyrn (near Nefyn), it was closed for renovations, but apparently there is an excellent exhibition on Welsh language and culture. Open or not, go anyway, because the drive down from the main road (the B4417) to the town is spectacular. The road zigzags steeply down a mountain, to end with great views over cliffs to the sea. And if it’s raining, there’s a very long waterfall that’s visible all the way down.

I stayed in Abersoch on the south west end of the peninsula. Only a 1000 people live here, but during tourist season, according to John Gosling at Gosling’s B&B and Bistro, up to 10 000 people can visit the greater area. Not that you’d notice it. It is peak tourist season now, and the area doesn’t seem overcrowded.

There’s a shortish main street, which leads down to a fishing and sailing harbour, and a number of restaurants, delis and clothing shops. A long beach (rated as Blue Flag) extends in front of the harbour at low tide. The area has plenty of activities, and because the Lleyn peninsula is long and thin, you’re never too far from any of them.

A quick aside...When I met John Gosling, he was in his chef's outfit, getting his bistro's kitchen ready for dinner. We had a good long chat about our respective laptops giving us trouble, then got talking about Lleyn, then went back to our laptop discussion, then we started chatting about canoeing on Mount Everest...hold on! How did we end up here?

John might look very comfortable in his middle aged years, settled, chilled and bespectacled, but that's just a front. Because he's actually a closet adventurer. In 1976 he was part of the team that helped set the world altitude record for canoeing, of which a film was subsequently made: "Dudh Kosi - Canoeing Down Everest".

John's also been on K2 doing similar sane things. Okay, 1976 was some time ago, but John's still got that mad look of adventure in his eyes. Check out more on Wikipedia...where John is described as "the troubleshooter of the team". No doubt those skills come in handy when things in the bistro get hectic.

Here are a couple of John Gosling’s other suggestions:

Go walking. There are more than 50 miles of coastal walks on Lleyn. Edge of Wales is a respected company that specialises in guided walks, including a 75 km trek along the north shore of Lleyn.

Visit Porthdinillaen, which is not even a village, with seven or so houses, and a great pub restaurant on the tiny beach called Ty Coch (Red House). It is 1 mile from the village of Morfa Nefyn.

Go surfing at Hell’s Beach, a three minute drive to the west of Abersoch. Also good for surfing is Porth Oer (near Methlem), on the north-west coast.

Play golf at Nefyn Golf Club, acknowledged as one of the ten most beautiful golf courses in the UK.

Go for sailing lessons at Abersoch’s sailing school.

For panoramic views of the area, walk to the top of the hill at Llanbedrog, a few miles east of Abersoch (see the panorama pic from my post yesterday). And go see Criccieth Castle, a 13 century ruin that sits on top of cliffs with a vista of Tremadog Bay. In summer there is an arts festival that ends with fireworks over the castle.

Among the several events held near Abersoch over summer, the most particular must be Wakestock, a rock festival for wakeboarders, who descend on the peninsula because of its protected bays and skiing opportunities. 15 000 watersport fans come for four days to Llanbedrog (a couple of miles east of Abersoch) to listen to some top bands (Moby played this year). The festival in 2010 is from 2nd to 4th July.

Finally, learn Welsh! The Welsh Heritage Centre at Nant Gwrtheyrn offer courses for all ages and sizes.

For more ideas, check out Abersoch and Llyn’s tourism website.

Day 10 - Wales Coast - Abersoch - Welsh signs and flag

Some Welsh road signs...and the Cymru flag. Y Ddraig Goch, as it called in Welsh, is probably the oldest national flag still in use. Its first official record of use was in 830, but was most likely introduced much earlier by Romans during their occupation of Britain.


Anyone want some WYAU SYTH OR NYTH for breakfast?


The dragon's rocking.


The Welsh flag...

Day 10 - Wales Coast - Abersoch - The heartland of the Welsh

North Wales is accepted as the heartland of Welsh identity, and more people speak Welsh (or Cymraeg, as locals prefer) as their first language here than anywhere else. The name Wales is the English version of the real name in Welsh, which is Cymru (pronounced "kumree"). Cymru means "the land of the comrades".

I left Harlech, and drove North West to Abersoch on the Llyn Peninsula...By now you're probably wondering how to say all these Welsh names. I don't know either, but here's a good website that explains it. The language has 28 letters, but no J, K, Q, V, X or Z (although these are "borrowed" from English).

I thought I'd upload a BBC Wales radio news report, as well as a Welsh song...have a listen. (If anyone knows the artist, please let me know!) The language grabs me, and I found myself listening to it a lot, even though I don't understand a word.

It's a beguiling sound, ancient and proud and romantic. We all know that French and Italian sounds romantic to Anglo Saxons, but Welsh is unique. Glyn Roberts from Castle Cottage in Harlech tells me how his English-speaking daughters went to a Welsh speaking school, and are fluent in the language. More than that though, they are almost fluent in French, but they've learnt it through Welsh!

I hope the Cymru culture thrives. Janet Havard from Anchor Guest House in Broad Haven told me of her Welsh friend who was forbidden in 1969 to speak Welsh at shcool! Although things are obviously way more diplomatic today, I guess there will always be a threat to the minority of Welsh speakers, as there is to all minority cultures around the world.



This is an audio file of a Welsh song on BBC Radio - click play to listen.


BBC Welsh Radio news report...sounds great, eventhough I have no idea what they're saying.

Day 9 - Wales Coast - Harlech & Snowdonia - Random fact of the day

Random fact of the day: Mount Snowdon is Britain's highest mountain outside of Scotland, at 1085 metres. The first recorded climbed was in 1639 by a botanist Thomas Johnston.

Interestingly (to me!), Mount Snowdon is almost exactly the same height as my favourite mountain - Table Mountain in my home town of Cape Town, South Africa. The mountain gods must have created them together, and the gods must have been in a really good mood, because both mountains are beautiful...Just goes to show that mountains don't have to be the highest to be the most photogenic!


Mount Snowdon...there are various walking routes to the top, but if you're feeling lazy, rather take the Snowdon Railway, which will take you all the way up to the summit, where a new visitor centre has recently been completed.

Day 9 - Wales Coast - Harlech - A castle and cottage fit for a king...

From Dolgellau, I drove to Harlech, famous for its World Heritage Site castle. And the views change again...for the better, if that's possible. (This trip is making me search hard for adjectives...must bring out that old Thesaurus of mine.)

Harlech sits high up on a hill, a town of 1000 people with a small main street. The castle dominates in the centre, where it looks west and north over a vast plain of low green hills, rising into the watercolour mountains of Snowdonia. And in the middle of these is the geometrically perfect triangle of Mount Snowdon itself. But it doesn't stop there. To the west, the town drops off steeply to Harlech Beach, 4 miles long, and St Davids Championship Golf Course, a links course, that blends well into the environment.

I am staying at Castle Cottage Harlech, and the views of Snowdon from the lounge bar will keep you from your meal. Except that the restaurant is award winning, and my starter (grilled goats cheese, avocado and pine nuts on beetroot carpaccio with pesto dressing), and my main (roasted loin of lamb and confit shoulder, served on bubble and squeak with buttered carrots and a red wine shallot sauce) quickly got me out of my chair in the lounge and into the dining area.

Castle Cottage's tag line is "restaurant with rooms", and this hints at the passion of owners Glyn and Jacqueline Roberts. The restaurant is the fulcrum around which this highly professional, yet welcoming, establishment turns. It is a family-run, luxury, five star restaurant, in a restored 17th century inn. The rooms, though, provide the double whammy. They are easily the most comfortable and sophisticated I've experienced on this trip, as well as among the slickest I've stayed in over several years of travel journalism.

From the outside, the austere stone work blends in with the rest of town, and you can easily walk past Castle Cottage without realising the potential dining and accommodation experience inside.

And something else makes it really easy to visit...although it would be number 1 on many visitors' lists of places to stay in Wales, and is definitely a "special" spot, it doesn't have the attendant formalities. I walked in with my dirty shorts and hiking boots, initially worried about pitching up at a smart spot looking like I did. But as I walked in, Glyn greeted me before I could greet him. "You must be the South African!" he said. "Only South Africans walk around in shorts all day!" I felt welcome straight away.

Check out Britain's other World Heritage Sites, and see what else Harlech has in store for you.



Harlech Castle...dating from the late 1200s.



My room at Castle Cottage Harlech...

Day 9 - Wales Coast - Harlech - The mountains of Snowdonia start...and cows get happy

So north I go. Driving along the coast from Broad Haven, through St Davids, where there is an imposing cathedral, well known locally as an important pilgrimage for Christians.

I stopped in Aberystwyth for lunch. It felt run-down and maybe in need of some tourist money.

Heading north further still, I got to Machynlleth (not sure how you pronounce that!) . Here the mountains smack right into your vision. It's a quick change of scene. And Dolgellau is the town that's right in the middle of the southern areas of Snowdonia National Park.

Further in, you notice plenty of happy cows and sheep grazing lazily. But the cows in these parts are not just happy, they positively overdosing on good vibes. For the first time in my life, I saw cows lying down on their sides, fast asleep in the afternoon sun. In South Africa, cows are pretty much everywhere outside of the cities, and I've ever seen this...I didn't know cows could do that! There must be something in the grass in these parts...(it does look tasty, even to a homo sapiens like me! If I had to eat grass, I'd eat Snowdonia grass.)