Which is exactly how not to pronounce two Welsh place names (but our late friend Cyril always called them that).
The rearranged plan for today was to visit Betws-y-Coed to go to the railway museum and have a look round the town. I was fortunate to be early enough to avoid paying for parking, finding space in the road down to the museum. As I was a bit early I went for a short wander down to the river and had a look round the 14th C church:
The museum itself is small, but reasonable for £1.50. There are a few full size artefacts and various models and dioramas. The model shop is decent and the tea room, in an old buffet carriage, is excellent - I deviated from my usual habit by having Bara Brith with my coffee instead of carrot cake (I returned later for a lunchtime baguette).
For some reason the town has become the home for several outdoor equipment companies, and in particular for their outlet stores. I ended up with a new rucksack, t-shirt and fleece for the Snowdon walk, they'll all be useful later though.
Before lunch I did have a ride on the miniature railway around the site, well I can never resist!
For the afternoon I drove up through Capel Curig and round to Beddgelert. It's a bit of a nostalgia trip round there, I even passed the campsite we first stopped at in about 1970 (a borrowed pair of ridge tents with a joining canopy, very effective). It's still much the same except the old corrugated tin toilets have been replaced by a stone facilities block - wonder if it's still Elsans inside? I did stop a couple of times for photos including this one of the Cym Dyli hydro-electric plant which is fed from Llyn Llydaw on the side of Snowdon.
I nearly got away without paying to park in Beddgelert as well since someone handed me a ticket, but then I noticed the Ranger wandering with his notebook, not sure if he'd seen but decided I'd best go and pay. I don't begrudge £2.50 to help the upkeep of the park and facilities.
I walked down to Gelert's Grave (if you don't know the story, Google it) as it's sort of compulsory:
There's a station for the Welsh Highland Railway just by the car park, as a train was due I nipped up the steep path. It turned out to be the Beyer Garratt no. 87 from yesterday. I took a few more photos anyway.
From there it was a wend back to site. I've raided the wardens' shop for some bacon so I'll fry a couple of rashers with sliced shallot and add it to cheesy pasta. I must get a few rolls tomorrow, I'll have the last Stottie for breakfast but of course I don't need much.
The rearranged plan for today was to visit Betws-y-Coed to go to the railway museum and have a look round the town. I was fortunate to be early enough to avoid paying for parking, finding space in the road down to the museum. As I was a bit early I went for a short wander down to the river and had a look round the 14th C church:
The museum itself is small, but reasonable for £1.50. There are a few full size artefacts and various models and dioramas. The model shop is decent and the tea room, in an old buffet carriage, is excellent - I deviated from my usual habit by having Bara Brith with my coffee instead of carrot cake (I returned later for a lunchtime baguette).
For some reason the town has become the home for several outdoor equipment companies, and in particular for their outlet stores. I ended up with a new rucksack, t-shirt and fleece for the Snowdon walk, they'll all be useful later though.
Before lunch I did have a ride on the miniature railway around the site, well I can never resist!
For the afternoon I drove up through Capel Curig and round to Beddgelert. It's a bit of a nostalgia trip round there, I even passed the campsite we first stopped at in about 1970 (a borrowed pair of ridge tents with a joining canopy, very effective). It's still much the same except the old corrugated tin toilets have been replaced by a stone facilities block - wonder if it's still Elsans inside? I did stop a couple of times for photos including this one of the Cym Dyli hydro-electric plant which is fed from Llyn Llydaw on the side of Snowdon.
I nearly got away without paying to park in Beddgelert as well since someone handed me a ticket, but then I noticed the Ranger wandering with his notebook, not sure if he'd seen but decided I'd best go and pay. I don't begrudge £2.50 to help the upkeep of the park and facilities.
I walked down to Gelert's Grave (if you don't know the story, Google it) as it's sort of compulsory:
There's a station for the Welsh Highland Railway just by the car park, as a train was due I nipped up the steep path. It turned out to be the Beyer Garratt no. 87 from yesterday. I took a few more photos anyway.
From there it was a wend back to site. I've raided the wardens' shop for some bacon so I'll fry a couple of rashers with sliced shallot and add it to cheesy pasta. I must get a few rolls tomorrow, I'll have the last Stottie for breakfast but of course I don't need much.
I was told that when the Ordnance Survey were in Wales back in the 1800s, they always took a local around with them so they could check place names, etc. In many cases the locals didn't actually already have a name for their village, or whatever.
ReplyDeleteThe story I heard was that in North Wales they asked the local where they were. He looked at the trees all round him and the small church they were standing outside and I can almost see the 'what a stupid question' look on his face as he responded 'The chapel in the woods', only he said it in Welsh which was 'Betwys y Coed'. And that's what was recorded, and has been called ever since. And one day they might get round to correcting the date of the Battle of Waterloo on Waterloo bridge. ;-)