Pictures are here
Friday. Bit of PLODding, trying to juggle simon’s work schedule and darkmuse’s car servicing (to be milk-mobile-bis for the weekend.) Anyway, set off for Dolgellau at about 4pm and immediately had an unscheduled stop to sort out T-Shirts.
Back on the road, via the M6 Toll (I still feel dirty having paid to use a road that doesn’t go over or under a big bit of water). Down the M54 and into Wales. Wales welcomed us with rain. Honestly. ‘Halfway House’ - dry; ‘Middletown’ - rain. Luckily it was just a shower.
We stopped in Welshpool. There were mutterings of hunger and I wanted to revisit the NMB to take a picture of the shop opposite. The NMB was shut (about 8:00 pm) and it was raining, so I deferred picture taking and we just went to a sit-in chippy. After being fed and entertained, we stocked up on provisions (bacon and bread rolls mostly) in Safeways and set off to the Camp site.
Arrived at camp site and pitched tents amongst a swarm of tiny little midges. Quite annoying, but too small to bite - surely. After camp was set, we frog-marched to Barmouth (a 3 1/2 mile hike) and went into the pub that was recommended by a bloke wandering down the street swigging from a can of Wife. I’m not sure whether that recommendation, or the fact that it was the first pub we came to, swang the decision. Anyway it was ironically named the “Last Inn” and did us proud. Beer and everthing.
Returned to camp (another 3 1/2 miles at a slightly more leisurly pace) and turned in for the night.
Plan for tomorrow is to get up - make breakfast and then go to Machynlleth and Llandiloes NMBs, followed by an evening at leisure (probably around a camp fire).
——————————— Tomorrow ——————-
Woke up at 7:00 am by an Alarm Bee. The poor little mite had got stuck between the flysheet and the inner of my tent and no amount of coaxing and verbal encouragement was going to let it out. Eventually I got up; removed the fly sheet; let the little darling resume honey collecting and rebuilt the tent. Then the sun came out. Now, the sun is a fine thing. But it does warm a tent up something rotten. It’s like being in a nylon sauna. Anyway - it was round about at this point that I realised that those little midges had bitten me to b*ggery. I’m sure that my legs said something profound in braille. Chapter 1 of War and Peace for example.
Managed to resume slumber until a reasonable hour. (11 ish) We all got up and set off in the milk-mobile-bis to get breakfast.
So, arriving in Machynlleth, the NMB was just there on the right. Managed to squeeze the m-m-b on the end of the parking space (only to find out later that somebody else managed to squeeze just off the end of the parking spaces - maybe they have a Centre for Alternative Parking here as well as the Center for Alternative Technology).
darkmuse was breaking his NMB virginity. simon was revisiting history. We entered. (actually, I faffed about taking pictures, buying a CD, taking more pictures and messing with my GPS, then we entered)
Oh joy. It’s amazing. There’s another Map on the wall. I take a picture (actually I did, but the camera didn’t - I need to go back and get this picture - damn
) Two lasses laugh at me for taking a picture. There’s horseshoe seating - it’s fantastic. We sit in the Posh side by the window and order.
I order the Welsh rarebit. It’s off How can it be off? I rally and order a Big Breakfast to make up for the disappointment. darkmuse has a BB too, simon goes for the Farmhouse Grill. We all have tea. simon has an ‘ice cold milk’ and declares it to be good. He takes a shine to the glass, but is forbidden from liberating it. We refrain from a dessert, knowing that Llanidloes is just down the road.
Then I spy them. Two Crusha bottles on optics, by the Milk machine. I’m too shy to take a picture, but you can imagine how perfect that image would be. No Tunnocks Teacakes - you can’t have everything.
We scour Machynlleth to complete our Shopping list
- Bit of wire (not found)
- Tent Patch
- Midge Cream
- Newspaper
- Beer (postponed until later in the day)
- Tacky present for carys
Tacky present was a wallet. It served a dual purpose in that it was the kitty for the weekend too. It is plastic, made in China and has a dragon on it. Oh - and nowhere to put notes. Credit cards - yes; coins - yes; notes - no. Do they not have notes in China? Or do the Chinese just think that the Welsh don’t have notes?
Anyway. Off to Llanidloes.