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Part 2: Villages, Trains and Waterfalls
Starting our day in Porthmadog, we headed back to the harbour to catch the first of the various trains we would take during this trip. This one was from this place...
Ffestiniog Station. Home of the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Heritage Railways.
Our journey was on the Ffestiniog Railway, so we boarded the good old fashioned steam train.
There is a locomotive under all that steam. Honest!
The sun was shining, which made for a lovely journey but also made photos difficult cos of reflections in the glass. Still I took a few:
See, told you the locomotive was there!
The end of the line was the historic slate mining town of Blaenau Ffestiniog where we got out and took some more pictures:
The David Lloyd George, which successfully brought us there and back again.
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After returning to Porthmadog, we then went to another nearby attraction:
Portmeirion Village. Where they filmed The Prisoner.
I can't help but feel like this place would have meant more to me if I'd ever actually watched The Prisoner.
It was an odd place, feeling almost other-worldly and kinda sinister.
Pretty, though.
And a close-up up of a flower because it's me.
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We then drove to Betws-y-Coed, which was very pretty:
That guy was there the whole time we were taking pictures, and still there hours later. I think he was trying to photograph leaping salmon but I'm not sure how successful he was.
I love how much they love dogs in Wales. They're welcome pretty much everywhere.
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The next day we headed to Llanberis to go up Snowdon.
These foolish people are going to walk it. We decided to go the much more civilised way, by train. Our second steam train of the trip.
There were some pretty views on the way up.
Welsh sheep know no fear.
But they do judge.
Now, remember how I said we were going to go up Snowdon on a steam train? Well, the train in question got us about three quarters of the way up before failing in its task. Fortunately it was still able to get us back down cos I really didn't fancy walking it!
We re-booked, and an hour or so later we were heading up again on a diesel train this time.
And we got to sit right at the front with the driver, which was pretty cool!
Attempt #2 successful! We made it to the top!
We climbed the last few steps to the summit, where this handy wheel showed us all the things we'd be able to see if the place wasn't so damn foggy.
Proof I made it to the top!
The sky cleared a bit so I tried taking some more photographs:
On a clear day this must be gorgeous.
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We then went to the Fairy Falls where I had to pay twice to get in cos the ridiculously sensitive turnstile locked up after the slightest hint of movement. Not that I'm bitter or anything...
Still, the falls were very pretty.
Next on the agenda was the Fairy Glen, which was a lot harder to get to cos it involved a lot of walking down uneven steps and over rocks. I quite enjoyed it, but it was always in the back of my mind that if one of us fell and hurt themselves there was no way the other was going to be able to help them back!
Down, down, down to the Fairy Glen...
And back up again. Sorry about the picspam at the end there, but if I'm nearly breaking my neck to get somewhere then I'm damn sure going to take plenty of pictures to make it worth it!
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That's it for this instalment. Next up we cross the water to the Isle of Anglesey!
