Wales Trip Journal
Below is my journal of our trip to Wales.
============================================================
July 25-26, 2000
We left Philadelphia on July the 25th, USAirways flight #126 about 10:10 PM
Well here it is finally the time that my cousin, Sandy, and I have been waiting
for. After many years of trying to get this trip together, we are finally on our
way. I could feel the excitement build as I left today from my Mom and Dad’s
house to pick up Sandy and then started for the airport. We left Sandy’s house
and headed for the Philadelphia International Airport. We arrived in plenty of
time to check in and then headed for the gate. Through correspondence that I
have had with some of the group that were also going to Wales, Roland Morris and
his Uncle Bill Morris would be on the same flight as we were. Roland lives in
Norristown, Pa. and his uncle lives in Florida. Uncle Bill was flying up to
Philadelphia and he would meet Roland and us there. While we were waiting for
the flight at the airport we met up with Roland and Bill. We sat and chatted
for a while before the flight left. The flight was scheduled to leave at 10:10
PM and there was a time that we thought that the flight would be delayed but
they announced the flight and we started to board. After all were on board, I
still couldn’t believe that we were finally going to Wales. But as we pushed
back from the gate and headed down the runway, both Sandy and I remarked that we
would be in England and Wales the next day. The pilot said that the flying time
to London Gatwick Airport would be 6½ hours and we would be flying up the coast
of the US and then across the Atlantic and fly into England and finally Gatwick.
As we got settled, the stewardess and stewards started serving drinks. After the
drinks, they brought around hot towels and then served the meal. We had a nice
meal on the flight and then they came around again with drinks.
There was a series of movies that you could watch but we decided to try and get
some sleep as the next day would be very tiring. We have been flying for about 5
hours how and the sun is up and looks to be a perfect day. Roland had given me a
book to read about driving in Britain. I read it 2 times! It is now July 26th.
Before we arrived at Gatwick, they served drinks and fed us again. This time it
was a light meal. When we arrived at Gatwick, England, we went
through customs and decided to exchange some currency while we waited for our
bags. After we exchanged our money, we saw that there was a place to buy a train
ticket. We needed to get to Chester, which is in North, and so we inquired about
the ticket. The man at the ticket counter said that there were a number of
different trains that run to Chester from Gatwick. He told us that the fare
would be £53.00 for a round trip ticket. We all decided to go ahead the get the
tickets here so bought our train ticket to Chester.
The train station was right at the airport. So we got our bags, went through
immigration, and headed for the trains. We were told the easiest way to get to
Chester was to go to Watford Junction, then to Crewe, then get the “local” train
to Chester. We waited about 30 minutes until the next train to Watford Junction
arrived at the station. We all gathered our bags and loaded them on the train.
Luckily the train was not very full. We arrived at Watford Junction and met a
fellow that was hiking to Holyhead. He was from Stroudsburg, Pa. He was hiking
across England before going to Oxford for school. He joined us on the train to
Crewe. At Crewe, we boarded a “local” train to Chester. The fellow we met left
us at Crewe and headed from here to Holyhead. Arriving in Chester, we had a car
reserved from a company called “Auto Europe.” Roland and his great uncle took a
taxi to get their car. We decided to walk to get our car as the agency told me
that it was right near the train station. We walked for a bit and I decided to
ask where they were located. I stopped in at another car agency and they called
Auto Europe. I talked to them and they told me that they had moved and that they
did not have any reservation for me for a car. I told them that I have a copy of
the contract and had paid a deposit. They told me to get a taxi and they would
get me a car. We walked back to the train station, got a taxi and went to the
agency. The man there made some calls and finally told me that it was all right
and that had to update the computer and would take about 10 minutes. While that
was being updated, they realized that they did not have a car for me after all.
The man at the agency talked to some other men there and they finally told me
that they did not have a compact car for me but that they had a mid-sized car
for me that they would give me that instead. It would be an upgrade at no
additional cost. They brought out a red Mitsubishi Carisma. It was a 4 door,
standard shift. It was a very nice car. After the computer was updated, they
took my credit card number and drivers license number and one of the men there
walked me around the car to check it out and make sure that there were no
scratches and dents. Not like the rental agencies here. After I had signed the
paperwork, we got directions on how to get to Bala from Chester. They told us
that it would be about a 1½ hour drive. They gave us directions on how to get
out of Chester but they were really confusing. We loaded our luggage in the car
and headed out. As we started out, we ended up on a very busy street and there
was a lot of traffic. There were a number of “roundabouts” in Chester and the
roundabouts are the most confusing traffic obstacle in England. As we entered
one of them we saw the sign for the A483 to Ruebon and headed that way. After a
while we got on the A5 heading towards Betws-y-Coed. We drove for about ½ hour
and we saw the sign “Welcome to Wales” and shortly after that we saw the signs
for the A494 to Bala. What beautiful country! We finally ended up in Bala. We
looked for the road that would take us the to B & B. We got on the A4212 and
headed that way.
After a short ride, we say a sign for the B & B and turned down the road. We followed the
signs until we ended up at the farm and the B & B.
We were met by Mrs. Olwen Davies and she showed us into the house. She invited
us to the “conservatory” which was like a sun porch. We sat there and she served
tea and biscuits. We talked for a while and we asked her where there is a place
to eat. She told us that there is a restaurant in Bala that should be open. We
took our bags to the rooms and we headed to get something to eat. When we
arrived in Bala (only about 15 minutes drive), we found that the place she told
us to eat was closed but that they suggested a place up the street called “Poppy
Red’s.” We walked there and went in and ordered dinner. As we sat there and
started talking with the waiter (who was also the owner), he told us that the
people at another table were also from “America.” We introduced ourselves and as
we started to talk, we found that one of the people was from Benton, Pa. which
is about 30 minutes drive from where my parents live in Pa. The other people
were from Hawaii. What a small world! We had a wonderful meal and then decided
to drive around for a little. We headed back to the B & B where me met Olwen’s
husband, John. John run’s the farm and does construction work. We headed to our
rooms and unpacked. My room was a single room with a small sink and a closet to
hang the clothes. A community bath! Down the Hall! Sandy’s room had a double
bed and shower facilities. They were both nice rooms. We had a long day and we
were looking forward to a good nights sleep.
July 27, 2000
Today we started out with a typical Welsh Breakfast. It consisted of juice,
fresh fruit, cereal, a fried egg, ham, mushrooms, and half a fried tomato. There
was toast with homemade jam’s and preserves. Olwen served either coffee or tea.
It was very good. After we talked to Olwen for a little, we decided to go to the
other B & B where the rest of the group was staying, called Fron Goch. It is
located across the road from where we were staying, so we drove over there. When
we arrived, we were met by the owner, Carys, who told us that the group was out
in the sheep sheering barn. We walked out there and met Priscilla and Emily.
Cary’s husband, Dawi, greeted us and explained about the sheep sheering that was
just completed. They have 3 men that sheer 1000 sheep in a day. All the wool was
in big bags ready to go to the mills. After talking to them for a while, we left
and headed for the Bala Tourist Bureau and look around and get some brochures.
The tourist bureau is located on the bank of Lake Bala in the leisure center. It
is very nice and the people there were most helpful. We got some brochures. We
walked around the tourist center and when down to the edge of Lake Bala. We then
decided to walk into the Town of Bala.
With map in hand, we started out. Above is the front of the Town Walk Brochure
and map we used. We walked down the Main Street or High Street stopping in a
number of shops to look at items. We found a lot of nice places. As we neared
the end of the street, we decided we would like to get a light lunch. We noticed
a restaurant that was in an old school building. We decided to try it and had a
delightful lunch. After that we walked back on the other side of the street,
stopping at some other shops to view the local craft items. After we got back to
the car at the leisure center, we decided to take a drive as it was such a nice
day. We drove for a while until we came to a large lake. We found a place to
pull off and stopped.
When we stopped we noticed a large rock along with road with a plaque on it. We
walked to it and found a most unusual inscription.
It reads:
“Under these water and near this stone stood HAFOD FADOG, a farmstead where in
the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries Quakers met for worship, on the
hillside above the house was a space encircled by a low stone wall where larger
meetings where held, and beyond the house was a small burial ground.
From this valley came many of the early Quakers who emigrated to Pennsylvania,
driven from their homes by persecution to seek freedom of worship in the new
world”
After looking at our map, we found this lake to be called Lake Celyn. We did not
know much about this at the time but later we learned that The village of Capel
Celyn was lost forever when the Tryweryn valley, near Bala in Gwynedd, was
flooded in the 1960's by the Liverpool Corporation, to provide drinking water
for the city. We took some pictures here and then headed back to the B & B.
After we arrived at the B & B, we sat down and looked at some of the brochures.
Olwen asked us to go the conservatory and we had some tea and crackers.
We had made plans to meet the rest of our group, Emily, Priscilla, Roland and
Bill, along with some other people tonight for dinner. The restaurant is called
PLAS YN DRE. We got ready and headed to the restaurant. We met there and sat in
the bar area until everyone arrived. Emily had made arrangements to meet a Keith
Richardson and a Ivor Evans. Keith is the webmaster for the Bala web sites and
Ivor is a historian who is very familiar with the Quaker movement and he is
going to give our group a lecture on the Quaker movement from Wales to
Pennsylvania. We all went upstairs to a dining room and we had a very good meal.
After the meal, Ivor started to discuss the Quaker movements and it was very
interesting.
Our family was not really included in the Quaker movement because they did not
become Quakers until they had settled outside of Philadelphia, Pa. about 1698.
We sat and talked for a long time and finally left the restaurant and it was
about 11pm when we returned to the B & B.
July 28, 2000
We started today again with a Welsh breakfast. We meet a couple with 2 school
aged children who are staying at the B & B also. They were from the south of
England and they were here looking at the countryside. We found out later that
the father, Graham, was a painter along with the children. After breakfast, we
decided to check out the Bala Lake Railroad or, in Welsh, “RHEILFFORDD LLYN
TEGID.” We drove our car to an area near where the station was and parked. We
walked around and waited for the train. After a short time, the train arrived
and we boarded. The Conductor came by and we bought our tickets.
The train runs from Bala to a town called Llanuwchllyn with a few stops between.
The train is a coal burning narrow gage railroad. There were 4 cars plus the
engine. There were quite a few people on the train, so we all boarded and we
headed for Llanuwchllyn. The train took us along Lake Bala and gave us wonderful
view of the late from the south side of the lake. We stopped in Llangower and
let off and collect passengers. We started up again and about 30 minutes later
we arrived in Llanuwchllyn. After departing the train and looking around the
station, we decided to walk through the town. We asked a gentleman where the
“Eagle Inn” was and he pointed us in the general direction. I had been
corresponding with a Robert Hughes who was interested in same family that I was
looking for, Cadwalader. He told me that there was a Mrs. Roberts in
Llanwuchllyn and he had sent me the following message:
Hi Gary, just to let you know I've spoken to the owner of the eagles hotel
in llanuwchllyn, Mrs. Jones. She is aware that you will be visiting and john
mancini senior still lives in the village, he should be able to tell you where
his half brother gareth Roberts lives. cheers Bob Hughes
After walking some distance, we found the Eagle Inn. We decided to go there for
lunch. When we entered the Inn, Roland and Bill were there having lunch. We sat
with them and we talked about what we had been doing. We ordered lunch and
something to drink. After we ate lunch, a man come over to us and asked if we
were from “America.” We told him yes and he told us that he had a letter from a
Robin Hughes and he wondered if I was Gary Roberts from America. What a
wonderful surprise! We talked for a bit and he told us that there was a Mrs.
Roberts living in a house up the street and she may have some information about
the Cadwalader family. We asked him about the Men’s Choir from the local area
and he told us that they were on holiday during July and August. We decided to
go to the chapel next door to the Eagle Inn and check out the burial ground. We
found a number of Roberts grave markers. After looking here, we headed to find
Mrs. Roberts. We walked down some streets, and asked some people if they knew
where Mrs. Roberts lived. They pointed us to a row house. We knocked on the door
but no answer. Sandy went next door and the lady there told us that Mrs. Roberts
had gone to Bala to have her hair done. We asked the lady to inform Mrs.
Roberts that we had been there and that we would try and get back to her. We
decided to head for the train station. As we walked along the road to the
station, we stopped and talked to a woman, admiring her flowers. We told her
that we were from America and that we were looking for information about where
our Cadwalader family came from. We knew that it was called Penbryn. She stated
us to “I know where that is!” She asked us to come in and she sat down and drew
us a map of where it was and how to find it.
Were we ever shocked! After talking to her and getting the map we headed for the train station.
We stopped and had a soda, bought some souvenirs. The train arrived from Bala. After a short while,
we boarded the train and headed back to Bala. We both are still amazed at the information
we have gained from this kind woman. We don’t even know what her name was. We
found out later that there was a number of houses build in a row and that Penbryn was
part of that row of houses. They were called TIO UNOS or One Night Build houses.
If you could build a house in one night and build a fire in the fireplace, then the property
was yours. We arrived in Bala stopping to take some pictures from that side of the lake. We
got into the car and headed back to the B & B. When we arrived there, Olwen met
us and we talked to her about what we had found. She knew the Mrs. Roberts and
the John Mancini that Bob Hughes had mentioned in his letter. John was a plumber
and well known in the area. We went to the conservatory and Olwen got out some
of her maps and we tried to locate the area that they lady had drawn out for us.
We decided to go to Bala and get some traditional “Fish and Chips.” We went into
the restaurant and we met 2 of the people who waited us at the Plas Yn Dre
restaurant the night before. We found out that both places are owned by the same
family. We had noticed that there was a small cemetery near the Fron Goch B & B
so we decided to there after going back to the B & B. We dropped off the car and
walked out the lane to a small store and bought an ice cream cone. We then
walked along the road and went into the cemetery. After looking around for a
bit, he headed back to the B & B. When we arrived back there, Emily, Priscilla,
Roland and Bill had just arrived there. We all went into the conservatory and
talked about what he had been doing all day. We talked for along time and had a
glass of sherry. About 10 PM, Emily, Priscilla, Roland and Bill left. We talked
some more with Olwen and decided that tomorrow we would head out to see if we
could find Penbryn.
July 29, 2000
After our Welsh breakfast, we headed for Llangower and went to the old parish
cemetery there. Llangower is a place that some of our relatives lived before
they came to America in 1698. We walked around the cemetery and then went into
the chapel. We had seen the chapel and cemetery from the Bala Lake Railroad
yesterday. From there we drove down the road to Llanuwchllyn. Again
Llanuwchllyn was a place that our ancestors lived prior to 1698 when they left
for America. We drove through Llanuwchllyn and started to follow the directions
and map that we had gotten yesterday from the lady we talked to. We found the
road at the chapel, went across the river and headed up the hill. We came to a
fork in the road so we turned left up the hill. We found a place to park the car
and decided to walk up the road to see if we could see anything. We found some
ruins of a house and through we may have found Penbryn. After walking around
for a bit, we noticed that someone on a tractor was heading our way. We stood
there and finally the man arrived. We told him what we were doing. He told us
that we were at the wrong place and that we needed to take the other road at the
bottom of the hill. He also told us that his father had written a history about
many of the farms and people of the area. We gave him our address and email
address. He said that his father had not published his work and that he was on
holiday at the present time. We thanked him for his time and headed back to the
car. We went down the hill and headed up the other road. The road was nothing
more than an old path. I was surprised that the car made it. We went up as far
as we could before the road became too rough. We stopped and got out and we were
surrounded by cows. We found some old ruins there but we could not be sure if
this was actually the Penbryn location or not. According to the map that we got
yesterday, we feel that we are in the proximity of the homestead. Just think, we
might be standing on the same ground that our ancestors once lived on. How
wonderful! We got back in the car and saw a sign for a trail so we stopped in
investigate. We found a sign that told of the trails in the area and some Roman
ruins. We decided to take the trail. We walked the trail until we got to the top
of the hill. We were now on the other side of the hill from where we just were.
Still more cows! We took some pictures and headed for the car.
We headed back to Llanuwchllyn. We decided to stop at the Eagle Inn and grab a
bit of lunch. Here is where we had our first taste of a dessert called “Sticky
Toffee Pudding.” It is a dark cake that is placed in a bowl and then had a
topping and the whole thing is placed under the broiler. It came with a caramel
sauce. What a treat. Simply Wonderful. I must try and find a recipe. We were
also told that there was a Pennsylvania House located near here. It was a house
that had Pennsylvania on the side of it. It was to honor the people who left
here and went to Pennsylvania. We asked a number of different people where it
was. We got a lot of different answers. We passed a house that may have been it,
but we are not sure. On our way back to Bala, we stopped at a church and looked
around the cemetery. There sure are a lot of ROBERTS’ buried here. Could be our
relatives! We decided that we would just get some sandwiches and have a light
evening meal. We stopped at the SPAR supermarket in Bala and got some ready made
sandwiches, fruit, and some soda. We then headed back to the B & B. We took a
short nap and then talked to Olwen and John. We had our sandwiches and then
Olwen and John took us to see Penmaen. Penmaen was the name of the ancestral
farm where Jane Evans came from. Jane Evans married Robert Cadwalader. Robert
was our 7th great grandfather and they came to America in 1698, landing in
Philadelphia. John drove and we headed from the B & B towards Bala. Instead of
going into the town we turned left and went a short distance to a road up the
hill past a large estate. It was the estate of Robin Price. This is the largest
estate in Wales. Little did we know that later in our trip, we would be invited
to the estate. We drove up the hill that had some wonderful views of the valley
below. We definitely need to come back here and take some pictures. We kept
driving until we came to a farm house which belonged to Olwen’s brother. From
here we “hiked” through a number of pastures until we came to Penmaen. John told
us that there were three houses here at one time but we could not be sure if the
one still standing was the actual home of Jane Evans. Just like our adventure to
find Penbryn, we could be standing on the same ground our ancestors once lived
on. After walking around and looking at the countryside, we walked back to the
car and headed back to the farm. When we arrived, we talked for a bit and went
to bed. What an exciting day!
July 30, 2000
Today is Sunday and we asked Olwen if she could recommend a place to go to
church. She told us that her aunt goes the a church in Bala called the “The
English Chapel.” It is the Presbyterian Church of Wales. Olwen called her aunt
to find out what time services were. They were at 10:30 AM. We had breakfast and
got ready and headed for the church. We were met by an elderly woman who said
she had been expecting us. It was Olwen’s Aunt. She introduced us to the other
people there.
We felt very much at home. We sat in the middle of chairs in the middle of the
row. The minister was a guest minister. He was very good. We sang some old
familiar songs and found out that they were having communion today. It was a
very moving experience. We sang “The Old Rugged Cross” while the elements were
distributed. When we got done singing, we had the communion. The minister had a
sermon and spoke in Welsh and English. He would say something in Welsh and then
say “I will translate it.” After the service, we met a number of other people at
the church. We headed back to the B & B. We decided that we would drive to one
of the Seven Wonders of Wales. It is called PISTYLL RHAAEADR. This is the
highest falls in Wales at 240 ft. We headed out of Bala on the B4391 towards
Llangynog. We decided to stop for a cup of tea. When we pulled into the parking
lot of the restaurant, there were Emily, Priscilla, Roland and Bill. They were
just leaving. We stopped and talked to them. They told us where they were headed
and we said that we were headed that same way and would probably run into them
again. After having our tea, we continued on. We headed for
Llansantffraid-ym-Mecharin. When we arrived there, we saw the sign for the falls
and headed that way. The road was so narrow at some places, that only 1 car
could pass at a time. We had to stop several times and leave other cars go by.
It seemed we drove for miles until we reached the falls. We had to pay to park
and then got out and walked around. There was not much water coming over the
falls but we took some pictures anyway. We went into the gift shop and bought a
post card. There was a hiking trail to go to the top of the falls but we decided
not to go. We walked back to the car and started back the narrow road to the
town. When we reached the town we headed for Penybontfawr which would lead us to
Lake Vyrnwy. Lake Vyrnwy is said to be the most beautiful lake in Wales. It is
about 4 ½ miles long and about a mile wide. It is used as a reservoir. We
stopped at a small store and bought an ice cream cone and then pulled into a car
park to rest and stretch. We started towards the lake and decided to take a
route along the lake that would eventually brings us back to Bala. After driving
along the lake for a short distance we saw a sign to Bala. It was a single lane
road over some of the most beautiful countryside. We stopped at times and took
some pictures. It was like driving is Switzerland and the road was right along
the valley edge and some of the views were quite breathtaking. The road ran for
9 miles until we headed down the hill and we eventually saw Bala Lake and the
town of Bala. We returned to the B & B and rested for a while. We are going to
meet the others in the group tonight at Plas Yn Dre for dinner. We had a very
nice dinner and then returned to the B & B, watched some “tele” and then retired
for the evening.
July 31, 2000
Today after breakfast we decided to go to Betws-y-Coed since it was raining.
Olwen told us that there were some nice places to so some shopping along the
way. She gave us directions and off we went. We stopped at the bank in Bala so
Sandy could exchange some money. We then went to the visitors center to check
and see if the could tell us about train service from Chester to Gatwick. They
were really friendly there, so they printed out the train schedule and gave it
to us. We started out on the A4212 to Trawsfynydd and stopped and got petrol. It
cost £39.oo to fill up the car. From there we went to Blaenau Ffestiniog and
headed towards Betws-y-coed. We parked the car and decided to walk around the
shops and “be a tourist.” It was lunch time so we stopped and got a
cheeseburger, chips or french fries and a soda. We walked around some more and
did some more shopping. It started to rain quite a bit so we made a mad dash
back to the car and headed for Bala. The weather cleared up and we had a
beautiful drive back to the farm. It was the middle of the afternoon when we
arrived. Emily had made plans for us to meet Robin Price at his estate tonight
at 5:00 pm. We got dressed and met Emily, Priscilla, Roland and Bill at the
little store and we followed them to the estate house. When we arrived, Robin
was at the door waiting for us and invited us in. His home on the estate was
actually the 3rd house built on the property. He showed us the foyer and
explained the history of the house and property to us. He showed us a beam that
was in the original house. The writing on the beam was in “old Welsh” and many
people can not read it. He said that it meant “Be careful of one’s money.” He
explained that his family had lived on this property for the past 500 years.
Robin is also the local magistrate. He is also friends of Prince Charles. He
showed us into one of the living rooms and then his daughter served tea and
biscuits. Robin’s wife, Diana, arrived and served us sandwiches and cake. It was
very nice. Diana run’s a small shop in Bala. We sat and talked for some time,
and then Robin invited us into another room near the kitchen to view a video
tape that was made by the BBC some years ago about the estate. The estate is the
largest estate in Wales. The tape ran about 45 minutes and it was very
interesting. After we watched the tape, he invited us into the dining room for a
class of whiskey or wine. After enjoying the refreshments, we left and all of us
went to the Eagle Inn for dinner and dessert. Everything was great and we had a
wonderful meal. All of us enjoyed the evening and we headed back to the farm and
had a good night’s rest.
August 1, 2000
Today we decided that we were going to Meirion Mills and some other places that
have local crafts. After our Welsh breakfast, we left and headed on the A494 to
Dolgellau and then headed towards Machynlleth. We saw a sign for Meirion Mill
and stopped to do some shopping. What a wonderful place.
We bought some wonder gifts there. After having a cup of tea, we headed on the
A489 to Machynlleth. We arrived there and then turned towards Dinas Mawddwy on
the A470. We came upon the C.A.T or Center for Alternative Technology.
The C.A.T. is a place which teaches the use of alternative types of fuels,
recycling methods and alike. It was very interesting. There were exhibits about
alternative building materials, wind power, and solar power. We took the ride to
the top of the exhibit by a gondola that was operated by water power. From the
top of the C.A.T., the view was magnificent. There were jets flying overhead. We
found out later that the Royal Air Force trains here in this part of Wales
flying through the valleys. We walked around there and then decided to head for
another craft center called Corris. It also had a tour called “King Arthur’s
Labyrinth” which was a underwater boat ride. We decided not to take the tour. We
walked around the exhibits and bought some candles. We left there and wanted to
take some pictures from the road that we had been on the other day with Olwen
and John. We headed back to Bala and then went up the road and stopped to take
some pictures of the valley. They views were beautiful. We stopped to take a
picture of a farm that was in the Foulke family that had come to America about
the same time as our ancestors. The family still owns the farm. We went back to
the B & B, and then John asked us if we would like to take a walking tour of the
farm. We walked back through the fields and John told us that a Roberts once
owned the farm. He walked us over to a place that was a pile of rocks. He told
us that this was the original farm house and that it had been there for over
300 years. The farm house that we are staying in is over 300 years old also. We
have an enjoyable walk and then headed back the B & B. We had made arrangements
to take Olwen and John along with Carys and Dawi out to dinner to show our
appreciation for the wonderful time we’ve had. We all loaded in John’s car and
headed for the restaurant. We got a drink and in a short time the rest of the
group arrived. We went to our table and ordered our meals. I tried the local
lamb dish which was sliced lamb on a bed of potatoes with sautéed peppers and a
red wine sauce. It was excellent! Some of the others had lamb chops. We had the
manager take some pictures of the group. We headed back to the farm full of food
and wonderful memories of the evening.
August 2, 2000
Today we are going to visit the Quaker Heritage Center in Dolgellau. We headed
on the A494 and drove for a short time when we arrived in Dolgellau and parked
the car. We walked through the city center until we found the Tourist
Information Center. The Quaker Heritage Center was located on the 2nd floor. We
went upstairs and looked at the exhibits. There was a lot of information about
the Quaker movement here in Wales and the eventual immigration to America. Many
of the places that were mentioned were very familiar to Sandy and me. We decided
that would like to take the train along the coast of Wales starting at a place
called Machynlleth. We drove there and it happened to be market day and there
was not parking to be had. We drove by the train station a number of times but
did not find any parking. We decided to drive to another place where we could
get the train and that was Aberdyfi. We parked the car and then went to the
train station which was called the Penhellig Station. We walked to the station
and found that this was not a scheduled stop for the train but ‘by request’ you
could catch the train here. We looked at the schedule and we had about 1½ hours
till the next train. We decided to walk around the town and grab a bit to eat.
We walked around the town along the main road and took some pictures. We went
into an old church hall where they were having an art exhibit. We then say a
hotel and restaurant called the Penhelig Arms so we decided to go there for
lunch. We had a nice lunch of BLT and Chips and a glass of wine.
After lunch we started for the train station and waited. We met a gentleman who
was also waiting for the train. We started to talk to him and he told us that he
lived near Harlech castle and that he was a wine merchant. He had met a friend
of his who was interested in buying a house here and he had shown him around the
town and had lunch. He was heading back to his home. He said that his wife would
be meeting him at the Harleck station. We thought he might invite us for a cup
of tea or a drink, but he didn’t. The train arrived and we headed for Pwllheli.
We got our ticket and sat back to enjoy the ride. The train is called the
Cambrian Coaster. We made stops along the way. We stopped at Harleck Castle. We
finally made it to Pwllheli after a 2 ½ hour train ride. We walked around the
town and decided to stop and have a cup of tea. We found a pub and stopped
there. We walked back to the train station and it began to rain. We went into a
supermarket and Sandy got a bottle of water and some candy. When we did get back
to the station we found that the next train leaves in about 2 hours. We walked
around some more and enjoyed the area taking pictures. The train finally
arrived and we boarded and started back to Penhellig station. We told the
conductor which station we wanted and when we reached the station he motioned
to us this would be the next stop. We got off the train and headed for the car.
We headed back to Bala and it was getting late so we thought about stopping
somewhere to get something to eat. We kept going and everything was closed. When
we arrived in Bala there was a “fast food” place open and we ordered a
hamburger, chips and got a soda “to go.” We left there and went back to the B &
B. When we arrived, Olwen met us and was concerned that it was so late (9:00
pm) and that something may have happened to us. We finished our food and sat and
talked to Olwen before retiring.
August 3, 2000
Today it was raining again but we have decided to try and go do Snowdon and take
the railroad to the top.
Olwen told us the easiest way is to drive to Betws-Y-Coed and then take the bus to
the train station for the trip to the top. We parked the car at the car park and went to
wait for the bus. We met a couple that were hiking and they were also going to Snowdon.
The bus lines is called ARRIVA. We bought our tickets and headed for the train station. We drove
for a while and the weather kept getting worse. We stopped at a area where the
bus pulled off and then the driver told us that we would need to get another bus
from here which was behind us. We got off the bus and got on the other one. That
one then headed for Llanberis where the Snowdon Mountain Railroad station was.
There are also a number of other sites there such as Electric Mountain and the
Welsh Slate Museum. We walked around and then decided to take the railroad to
the top even thought the weather on top was not very good. We got our tickets
and loaded in a very uncomfortable car. It was not too bad when we started out
but as we climbed to the top, which is 3493 ft., the tallest point in Great
Britain, it got foggier and foggier. As the train moved up the mountain, we
stopped a few times to let the train coming down the mountain move over to a
side track and then we started up the hill once more. As we approached the half
way point, the weather was getting worse and we were in the fog. You could not
see anything. I am glad that we could not see a whole lot as some of the
railroad seemed to be right on the mountain edge. We passed hikers going both up
and down the mountain. I am sure that during nice weather the hike would be
beautiful, however, everyone was soaking wet. We finally got to the top and the
wind was whipping so strong you had to hold on to everything. There is a small
restaurant and souvenir shop. I bought a post card that will be postmarked at
the summit station.
The train that we were on only waited 30 minutes and then departed back to the
station. We got a bit to eat and then boarded the train back down the mountain.
We stopped a few times on the way down to let the trains going up the mountain
pass. As we made our way to the bottom the weather seemed to clear up, but it
will still foggy at the top. After we reached the station, we got a cup of tea,
went through the shops and then decided to walk around. We checked the bus
schedule and we have about 2 hours left before the last bus left to go to
Betws-Y-Coed. We went into the Electric Mountain building and walked around. We
then went into a craft store near there and did a little shopping.
We started back to the bus stop and after a short wait the bus arrived. We went
back to Betws-Y-Coed and then started back to Bala. We went back to the B & B,
and after a short rest went into to Bala for dinner. We were going to go to Red
Poppy’s but the place was full so we ended up at White Lion Royal Hotel. We had
a wonderful meal and then went back to the farm. We talked with Olwen and John
for awhile and then went to bed.
August 4, 2000
Well here it is almost the end of our trip. We had talked to Olwen to see if she
could get us a place to stay near Gatwick airport since our flight leaves early
Sunday Morning. She called a place called Jordan’s and I talked to the lady
there and we made arrangements to stay over Saturday night. Olwen belongs to an
organization of B & B owners and the Jordan’s belong to the same organization.
It was very nice of Olwen to make the reservations for us. Olwen also called
the Auto Europe rental agency in Chester to verify that they were at the same
place. They told us that they might be moving locations. There is a Belgian
couple with their dog staying at the farm for one night. When we went down to
breakfast they had the dog in the dining room with them. After they left, Olwen
said that she was not very happy with them bringing the dog into the dining
room. The couple hardly spoke a word to us. After breakfast, we thought that we
would go into Bala and get some souvenirs and walk around Bala one last time. We
went to the Leisure Center and the tourist office located there. We tried to
call Mrs. Roberts from the center but she did not answer. Olwen said that she
would try and get a hold of John Mancini for us also. We left the car at the
center and walked through town. We went into Diana Price’s shop and both Diana
and Robin were there. They both recognized us and we had a short and delightful
conversation. We then continued along the Main Street or High Street looking at
different places to get some things to bring home. Olwen told us that she
wanted to make us dinner for our last night which was really thoughtful. We
decided to stop at a store and get a bottle of wine for the meal. We went into a
wine store and got a bottle of red and white wine. We continued on and worked
our way back to the leisure center and started back to the farm. We had
remembered that there was a cemetery near Llanuwchllyn that we wanted to see so
we drove there and walked around. We thought that it would be nice to get a few
more pictures, so we decided that we would just drive around and if we came up a
place to stop and snap a few pictures we would. As we drove for about an hour,
we noticed a sign for Llanuwchllyn and it said 14 miles. We turned up the road
and we passed a camp ground with some very nice log cabins. We then started up a
small road and we continued to drive, the road seemed to get smaller and
smaller. We drove through a forest area where the trees were so close together
that you could hardly see through them. We then met another car and had to pull
over to let it pass. We kept driving and we came upon a cattle gate. Sandy got
out and opened it. Little did we know that there would eventually be 6 gates to
go through. We continued to drive and the scenery changed from trees to barren
landscape. We encountered a car and they stopped us and wanted to know if there
was civilization close by. We weren’t too sure at that point. We then came to a
place and there was a RV or caravan, as they call them in Wales, parked along
the road and 2 sets of wooden shoes outside the door. We kept going and the road
seemed to be getting smaller. We ran into another car along the road and had to
pull over along into the bank of the road to let them pass. Eventually we
started down the mountain to what we hoped is the town. But no! We started back
up the mountain and the same barren land we had seen before until we finally
same to a point where there was a farm and animals and then the road finally
became alittle wider and we saw the sign for Llanuwchllyn. We both started
laughing about our experience. We then started back to the farm. We arrived
there and it was not long after we were there, we told Olwen of our drive
earlier and she laughed and said that a lot of people get on that road. Olwen
said that dinner was ready. She had made Roast Beef, Potatoes, gravy,
Cauliflower and broccoli, leeks in a cream sauce, and rolls. She did a great job
and everything was wonderful. She then made Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert.
She made the dessert and served it with vanilla ice cream. She then had cheese
and crackers. We finished off the 2 bottles of wine! After dinner, she got the
slide projector out and showed us pictures of their trip the America a few years
ago. They were in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Tennessee and a few other states.
After we looked at the slides, she got out some old family photo’s of her family
and John’s family. They were so gracious to do this for us. We finally topped
off the evening with a glass of sherry and then went to bed. Tomorrow will be a
long day having to go from here to Chester, drop off the car, get the train to
Gatwick and then get to the B & B.
August 5, 2000
Well here it is Saturday and we are getting ready to leave. It does not seem
possible that we are about to leave. It seems that we just got here. We had our
usual Welsh breakfast and then went upstairs to pack. Where am I going to put
all the things I bought! Luckily, much of the items were small and I could fit
them in my suitcases. They seem a lot heavier now! Well, we loaded the bags in
the car and said our final farewell. I think Olwen and John were sad to see us
go. I know I was sure sad to be leaving. What a wonderful host Olwen and John
have been. We started out and headed towards Chester on the A494 from Bala. We
drove until we came to the A5 and we headed for Llangollen. From there we took
the A483 heading to Wrexham and finally into Chester. When we talked to the man
at the car agency, he told us that when we get into the city of Chester, just
keep taking the left lane in the roundabouts until you see the sign for the
train station. Once you get to the train station, head up the main street, to
the traffic circle and make a left and then 1 street after that is the street
for the agency (this is the same place we picked up the car). We made it to
Chester and follow the instructions. We did get turned around a little near the
train station but I remembered to streets we had be one when we arrived so we
drove around and finally say the sign for the agency. We got to the agency and
one of the men there drove us to the train station. Our train was one that was
pretty much a direct from Bala to Gatwick Airport. We would only have to make 2
changes on the train, one in Crewe, and another at Milton Keyes Central. From
there it would be a “straight shot” to Gatwick. We waited at the station and
we bought a paper. Yesterday was the Queen Mother’s 100th Birthday and the
papers were full of the news. We had not really seen a paper since we were in
Wales so we thought that it would be good to catch up on the news while on the
train. The train arrived and we managed to get our luggage loaded and we were
off. We got to Crewe and waited for the train to Milton Keyes. We got a sandwich
and a soda as we waited. We asked one of the people there if we were on the
right platform and he told us that we need to go over the track and get on that
platform. We had a cart with our luggage on so we went up the elevator and
across. When we asked someone there if we were on the right platform, she told
us no that we needed to be on the platform that we just came from. We back over
and it was not more than 5 minutes until the train came. Boy did we cut it
close! We headed to Milton Keyes and when we arrived we waited about 10 minutes
and the Express to Gatwick arrived. We loaded our bags again and finally arrived
at Gatwick Airport Station. This all took about 4 hours. We had a map on how to
get to the B & B that Olwen had reserved for us so we got a taxi and in about 10
minutes we were at the place. What a beautiful B & B. It was very modern, I had
my own bathroom! We asked Mrs. Jordan if there was a place to get something to
eat and she told us to walk down the street and there is a pub there. We asked
if Roland and Bill had arrived. They had been in Cardiff doing some research for
the last few days. They were not there yet but she told us if they arrive they
will send them to the pub to find us. We had a great meal and while we were
finishing up, Roland and Bill arrived and we chatted some and they ordered their
meal. We left them and walked back to the B & B. We sat outside and watch the
airplanes coming in to land at Gatwick. We were both tired and we decided what
time we needed to get up in the morning and headed for bed. I watched some
“tele” and then went to bed.
August 6, 2000
Here it is the last day of our trip. It does not seem possible that today we are
heading home. It seems that we just got here. We had an English breakfast, paid
for our rooms, and packed the car to head towards the airport. Mrs. Jordan took
us to the airport. She works at the airport, something to do with booking tours,
and dropped us off right in front of the US Airways counter. What a madhouse!
There were people everywhere. We found that there was a line waiting to go
through customs and we went to the back of the line. Roland and Bill showed up
eventually and they were pretty far behind us. We finally got to the customs
people and they asked us some questions and put a sticker on our passports. We
then had to wait in another line to get to the counter to check our bags. I sure
am glad that we were at the airport 3 hours before the flight. After we went
through security, they announced that we should wait in the waiting area until
the flight was announced. I decided to exchange my money back to US dollars. We
sat there and eventually Roland and Bill arrived and we sat and chatted a
little. Eventually our flight was called and we headed to the gate. The gate
seemed to be so far away. We walked and walked. We finally made it, checked in
and waiting for the flight to board. We sat for about 30 minutes and finally we
started to board. We all got on board and we pushed back from the gate. We
departed and soon after we were airborne, the stewardess and stewards came
around with drinks and dinner (Menu, page 24). Sandy took a nap and I watched a
movie. After we had been flying about 4 hours or so, the pilot same on the
intercom and told us to look out the right side of the plane and see icebergs.
There were about 6 of them. We got a light lunch before we started our descent
into Philadelphia International Airport. We landed and went through immigration.
We headed to the baggage area and waited for our bags. After we got our bags we
moved towards customs. As we stood there, a policeman came over to us and asked
us how much we had spent overseas. We told him and he said that we need to give
our paperwork we to the immigration officer standing near us. We headed that way
and the man said to us “Welcome to the United States.” I had a car reserved so
I told Sandy that I would go get the car and come back and get the bags. I did
not want to tote the bags any more than I had do. I got the car, headed back to
the airport, and we loaded the bags in the trunk. We headed to Sandy’s house and
we finally got there. It was raining all the time. We sat there and talked about
our trip. I told here that I wanted to get going as I had about a 3 hour drive
to get to Mom and Dad’s house. We said our goodbye’s and I headed out.