Beautiful Wales

Today Kahless and I set off for the mountains of Wales. The idea was that we would head for the Menai Bridge (my idea) and that was as far as the plan went. As we drove, we saw signs for Caernarfon Castle and Kahless suggested we go there after the bridge. Of course, I agreed. I'm easy. I just like visiting places so as long as everyone is happy, I'm happy.

Along the motorway we went and we started getting closer and closer to the mountains – Snowdonia. The motorway has been built through the mountain in places so instead of going up and over, you drive through. When you get to Llandudno Junction, the road goes under what I think is Conway Bay. There was no place to stop so this photo is taken through the filthy car window looking towards the tunnel.

Getting a bit closer

And then we are in the tunnel and going under the water.

This is a lousy photo, but it gives the idea. I love tunnels.

Heading, a bit blindly, towards the Menai Bridge, we finally saw signs for the bridge and lo and behold, we are on a bridge. But not the right one. I discovered later this one was called the Britannia Bridge, built a bit later than the Menai Bridge and originally mainly for rail traffic. It has an interesting history. I've written a bit about the history below.

I've decided I love Wales. This was the Britannia Bridge as we were driving across. Again through the grotty windscreen but a rather imposing look.

Rather neat looking bridge. Something I didn't know at the time, but found out later is that there is a rail bridge under this one. This bridge was opened in 1850 to help take travellers from the mainland of Wales to the Island of Anglesey over the Menai Straits. The Menai Bridge we had originally set out to see is further down the strait from here.

There are apparently 2 lions guarding the entrance to the bridge, but these days can only be seen from the train. The original bridge was ruined by fire in 1970 and had to be totally rebuilt. If you want to read the whole article, you will find it here.

We crossed the bridge and a bit further down the road we spotted the Menai Bridge. Of course we stopped to take photos. Not only was the bridge a sight to see, so was the scenery.

This was our first sight of the bridge.

And the view around us.

You can see Snowdonia in the background in this next one.

Absolutely stunning spot. We were looking down on the Strait from Holyhead Road  or in Welsh Ffordd Caergybi (pronounced Forth Kyre Gubby) and in a later photo I picked up this little island quite unintentionally.

That little island is apparently quite famous. People live there and at times can't go home because the tides are too high. It is called Ynys Gored (or Gorad) Goch.

Ynys means island and is pronounced Unniss

Gored means fish-trap

Goch means red and is pronounced gauk

This is the only island between the bridges inhabited by the living. The Welsh name of island means 'island of the red fish trap'. A 'gorad' is a trap which is flooded by the rising tide allowing fish to swim in but empties with the ebb trapping the fish. In the past the inhabitants of the house depended on the trap for their livelyhood. The rocks in the foreground are the Cribiniau (the rakes) http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/386168

The last photo was looking from the Menai Bridge back on the Britannia Bridge.

This next photograph, I just liked the way the sun was shining on the gold lettering on the pub.

This next photo was looking down from the bridge. It was rather scary looking down. As you guys know I'm not real happy with heights and this was rather a long way down and not all that safe feeling. It didn't feel near as scary as the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct though.

In fact, this one was Kahless's photo. I asked her to take it for me so I didn't have to lean over the edge!! This was my shot looking down.

It was a loooong way down. This next photo was the bridge itself. Kahless and I both had to stand in the middle of the road to take photos. Dodging the traffic wasn't as hard as you might think. Although as quick as you thought you had a shot, another car would come through or behind you.

I actually like the looks of the Britannia Bridge better.

I had looked on the map before we left and discovered that Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch was close by and I needed to be the total tourist and get some photos of this name. When I was in the UK in the late 1960's I remember seeing a photo of one of my friends under this name and had to finally see it for myself.

If you want to hear how to say it, go here - remember to turn your sound on.

"It's both the longest place name and railway station name in Europe. According to the Guiness Book of Records, it's also the longest valid web domain name in the world, though www.llanfair.wales.com is a more memorable alternative."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/culture/sites/aboutwales/pages/geography.shtml

Here is a quick history of the town

“This Welsh town on the island of Anglesey is only known due to the fact that it has a very long name, and is the longest railway station name in Britain, and probably the longest domain name in the world.

The name translates as 'St Mary's church in the hollow of the white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the church of St Tysilio of the red cave'.

Originally called Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll, which means 'The Mary church by the pool near the white hazels' the village was renamed in the 19th Century.

This was around the time when the railway was built between Chester and Holyhead at the beginning of the 1850s. A local committee was put together to try and encourage trains, travellers and 19th Century tourists to stop at the village in order to help develop the village as a commercial and tourist centre. It is believed that the name

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch was invented by a cobbler from Menai Bridge; little did he know that he had implemented one of the most successful tourist marketing plans of all time. Today the village is signposted as Llanfairpwllgwyngyll and is known to locals as Llanfairpwll or Llanfair.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A403642

And here is one of my photos.

Kahless bought me a neat little present, didn't cost much, but really lovely. In the shop in

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (I do the like copy and paste function on computers – imagine having to write that name out every time!!) they had a machine, you put in a penny and a 50p, and the machine squashed the penny and imprinted Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch on it for you. It's a really cool reminder of the town.

I am going to take a photo of it at some stage, but I'm very aware of the fact that I'm off again tomorrow and will have another 4 days of tourist information on top of this last lot and if I don't write it now, it will get lost in amongst Norwich and that trip.

From there, we headed to Caernarfon Castle and that will be another blog. This one's too long already.

Cheers guys.

Madeleine

Wednesday, 31 December 2008