Is almost here! I leave home at 5am on Friday on the first leg of my 11-day holiday in Scotland. The van is packed - it's even got a new eagle on the bonnet especially for the occasion - and over the last few days I've been gathering together all the bits and pieces which I need to take with me. My bag is partially packed, the dogs' bed has been washed and the dogs will be bathed tomorrow; all I really need to do now is get my final lot of shopping from Asda and if all goes according to plan the last minute items will go in the van tomorrow night.
The first two nights of my holiday will be spent at a Camping and Caravanning Club site at Luss, north of Glasgow and on the shore of Loch Lomond. Looking on Google Earth, and exploring the village using street view, the views across the loch look fantastic; the very nice site manager who took my booking over the phone said she would try to put me on a lochside pitch, so I'm looking forward to seeing some of those great views from my tent. I'm hoping that on Saturday I can do a cruise across the loch and explore around the village of Balmaha, and on Saturday evening a camping couple who live in the area and who I 'know' through the UKCS forums, but who I've never met before, are coming over to the tent for a brew and a chat.
Sunday will see me travelling on to my final destination, Invercaimbe camp site just outside the village of Arisaig in the Highlands, west of Fort William and right on the coast; in fact the end of the camp site goes right onto the beach and the views are to die for. During my time there I'm hoping to explore Mallaig, Fort William, maybe Fort Augustus, the white sands of Morar, Arisaig itself and anywhere else I can reasonably get to. The following Sunday I'll be travelling back south to the C & CC site at Moffat where I'll be staying for one night before completing my journey home the following day.
When I get back home I'll only have three days before I join the nutters group on another weekend meet so I may not get round to putting any updates on here for a while, but when I do I can promise there'll be lots of photos. Fingers crossed I'll get enough good weather to do plenty of exploring - out of a total of eleven days some of them should be good ones!
About Me
- Tigermouse
- Hi! I'm Eunice and I live in Bolton, Lancashire, with my two dogs Sophie and Sugar and an assortment of cats - well it used to be Sophie and Sugar, now it's Sophie and Poppie. I first began camping back in 1997 when my then partner took me to Anglesey for my birthday weekend. We slept in the back of the car - a hatchback - using the cushions off the settee at home as a mattress, and cooked and brewed up on a single burner camping stove. The site was good, the views were great, the weather fantastic and I was completely hooked. Following that weekend we got a two-man tent and some proper accessories and returned to Anglesey two weeks later, then over time we progressed to a three-man tent followed by an old trailer tent, then a new trailer tent, a campervan and finally a caravan. When my partner decided that the grass was greener on the other side of the street - literally - in April 2009 and I suddenly found myself alone after fifteen years, I decided there was no way I was going to give up camping and caravanning if I could cope on my own. This blog is the story of my travels, trials and tribulations since becoming a solo camper - I hope you like it
Tuesday May 7th 2013 - Too nice to go home
I woke to another glorious morning and after the first dog walk of the day I made breakfast and for once I sat outside the tent with it. It looked like the weather forecast was right - the previous day had been quite warm but the wind had dropped overnight and it was going to be warmer still. It was far too nice to go home and as I wasn't in too much of a rush to go I decided to put off the inevitable packing up process until later on and have a final couple of hours out with the camera.
My destination this time was the little bay with the private cove which I'd discovered on my first solo weekend on Anglesey three years ago; I'd intended to go back there last year but hadn't got round to it, and as it wasn't too far from the site it was ideal for a 'final fling' before I went home. When I got there it looked very much the same as before but with one major difference - there was no-one there. My previous visit had been on a weekend and the little bay had been alive with sailing dinghies, jet skis, inflatables and people on the beach; now it was a weekday, the bank holiday had passed and the weekenders had gone home, and with no sign of anyone anywhere I had the place to myself.
The cottage garden on the corner looked just as pretty as it had done before and I took a couple of shots of that before going round to the private cove; my mission was to try to get to the far side of it, which I hadn't done previously, but unfortunately I could only get so far before the path ended in deep water backed by a steep bank of trees. So it seemed that my quest for photos from a different angle would remain impossible and I would have to be content with taking my shots just from one side; I took several before making my way down to the beach.
With no-one around I was able to let Sophie and Sugar off the lead and I spent quite some time looking for sticks and throwing them; Sugar went out into the water several times to retrieve hers but Sophie being Sophie just stayed on dry land. Eventually I called a halt to our little game and just sat for a while on the sand to give Sugar chance to dry out a bit before going back in the van; in the warm sunshine with nothing but the sound of the waves as they lapped the shore and the seagulls wheeling and swooping up above it was one of those times that I just wished could last for ever. Unfortunately though, reality meant that I had to go home and go back to work, so with one last photo I clipped the leads back on the dogs and returned to the van.
Back at the site I attached the dogs' leads to the tow ball of the van so they could lie on the grass in the shade without getting in my way, then very reluctantly I started on the packing up process. For some reason it seemed to take longer than usual - maybe because I didn't really want to go home - but eventually the tent was rolled back into its bag and stashed away, and after a quick check round the pitch for any stray tent pegs I put the dogs back in the van and set off. As I waited for the barrier to open to let me off the site for the last time the warden came out of her caravan and gave me another barrier pass to keep in the van; she told me that this one would last for twelve months, so whenever I go back there again it won't matter what time of day or night it is I'll be able to get onto the site, pitch the tent and pay her next time I pass reception. I certainly wasn't expecting that, and I was more than a little pleased - and it just shows that being a regular camper at the same site year after year can sometimes have its advantages!
With the windows down and a cd to sing along to the drive home in the afternoon sunshine was very pleasant and I arrived back with a bit of time to spare before I had to go to work. I'd had a lovely break, the weather had been brilliant and I'd got some good photos, but as I polished, mopped and vacuumed I was already thinking ahead to my next camping trip!
My destination this time was the little bay with the private cove which I'd discovered on my first solo weekend on Anglesey three years ago; I'd intended to go back there last year but hadn't got round to it, and as it wasn't too far from the site it was ideal for a 'final fling' before I went home. When I got there it looked very much the same as before but with one major difference - there was no-one there. My previous visit had been on a weekend and the little bay had been alive with sailing dinghies, jet skis, inflatables and people on the beach; now it was a weekday, the bank holiday had passed and the weekenders had gone home, and with no sign of anyone anywhere I had the place to myself.
The cottage garden on the corner looked just as pretty as it had done before and I took a couple of shots of that before going round to the private cove; my mission was to try to get to the far side of it, which I hadn't done previously, but unfortunately I could only get so far before the path ended in deep water backed by a steep bank of trees. So it seemed that my quest for photos from a different angle would remain impossible and I would have to be content with taking my shots just from one side; I took several before making my way down to the beach.
With no-one around I was able to let Sophie and Sugar off the lead and I spent quite some time looking for sticks and throwing them; Sugar went out into the water several times to retrieve hers but Sophie being Sophie just stayed on dry land. Eventually I called a halt to our little game and just sat for a while on the sand to give Sugar chance to dry out a bit before going back in the van; in the warm sunshine with nothing but the sound of the waves as they lapped the shore and the seagulls wheeling and swooping up above it was one of those times that I just wished could last for ever. Unfortunately though, reality meant that I had to go home and go back to work, so with one last photo I clipped the leads back on the dogs and returned to the van.
Back at the site I attached the dogs' leads to the tow ball of the van so they could lie on the grass in the shade without getting in my way, then very reluctantly I started on the packing up process. For some reason it seemed to take longer than usual - maybe because I didn't really want to go home - but eventually the tent was rolled back into its bag and stashed away, and after a quick check round the pitch for any stray tent pegs I put the dogs back in the van and set off. As I waited for the barrier to open to let me off the site for the last time the warden came out of her caravan and gave me another barrier pass to keep in the van; she told me that this one would last for twelve months, so whenever I go back there again it won't matter what time of day or night it is I'll be able to get onto the site, pitch the tent and pay her next time I pass reception. I certainly wasn't expecting that, and I was more than a little pleased - and it just shows that being a regular camper at the same site year after year can sometimes have its advantages!
With the windows down and a cd to sing along to the drive home in the afternoon sunshine was very pleasant and I arrived back with a bit of time to spare before I had to go to work. I'd had a lovely break, the weather had been brilliant and I'd got some good photos, but as I polished, mopped and vacuumed I was already thinking ahead to my next camping trip!
Monday May 6th 2013 - Marquess of Anglesey Column and Llanberis
I woke to another lovely morning and lay for a while listening to the calling of the seagulls as they swooped over the site, then when the sun on the tent started to turn the place into something resembling an industrial oven I decided to get up. I wasn't in too much of a rush to go out so after a dog walk and a very leisurely breakfast I spent some time pottering about round the tent before I put the dogs in the van and finally set off.
The first place to visit was the Marquess of Anglesey Column not far from the Britannia bridge. I'd gone there one day last year when the weather had been absolutely perfect for photography but it had been closed because of the very high wind at the time, so I was hoping that this time I would have better luck. There were no cars in the car park when I got there and I did wonder if I was destined to be disappointed again, but when I got to the gate at the top of the path through the woods I found that the place was indeed open. I paid the modest entrance fee to the young woman at the keeper's cottage then set out to climb the inside of the column.
The column itself stands almost 100ft high and access to the top is by a steep and narrow spiral wooden staircase of 115 steps, several of which are quite rickety and which get even narrower the further up you go. At the top a small door leads out onto the surrounding balcony, and though the views from up there are brilliant it's definitely not for someone with a dislike of heights! Immediately down below, and looking rather like a doll's house from up there, was the keeper's cottage, and away to my left was the Britannia bridge with a long line of slow moving bank holiday traffic heading back towards the mainland. A bit further away was the Menai bridge and in the distance to the north I could see Llandudno on the mainland and the Great Orme headland. To my right was a view down the Menai Strait with the gardens of Plas Newydd stately home sloping down to the water's edge, and when I went round the other side of the balcony I had a view over the island itself. The little town of Llanfair PG wasn't far away and I could see the railway line and the A5 running straight across the island, with the A55 snaking along close by.
At the end of the lake a river ran from the lake itself, crossed by a footbridge and a bridge which carried the miniature railway track, and at the far side was the railway station and the National Slate Museum with the lakeside road leading into the large open car park. Although entry to the museum was free I wasn't particularly interested in looking inside so I took a couple of shots outside then went to see what was at the other side of the car park. And again I was very pleasantly surprised; set back off the main lake in part of the old slate quarry were three smaller and fairly shallow ponds accessed by bridges and pathways all the way round. It was a lovely quiet area and I got several more good photos.
The first place to visit was the Marquess of Anglesey Column not far from the Britannia bridge. I'd gone there one day last year when the weather had been absolutely perfect for photography but it had been closed because of the very high wind at the time, so I was hoping that this time I would have better luck. There were no cars in the car park when I got there and I did wonder if I was destined to be disappointed again, but when I got to the gate at the top of the path through the woods I found that the place was indeed open. I paid the modest entrance fee to the young woman at the keeper's cottage then set out to climb the inside of the column.
The column itself stands almost 100ft high and access to the top is by a steep and narrow spiral wooden staircase of 115 steps, several of which are quite rickety and which get even narrower the further up you go. At the top a small door leads out onto the surrounding balcony, and though the views from up there are brilliant it's definitely not for someone with a dislike of heights! Immediately down below, and looking rather like a doll's house from up there, was the keeper's cottage, and away to my left was the Britannia bridge with a long line of slow moving bank holiday traffic heading back towards the mainland. A bit further away was the Menai bridge and in the distance to the north I could see Llandudno on the mainland and the Great Orme headland. To my right was a view down the Menai Strait with the gardens of Plas Newydd stately home sloping down to the water's edge, and when I went round the other side of the balcony I had a view over the island itself. The little town of Llanfair PG wasn't far away and I could see the railway line and the A5 running straight across the island, with the A55 snaking along close by.
Wishing I had my binoculars I studied the various views for quite a while before I made my way back down the column, then back at ground level I took a couple of photos of the cottage garden before heading back to the van - except I couldn't find my way out. Coming back down the darkened inside of the column in a continuous spiral had sent my normally excellent sense of direction completely awol and I couldn't fathom out where the entrance/exit was; I suppose you could say that for once in my life I really was a dizzy blonde! I found the right gate eventually though, made my way back through the woods to the van and headed off across to the mainland.
My next port of call was Llanberis, and having looked at the map book earlier on I expected it to be quite a distance from the coast, but it wasn't as far as I thought and before I knew it I was driving along the tree-lined lakeside road on the approach to the village. The trees petered out eventually and I came to a very pleasant lakeside car park with a great view over the lake; that would do for me, so I pulled into a space, got a ticket from the nearby machine and set out to explore with the dogs.
A grass bank separated the car park from the lake itself and a footpath ran right beside the lake; standing at the top of the bank and looking at the view I had to admit I was impressed. Even if I hadn't been intending to stop there I would have done just for that view, it really was something. A boat with a fancy canopy was anchored out in the water, at the bottom end of the lake was a large field where sheep grazed and people walked, and behind all this were the Snowdonia mountains still with patches of snow left over from before Easter. Seeing people at various points across the far side of the lake I decided to see what was over there so I followed the path, taking photos as I went - and I'll let the following shots speak for themselves.
When I'd finished wandering round I made my way back to the other side of the lake, this time by the road instead of the lakeside - and away from the slate museum buildings, and on the far side of the road, I found another lake. This was obviously where the river from the main lake flowed into, and though it was much smaller than the main lake it was still scenic and I got a couple of lovely shots. As I headed back towards the van I spotted a nice-looking cafe set back off the road with a few tables outside so I stopped off there for coffee and cake, which just rounded off the afternoon nicely.
Back at the van I gave the dogs a drink then set off back towards Anglesey. I still had near enough three hours of good sunshine left so I did briefly consider going on to somewhere else but then decided against it; I'd got plenty of good photos for one day so it was time to go back to the site and chill out. Although Llanberis is only a small place I knew I hadn't really seen everything it had to offer, so next time I'm on Anglesey and the weather is so good I'll most certainly make a return visit to add more photos to my collection.
When I finally got back to the camp site I found that all the bank holiday campers had packed up and gone while I was out; there was still a handful of people on site in seasonal caravans but none of them were anywhere near me so I had that particular part of the site to myself - what bliss! My last night on site would certainly be quiet but that's just how I like it!
Sunday May 5th 2013 - Rhosneigr, Church Bay & Cemaes Bay
I woke that morning to glorious sunshine which was far too good to miss, so leaving breakfast for later I set out on the first dog walk of the day down to the beach via the cliffside path from the bottom of the site. It was too early for the beach warden to be around so I was able to take the dogs across the main part of the beach to the water's edge, where I walked along throwing stones and seaweed for them both. Sugar swam out several times to retrieve various bits of seaweed but Sophie as usual chickened out and was quite content just to get her paws wet. Having walked as far as I could before the advancing tide cut off my route, I turned and headed back to the site, this time taking the path through the caravan site next door. Back in the tent, and with breakfast made, I sat down with the map book to plan my day.
My first port of call was to be the big car boot sale over on the Anglesey showground, except when I got there it wasn't very big. Maybe it was because it was very windy, but there were nowhere near as many stalls as usual so it didn't take that long to look round; and yet again there were no mouse ornaments to be had. And why is it that the majority of car boot stalls these days seem to sell nothing but kids clothes and old toys? Does anyone actually buy this stuff??
My next stop was at Rhosneigr; having been there only once before I thought it was worth another look. Things had changed slightly though in the three years since my previous visit; the area of rough ground where I'd parked last time no longer existed, it had been landscaped as part of a modern housing development, and as I couldn't find a space along the road I had look elsewhere. I found a small car park just off the road out of the village, and with just one space available I pulled in and parked up.
Across the road was a boardwalk leading to a lake which I'd seen from the road so I decided to explore there first. Safely away from the road I let the dogs off the lead and followed the boardwalk which became a rough path as I got closer to the lake; there was nothing much there when I got there, just an expanse of water with a small island in the middle and a handful of bungalows in the distance. A notice on a nearby stone wall told me that there were two donkeys in the field up ahead, one of which would chase dogs, so not wanting anything to happen to either of mine I didn't venture much further; with a couple of shots taken I turned and headed back towards the village.
Down on the beach the wind was blowing an absolute hooley, which was great for all the water sports enthusiasts but not for me - I had to delete more than one shot from the camera as the wind had blown my hair across the lens just at the crucial moment! Kite surfers and windsurfers were making the most of the wind and waves though, and the air was full with brightly coloured kites attached to the surf boards skimming along the water. A walk along in one direction then back the other way got me a handful of photos then I made my way back to the van.
By that time my breakfast had long since worn off and I was ready for something to eat; there was only one place to go and that was Pete's Burger Bar over at Penrhos Coastal Park so that's where I headed for, and parked up with a view of the bay I went across to order a cheeseburger and coffee. It was good to see Pete again (even though that's not his proper name) and I was both surprised and pleased to see that he still had the print-out of my blog page from two years ago stuck in the side window of his van. The cheeseburger was just as good as on all previous occasions and with the large coffee it certainly satisfied my hunger. Then it was on to the next place of exploration, Church Bay, with an en route stop at the Stermat store to pick up a few practical bits and pieces.
Church Bay was a little place I'd been to a few years ago and which initially didn't impress me; it was quite a distance from the main road down very narrow lanes, and apart from a car park and a little cafe there was absolutely nothing there. The little bay itself had been nothing to write home about, but in fairness it had been a very dull day at the time so maybe it would look better in the sunshine. When I got to the end of the lane the place was just as I remembered it - there was still nothing there. Pulling into the car park I left the dogs in the van as I knew I wouldn't be long, then walked the twenty yards or so to the top of the slope leading down to the beach. And I have to admit that what I saw this time was much nicer than before; a short stretch of firm clean sand with rocks at each end was backed by a gorse-covered headland, and in the sunshine it looked far more attractive than previously.
My final stop of the day was at Cemaes Bay; I'd been there several times over the last few years but somehow never gone to see what, if anything, was at the far side of the harbour wall, so that was about to be rectified. After taking a couple of shots of the main bay I made my way round there, and I was quite pleasantly surprised. A small rocky bay with a stony beach lay quite separately from the main bay, and steps down the headland on my left ended in a seaweed-covered jetty where a couple of kids and their dad were fishing for crabs. A sailing yacht lay at anchor near the end of the headland and two guys were in the process of winching a speedboat out of the water and onto a trailer.
I couldn't leave Cemaes Bay without going to the harbour itself; this must be the most photogenic little harbour I've seen on my travels so far, and with the late afternoon sunlight and the brightly coloured boats anchored in the calm water the conditions were just right for a spot of photography. To be honest I've previously taken many photos of this little place, some of which are on previous pages of this blog, but I just couldn't resist taking several more.
Those were to be my last shots of the day; time was getting on and I still had quite a distance to drive back to the site so I made my way back to the van, gave the dogs a drink, then set off for 'home'. The rest of the evening was spent reading my book and watching a bit of tv, then when it got late I took the dogs for their final walk and settled down in bed. The weather forecast was for continued good weather, in fact it was supposed to be getting much warmer; I'd had a good day that day and got some good photos, so if that forecast was right then I was looking forward to more of the same the following day - and I'd already decided where I would be going.
My first port of call was to be the big car boot sale over on the Anglesey showground, except when I got there it wasn't very big. Maybe it was because it was very windy, but there were nowhere near as many stalls as usual so it didn't take that long to look round; and yet again there were no mouse ornaments to be had. And why is it that the majority of car boot stalls these days seem to sell nothing but kids clothes and old toys? Does anyone actually buy this stuff??
My next stop was at Rhosneigr; having been there only once before I thought it was worth another look. Things had changed slightly though in the three years since my previous visit; the area of rough ground where I'd parked last time no longer existed, it had been landscaped as part of a modern housing development, and as I couldn't find a space along the road I had look elsewhere. I found a small car park just off the road out of the village, and with just one space available I pulled in and parked up.
Across the road was a boardwalk leading to a lake which I'd seen from the road so I decided to explore there first. Safely away from the road I let the dogs off the lead and followed the boardwalk which became a rough path as I got closer to the lake; there was nothing much there when I got there, just an expanse of water with a small island in the middle and a handful of bungalows in the distance. A notice on a nearby stone wall told me that there were two donkeys in the field up ahead, one of which would chase dogs, so not wanting anything to happen to either of mine I didn't venture much further; with a couple of shots taken I turned and headed back towards the village.
Down on the beach the wind was blowing an absolute hooley, which was great for all the water sports enthusiasts but not for me - I had to delete more than one shot from the camera as the wind had blown my hair across the lens just at the crucial moment! Kite surfers and windsurfers were making the most of the wind and waves though, and the air was full with brightly coloured kites attached to the surf boards skimming along the water. A walk along in one direction then back the other way got me a handful of photos then I made my way back to the van.
By that time my breakfast had long since worn off and I was ready for something to eat; there was only one place to go and that was Pete's Burger Bar over at Penrhos Coastal Park so that's where I headed for, and parked up with a view of the bay I went across to order a cheeseburger and coffee. It was good to see Pete again (even though that's not his proper name) and I was both surprised and pleased to see that he still had the print-out of my blog page from two years ago stuck in the side window of his van. The cheeseburger was just as good as on all previous occasions and with the large coffee it certainly satisfied my hunger. Then it was on to the next place of exploration, Church Bay, with an en route stop at the Stermat store to pick up a few practical bits and pieces.
Church Bay was a little place I'd been to a few years ago and which initially didn't impress me; it was quite a distance from the main road down very narrow lanes, and apart from a car park and a little cafe there was absolutely nothing there. The little bay itself had been nothing to write home about, but in fairness it had been a very dull day at the time so maybe it would look better in the sunshine. When I got to the end of the lane the place was just as I remembered it - there was still nothing there. Pulling into the car park I left the dogs in the van as I knew I wouldn't be long, then walked the twenty yards or so to the top of the slope leading down to the beach. And I have to admit that what I saw this time was much nicer than before; a short stretch of firm clean sand with rocks at each end was backed by a gorse-covered headland, and in the sunshine it looked far more attractive than previously.
My final stop of the day was at Cemaes Bay; I'd been there several times over the last few years but somehow never gone to see what, if anything, was at the far side of the harbour wall, so that was about to be rectified. After taking a couple of shots of the main bay I made my way round there, and I was quite pleasantly surprised. A small rocky bay with a stony beach lay quite separately from the main bay, and steps down the headland on my left ended in a seaweed-covered jetty where a couple of kids and their dad were fishing for crabs. A sailing yacht lay at anchor near the end of the headland and two guys were in the process of winching a speedboat out of the water and onto a trailer.
I couldn't leave Cemaes Bay without going to the harbour itself; this must be the most photogenic little harbour I've seen on my travels so far, and with the late afternoon sunlight and the brightly coloured boats anchored in the calm water the conditions were just right for a spot of photography. To be honest I've previously taken many photos of this little place, some of which are on previous pages of this blog, but I just couldn't resist taking several more.
Those were to be my last shots of the day; time was getting on and I still had quite a distance to drive back to the site so I made my way back to the van, gave the dogs a drink, then set off for 'home'. The rest of the evening was spent reading my book and watching a bit of tv, then when it got late I took the dogs for their final walk and settled down in bed. The weather forecast was for continued good weather, in fact it was supposed to be getting much warmer; I'd had a good day that day and got some good photos, so if that forecast was right then I was looking forward to more of the same the following day - and I'd already decided where I would be going.
Saturday May 4th 2013 - Anglesey, first time this year
I've been asked many times why, when I'm going camping, I leave home at times which seem ridiculously early. Well there are two main reasons - firstly, by setting out early I can avoid a lot of traffic, especially on a bank holiday weekend, and secondly the earlier I get to a site the sooner I can get the tent sent up and I still have lots of time to enjoy my first day, which makes the weekend last longer. And when I'm going to the Anglesey site where ehu points are limited then it makes sense to get there early as I have a better chance of finding one available. So at 5.45am I put Sophie and Sugar in the back of the van and set off; in the early morning sunshine it was a very pleasant journey and with very little traffic on the road I made good time and arrived at the site just before 8am.
It was too early for reception to be open so I pulled into the parking area and was just about to go for a walk round to find an available hook-up when the warden, looking like she'd just tumbled out of bed, came out of her nearby caravan and gave me a barrier pass, telling me to pitch up and pay her later once I was sorted. I could have taken my tent and walked to a pitch but being able to drive there was much better; I headed for my favourite small enclosure, and though there were a few campers already there I found a vacant ehu point in a large space between two seasonal caravans and with a good view over the hedge in front. That would do for me, in fact the caravans may even offer a bit of shelter from the wind, so I parked the van sideways on and set about erecting my tent and turning it into a home for the next three nights. Once everything was sorted out I took the dogs for a walk round the site then finally managed to sit down with a brew and some toast.
It was too early for reception to be open so I pulled into the parking area and was just about to go for a walk round to find an available hook-up when the warden, looking like she'd just tumbled out of bed, came out of her nearby caravan and gave me a barrier pass, telling me to pitch up and pay her later once I was sorted. I could have taken my tent and walked to a pitch but being able to drive there was much better; I headed for my favourite small enclosure, and though there were a few campers already there I found a vacant ehu point in a large space between two seasonal caravans and with a good view over the hedge in front. That would do for me, in fact the caravans may even offer a bit of shelter from the wind, so I parked the van sideways on and set about erecting my tent and turning it into a home for the next three nights. Once everything was sorted out I took the dogs for a walk round the site then finally managed to sit down with a brew and some toast.
After an hour or so's chill-out time, and with the dogs back in the van, I set out for the car boot sale just up the hill from the village. There were plenty of stalls and I took my time browsing but I didn't see anything of particular interest and there were no mouse ornaments to add to my collection so I didn't spend any money. Next on the agenda was the purchase of a new bulb for my lamp as I'd forgotten to get one the previous day, but what I thought would be a simple task turned into something along the lines of a 'hunt the thimble' game.
Parking in the main car park in the village my first call was the nearby Tesco supermarket but there wasn't a single light bulb to be found anywhere. Next was the hardware/fishing tackle/camping shop but no bulbs there; this was followed by a visit to the Spar supermarket (no bulbs) then the Co-op supermarket - again, no bulbs. This was ridiculous - all supermarkets sell light bulbs so what was so different about this lot?? I eventually ended up at a hardware/electrical/diy shop on the way out of the village, where I finally found what I wanted and bought two for good measure.
Back at the site I decided that while the dogs were still in the back of the van and out of the way I would put up my recently-purchased sun canopy over the tent door. It wasn't a big canopy and only had two poles so it didn't take many minutes to set it up, however when I tried to position it over the door I found there was one major problem - it didn't fit properly. Far from keeping any rain off the door, which it was supposed to do, there was a two inch gap between the canopy and the top of the tent which made the whole thing totally useless. I'd been advised by an assistant in the camping store where I bought it that it would be suitable for my tent and I'd been looking forward to using it, so I was rather disappointed and a little bit miffed that the thing wouldn't fit. So down it came and it was folded and rolled and put back in its bag to be returned to the store once I got back from the weekend.
By the time I'd put the canopy-that-never-was back in the van out of the way I'd had enough of messing about - it was time to chill out, and for the rest of the day and evening that's exactly what I did. When the time started creeping up towards 11pm I took the dogs for a final walk round the site then made a mug of hot chocolate and snuggled into my bed. Although it was windy the day had been lovely and sunny and the weather forecast was for more of the same - if that was true then I was really looking forward to the rest of the weekend.
Monday April 1st 2013 - A change in the weather
After three gloriously sunny days I woke that morning to a very grey and cloudy sky and a wind which seemed colder than ever with the lack of sunshine. Without the sun the vague plans I'd had for that day would have to be abandoned unless by a stroke of luck it came nicer later on; it didn't though, and by lunch time I'd had enough of being cooped up in the tent so I decided to go for a drive along the coast road from Abergele through Towyn and Rhyl and along the Dee estuary, which was somewhere I'd never been before.
The road from Abergele itself toTowyn was pleasant enough but it soon became more commercialised, with large holiday sites spread out on each side, a fairground and various shops, cafes and amusement places - not an area where I personally would stay but good for families with kids. At the far side of Rhyl I drove through Prestatyn, again passing several holiday and static caravan sites, then the road turned inland; about half a mile further on I saw a sign for the beach so I thought I may as well take a look, and I ended up in what I thought was a most peculiar little place.
A narrow lane with bungalows on one side and a grass verge and deep ditch on the other ran from the main road for about a mile; towards the end I passed yet another holiday site and a small amusement place, a small cafe, a garden/household centre and a takeaway place, and eventually came to a car park with a pub/restaurant at the far end of it. It was far too cold and windy to take the dogs for anything like a decent walk so I left them in the van while I went for a look round. There was nothing much to see really, the road ended in a grassy bank with another cafe just down below it and miles of salt marsh at the far side of it - if this was the 'beach' then it seemed to be completely devoid of any sand. The cafe was advertising fish, chips and mushy peas for a special price and as I was feeling quite peckish by then I decided to go and have a proper meal rather than coffee and cake - but this turned out to be just as peculiar as the place I was in.
There were no customers in the cafe and just two staff who both totally ignored me for quite a while until I actually spoke to the one who was wiping the tables over; eventually she took my order though it was obvious from her air of reluctance that she felt like I was an intrusion and was probably wishing I wasn't there, then when my meal finally arrived it was minus the mushy peas. Now fish and chips without mushy peas could very nearly be classed as a reason to start World War 3 - it just wasn't on! So I went over to the counter and asked, only to be told that there were none available; what a let-down! And why advertise what you haven't got?? So I ate my meal without the peas, paid my bill at the counter on my way out and went back to the van, wishing that I'd gone to the pub/restaurant instead and deciding that I would probably never to set foot in this strange little place ever again.
Back on the main road again I followed it for several miles without finding anywhere or anything of interest; I couldn't even see the estuary, which was why I was driving along there in the first place, and I was, theoretically, heading towards home so before I got too far I turned off onto a minor road and headed towards the A55. The road wound steeply up a hillside and through a couple of small villages, and the higher up I got the more snow there was piled up on the pavements and grass verges, though the road itself was clear and I reached the A55 without incident. Heading back towards Abergele I decided on the spur of the moment to stop off at an old church set back off the road itself.
Known locally as the Marble Church, St. Margaret's at Bodelwyddan is a Victorian church in the French Gothic style, and though it's built mainly from limestone it does have an appearance of white marble, especially when the sun is shining on it. I've passed it many times on my journeys to and from Anglesey and often wondered if it was as nice inside as it looked from the outside, and I wasn't disappointed; it was a beautiful place and the stained glass windows were lovely - the photos I got certainly didn't do it justice.
After signing the guest book I made my way back to the van and headed back to Manorafon where I took Sophie and Sugar for a walk as far as the castle and back. The rest of the afternoon and evening were spent reading and watching a bit of tv, then as the time crept up to 11pm I took the dogs for their last walk of the day before retreating to my bed. It had been a funny old day somehow; it was a pity that the weather had let me down for what I originally intended to do, especially as it was the last day of my break, but I hadn't really wasted the day. I'd seen inside a lovely old church and still got a few photos, and as Manorafon is fast becoming one of my favourite camp sites I know there'll be plenty of future opportunities for me to take the photos I want.
The road from Abergele itself toTowyn was pleasant enough but it soon became more commercialised, with large holiday sites spread out on each side, a fairground and various shops, cafes and amusement places - not an area where I personally would stay but good for families with kids. At the far side of Rhyl I drove through Prestatyn, again passing several holiday and static caravan sites, then the road turned inland; about half a mile further on I saw a sign for the beach so I thought I may as well take a look, and I ended up in what I thought was a most peculiar little place.
A narrow lane with bungalows on one side and a grass verge and deep ditch on the other ran from the main road for about a mile; towards the end I passed yet another holiday site and a small amusement place, a small cafe, a garden/household centre and a takeaway place, and eventually came to a car park with a pub/restaurant at the far end of it. It was far too cold and windy to take the dogs for anything like a decent walk so I left them in the van while I went for a look round. There was nothing much to see really, the road ended in a grassy bank with another cafe just down below it and miles of salt marsh at the far side of it - if this was the 'beach' then it seemed to be completely devoid of any sand. The cafe was advertising fish, chips and mushy peas for a special price and as I was feeling quite peckish by then I decided to go and have a proper meal rather than coffee and cake - but this turned out to be just as peculiar as the place I was in.
There were no customers in the cafe and just two staff who both totally ignored me for quite a while until I actually spoke to the one who was wiping the tables over; eventually she took my order though it was obvious from her air of reluctance that she felt like I was an intrusion and was probably wishing I wasn't there, then when my meal finally arrived it was minus the mushy peas. Now fish and chips without mushy peas could very nearly be classed as a reason to start World War 3 - it just wasn't on! So I went over to the counter and asked, only to be told that there were none available; what a let-down! And why advertise what you haven't got?? So I ate my meal without the peas, paid my bill at the counter on my way out and went back to the van, wishing that I'd gone to the pub/restaurant instead and deciding that I would probably never to set foot in this strange little place ever again.
Back on the main road again I followed it for several miles without finding anywhere or anything of interest; I couldn't even see the estuary, which was why I was driving along there in the first place, and I was, theoretically, heading towards home so before I got too far I turned off onto a minor road and headed towards the A55. The road wound steeply up a hillside and through a couple of small villages, and the higher up I got the more snow there was piled up on the pavements and grass verges, though the road itself was clear and I reached the A55 without incident. Heading back towards Abergele I decided on the spur of the moment to stop off at an old church set back off the road itself.
Known locally as the Marble Church, St. Margaret's at Bodelwyddan is a Victorian church in the French Gothic style, and though it's built mainly from limestone it does have an appearance of white marble, especially when the sun is shining on it. I've passed it many times on my journeys to and from Anglesey and often wondered if it was as nice inside as it looked from the outside, and I wasn't disappointed; it was a beautiful place and the stained glass windows were lovely - the photos I got certainly didn't do it justice.
After signing the guest book I made my way back to the van and headed back to Manorafon where I took Sophie and Sugar for a walk as far as the castle and back. The rest of the afternoon and evening were spent reading and watching a bit of tv, then as the time crept up to 11pm I took the dogs for their last walk of the day before retreating to my bed. It had been a funny old day somehow; it was a pity that the weather had let me down for what I originally intended to do, especially as it was the last day of my break, but I hadn't really wasted the day. I'd seen inside a lovely old church and still got a few photos, and as Manorafon is fast becoming one of my favourite camp sites I know there'll be plenty of future opportunities for me to take the photos I want.
Sunday March 31st 2013 - Deganwy and Conway
Another gloriously sunny day arrived and after a dog walk up to the castle and back and a relaxing morning I set off for Deganwy, which was on the far side of Llandudno. I'd thought about going there the previous day but by that time I was on my way back from Llandudno so rather than turn round and retrace part of my route I'd decided to make a separate day of it, though when I got there I found there wasn't much to make a day of.
It was a very small place set on the Conway estuary and with less than half a dozen shops, a cafe and a railway station it didn't take long to look round. There was, however, a small development of modern town houses and a hotel just along the shore and at the far side was a marina, so my liking for boats and water took me to see what was along there. It was a very attractive area with many of the houses overlooking the marina and others overlooking the estuary, and with all the moored-up boats and a gorse-covered hillside in the background I got several nice photos.
By the time I'd finished wandering round I was ready for coffee and cake so I took the dogs back to the van and went to the little cafe to indulge. My next mission was to look for a certain camp site in the Conwy area mentioned to me in conversation with my friend, who had made a tentative suggestion that maybe I might camp there with her some time, so with the coffee and cake well and truly dispatched I went back to the van and headed out of Deganwy and round the estuary to Conwy.
I hadn't a clue exactly where this particular camp site was or even the name of it - that was assuming it still existed of course. All I had was the vaguest of directions from my friend who had last stayed there about twenty years ago, however I managed to find it with no trouble and as it seemed to be the only one in that particular area I thought I must be at the right place. Leaving the van just inside the entrance I went to explore; the site was on a hill and the access road was winding and steep but it levelled out eventually and I got a good view over the site. According to my friend this was only a small site but it had obviously been developed greatly in the years since she last went there as the road through it just went on and on into the distance, with small sheltered areas on both sides which had only half a dozen or so pitches in each one. If there was a tent area at all it must have been miles away as all I saw were caravans, and toilet/shower blocks seemed to be very scarce too as I only saw one, though there must have been others somewhere. Admittedly it seemed to be a well set out site and the views over the countryside and river were good, but it was quite a distance from anywhere and as nice as it looked I really couldn't see myself staying there, it was just too big a place.
With my curiosity satisfied I returned to the van and drove back down to Conwy where I found a parking space in a side road near the castle and set out for a wander round. At the far end of the quayside I discovered part of the old town walls with steps leading up to the top; always on the lookout for good photo opportunities I went to see what was up there and was quite surprised to find that I could walk right along, although not wanting to end up somewhere in the back of beyond I didn't go too far. The views over the quayside and estuary were good though and I got several nice shots before I returned to ground level.
Back at the van I gave the dogs a drink then set off back to Manorafon; I was starting to feel quite peckish by then so I would be ready for something to eat by the time I got back. The evening was spent relaxing with my book, watching a bit of tv and making a few vague plans for the following day.
My visit to Conwy had been good, I'd found a camp site that I didn't want to stay at and I'd got some good photos, and having done some research since then I've realised that I missed several good photographic opportunities by not going further along the town walls, so another visit will definitely be on the cards in the near future.
It was a very small place set on the Conway estuary and with less than half a dozen shops, a cafe and a railway station it didn't take long to look round. There was, however, a small development of modern town houses and a hotel just along the shore and at the far side was a marina, so my liking for boats and water took me to see what was along there. It was a very attractive area with many of the houses overlooking the marina and others overlooking the estuary, and with all the moored-up boats and a gorse-covered hillside in the background I got several nice photos.
By the time I'd finished wandering round I was ready for coffee and cake so I took the dogs back to the van and went to the little cafe to indulge. My next mission was to look for a certain camp site in the Conwy area mentioned to me in conversation with my friend, who had made a tentative suggestion that maybe I might camp there with her some time, so with the coffee and cake well and truly dispatched I went back to the van and headed out of Deganwy and round the estuary to Conwy.
I hadn't a clue exactly where this particular camp site was or even the name of it - that was assuming it still existed of course. All I had was the vaguest of directions from my friend who had last stayed there about twenty years ago, however I managed to find it with no trouble and as it seemed to be the only one in that particular area I thought I must be at the right place. Leaving the van just inside the entrance I went to explore; the site was on a hill and the access road was winding and steep but it levelled out eventually and I got a good view over the site. According to my friend this was only a small site but it had obviously been developed greatly in the years since she last went there as the road through it just went on and on into the distance, with small sheltered areas on both sides which had only half a dozen or so pitches in each one. If there was a tent area at all it must have been miles away as all I saw were caravans, and toilet/shower blocks seemed to be very scarce too as I only saw one, though there must have been others somewhere. Admittedly it seemed to be a well set out site and the views over the countryside and river were good, but it was quite a distance from anywhere and as nice as it looked I really couldn't see myself staying there, it was just too big a place.
With my curiosity satisfied I returned to the van and drove back down to Conwy where I found a parking space in a side road near the castle and set out for a wander round. At the far end of the quayside I discovered part of the old town walls with steps leading up to the top; always on the lookout for good photo opportunities I went to see what was up there and was quite surprised to find that I could walk right along, although not wanting to end up somewhere in the back of beyond I didn't go too far. The views over the quayside and estuary were good though and I got several nice shots before I returned to ground level.
Back at the van I gave the dogs a drink then set off back to Manorafon; I was starting to feel quite peckish by then so I would be ready for something to eat by the time I got back. The evening was spent relaxing with my book, watching a bit of tv and making a few vague plans for the following day.
My visit to Conwy had been good, I'd found a camp site that I didn't want to stay at and I'd got some good photos, and having done some research since then I've realised that I missed several good photographic opportunities by not going further along the town walls, so another visit will definitely be on the cards in the near future.
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