Conwy and more Wales

Been very hard to get anything uploaded as since I left Conwy I’ve had pretty crap Internet and dodgy accommodation – but more to come!!

Conwy is a beautiful little town and https://www.homeaway.co.uk/p6504264 this was just a wonderful place to stay.

One day I went out to South Stack Lighthouse – glorious day and the RSPB (birdies) had a hide where you could see webcams of the birds on the cliff and binoculars.

 

    

Beautiful flowers on the hills

      

These sheep didn’t eat much

 

 

Then onto Bodnant Gardens a National Trust place

The house isn’t open to the public but it was an amazing backdrop to the gardens

      

 

 

    

 

Mt Snowdon and Wales

Been a bit slack lately with writing and I’m trialling posting this directly to Facebook so please let me know how it works for FB users (if not I’ll repost separately).

Rather than go back I thought I’d catch up with where I am now and hopefully will get back to share the other thousands of photos I have from London.

On Saturday morning after nearly 6 weeks in London I picked up the hire car and headed to Conwy in North Wales.  It’s a lovely little town and I’m in one of the best self contained holiday cottages I’ve ever been in (apart from the teeny narrow high stepped staircase).  It’s spotless, modern, has a wonderful shower and really well equipped so I can do some cooking.

Today I went up to the top of Mt Snowdon (the lady in the supermarket thought I was being very brave going up on my own until I explained that I was catching the train up and not walking – because she normally walks up)

The train driver who was surely not more than 12 said he goes up in about 1 hour 45 minutes.  After getting to the top on the train even if I was fit enough to walk up I know that I’d have to go up looking at the ground because of my fear of heights.

Pretty places on the way to Snowdon

     

   

I passed a couple of places that having surfing spots out in the middle of the countryside

A Welsh traffic jam

Looks like we’ve got ourselves a convoy

Llanberis where the train departed

        

I really want to play scrabble in Welsh – you don’t need vowels

  

So Allan in Welsh means out – where does that leave Alan Davies

Views on the way up

 

    

   

    

The sheep were amazing – they could do with some crutching.  They are obviously wild and some of them have great hunks of wool hanging off the front and full wool at the back

  

Views from the top

    

Paddington enjoyed his day out and got a few compliments.

    

 

Tate Britain and the Portobello Gin Company

Time for a bit of culture so off to Tate Britain http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-britain

As well as the huge collection of Turners and a room full of Constables (and one of William Blake which does nothing for me) it was British art through the years.  Sadly I just missed out on the Hockney Exhibition

The Elephant and Castle at Vauxhall Station

Tate Britain

   

    

 

 

Who knew Canaletto did England as well as Venice (not me obviously) they were wonderful

Henry Moore

Constable

 

Then time to check out another gin joint

https://www.portobelloroadgin.com/ Not a huge choice of gins as they make their own and no choice of tonic it all just comes in your glass and now I’m a gin connoisseur I like to taste the gin before I put the tonic in but I do like these glasses so I’m planning on buying some when I get home.

   

 

Petersham Nursery and Richmond

I’d always wanted to visit the cafe at Petersham nursery and it was a glorious day so off I went.

There’s a tea room and a fancy cafe so I headed for the tea room.  Food was lovely and fresh but I found it all a bit twee although it was extraordinarily pretty.

 

               

As always the moral of the story is to try and go home a different way.  I figured it wouldn’t be far to the river but got horribly lost down all the lanes until some dear lady went out of her way to take me there.  You’d have no idea that you’re less than 15km from the centre of London out here although the flight path to Heathrow is right above.

 

Then a wander down the river to Richmond which is on the Thames

    

Pretty pubs in London and other wanderings June 2017

The flowers on some of the pubs in London are just beautiful

 

   

A quick visit to Lords to pick up my reciprocal members ticket.  My SACA membership gives me 6 weeks access.

Views from the Southbank.  I visited the https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/visit/outdoor-spaces/queen-elizabeth-hall-roof-garden

The views were fine but it doesn’t look quite as glamorous as the pictures

  

     

Melt Chocolate   http://www.meltchocolates.com/

I visited the one in Ledbury Rd – pathetic service but was strong, hot and slightly bitter so 8/10

    

Paddington and Choccywoccydoodah

I was at Paddington Station and went to check out all the mementos to Michael Bond so my Paddington had a little cuddle

Liberty – always beautiful

       

Choccywoccydoodah – just amazing.  I didn’t get to eat there but will definitely go back https://www.choccywoccydoodah.com/

                          

    

Another London pub and there are a lot

   

Carnaby St and another beautiful theatre

   

The Victoria and Albert Museum June 2017

An amazing day at the V&A https://www.vam.ac.uk/- it was a sensory overload. I spent about 5 hours there and probably saw less than 5% and took in only probably 1% of that. These photos are the culled ones – you should see the rest

First I had morning tea to celebrate Elise’s birthday but sadly without Elise but it was fun anyway.  Maitre Choux in South Kensington  http://www.maitrechoux.com/

Hot chocolate about 7/10, choux about 6/10 but the little croquette 9/10

Then across the road to the V&A and a wonderful day

 

 

Cast room – started in the 1870s they were replicas for people that couldn’t afford to travel and who wanted to study European art

The other cast hall being renovated

 

This is the cafe!!

Outside

 

The gin pursuit June 2017

So yesterday it was https://mr-foggs.com/gin-parlour/

Upstairs and many of the staff were dressed up and the room was really quirky.   My gimlet was nice but small and very expensive.

But the hand basins in the loos were quite magnificent

Today a much more enjoyable experience

The range of gins was much more extensive and much cheaper and the staff were friendlier and I had a nice chat with a couple who had been given a gin tasting by their son (good lad)

The London Gin Club in Soho  https://thelondonginclub.com/