Snowdonia

Today’s the day ............................... not to see Snowdon

It was a shame that the day dawned rather miserably because today we were off to explore Snowdonia.  Undeterred, we went anyway and slowly, slowly things did improve, although we never did manage to see Snowdon itself.  But there’s always something glowering and grand about this part of Wales, even when the mist is down.  This is the view near Capel Curig across Llynnau Mymbyr towards the ragged peaks of Y Lliwedd (898m).  Y Wyddfa or Snowdon (1085m) and Crib Goch (1065) are to the right, in the cloud, so you’ll just have to imagine them.

We went over the Llanberis Pass and eventually came to Caernarvon and its magnificent castle.  We told Marc and Marie Claire how Edward I, had done his utmost to suppress the Welsh with his ring of castles – and there were many more tales throughout the day of Welsh Princes and other episodes of Welsh history.  We had to make sure that they knew the truth!

 To digress a little – I’ve already said how stretched my schoolgirl French became and so it was lucky that I had the help of Marie Claire, who always seemed to know what I was trying to say.  And what a treat for me to be able to listen and learn from two such articulate and beautiful French speakers.  Throw into that mix, the welsh language, which is Will’s mother tongue, and the only language he spoke until the age of four – and you can have some real fun!  We were often speechless with laughter at things said - and the incredulity of our French friends when Will said the name of the place we were in. ‘Machynlleth’  was a good one, containing as it does in quick succession, three sounds that are not to be found in the French language.  Then, of course, there was the one that I have included as an extra below ............................!