The Last Blog this holiday!

With the alarm set for 4.00am we were up at 3.30am for a shower, breakfast at 4.30am and onto a bus to Manchester Airport by 5.20 am on Monday morning. Then lots of waiting in queues! After our first 6 hour flight to Doha we had four hours to wait and recover.

Lowri liked playing at the three play centres in the airport. Here she is being super girl with a cape.

We had to go through the baggage check again and with the pusher and all our carry-on luggage we had to tidy it all up again before we got on the plane. I had to put my shoes back on, Don had to rethread his belt and everyone had to find their digital equipment and pack it up.

Then it was on board for the next flight to Melbourne. We were loaded on and there was a delay of about half an hour.. They had to unpack all of the luggage as someone who had sent in their luggage had not turned up to board the plane. So they had to identify the luggage and remove it.

Lowri was easily entertained by the movies.

Aneirin concentrated on using his new finger skills to feed himself.

Finally the flight finished.  We took about an hour to pick up our luggage, go through customs and border force and then we met Josh ready to take luggage and people home. First to Emma and Rachel’s to drop off some of their luggage and then back to 56A for a late 11.00pm dinner.

Back home and the Australian native flowers I had left 2 months ago were still there as a dried floral arrangement!

Karen’s birthday lunch

Packing mostly finished we marked time till 11.30am. Lowri continued reading eggs and Aneirin read with Karen.

A mid morning snack for Aneirin had Fion strategically placed to hover up the crumbs.



Don and Kevin played Tetris with the luggage and fitted it all into the car. Then we set off for Sunday lunch at this hotel which over looked a golf course and the beach.



The lunch was to celebrate Karen’s birthday tomorrow. Her friends Pat, Peter, Phil and Veranth came too.



Lowri and Aneirin had a good time.



After our lovely meal we retired to comfortable chairs for tea and coffee.





It was time for a photo opportunity and then lots of sad farewells. 



Then we set off for The Holiday Inn in Manchester for dinner. Hopefully we will rest before we have to get up at 4.00 am for breakfast. The airport shuttle bus is at 5ish for our 8.20 flight to Doha.

Last full day in Llwyngwril

Today was the day to spend sorting, tidying and packing. Time for more Reading Eggs. Lowri has done about 20 levels in 2 weeks!

Fion enjoying a morning nap. Lowri counted change given to her from Kevin and wanted to buy something when we went shopping. We went to Tywyn to get coffee and nappies for Aneirin. Karen helped Lowri choose her drink when we had our coffee.

Lowri bought a Frozen magazine at the Co-op supermarket. She couldn’t wait to open the plastic jewellery.

Don, Karen and Rachel sorted out the drinks.



In Twywn many people speak Welsh and the streets are narrow.






Lowri wanted me to read her the cartoon from her Frozen magazine on the way back in the car.



After lunch Don wanted to go for a walk so I suggested we walk to the top of the hill at the back of Llwyngwril.



It was quite a steep hill with many sheep grazing the grass leaving the thistles. Stone walls kept them in different fields.

We didn’t quite make it to the top. We were defeated by the stone walls. Llwyngwril is down amongst the trees.






Don finally saw some holyhocks. He had been confusing foxgloves and holyhocks and had checked it out on google.

Another item of yarn bombing turned up. It is the very old church built in the 12th century.



Aneirin entertaining or being entertained before dinner.



Enjoying a quiz, a drink, and some of the many types of fudge Don has bought.

Caernarfon Castle

Another slow start to the day. Emma had asked us what we wanted to do in Wales. I suggested seeing a castle.  So after a breakfast of scrambled eggs and baked beans we headed off to Caernarfon Castle. It was a one hour drive to get there.

The castle is impressive and the town is all around it. Many homes and shops are built up to the castle walls.

When we arrived it was time for lunch. We had a lovely meal at a small restaurant run by Karen and Kevin Jones!

The glass balcony is where the Queen and Prince Charles stood and waved to the crowd after he was created the Prince Of Wales.



Once we were inside people went in different directions. Rachel and Lowri set off to find dragons. Emma rocked Aneirin to sleep, while Don and I wandered the castle.

We climbed narrow towers holding onto the rope banisters and carefully made our way down again. See Lowri and Rachel far below.

War broke out in 1282 and after the English won they built new castles. Edward the first built the castle at Caernarfon. After he built it he made sure his son was born there and he appointed him the first Prince of Wales before he could even speak.

The investiture of Edward VIII as Prince of Wales when he was 16 in 1911 was a made up occasion to placate the people. Prince Charles went through a similar procedure in the 1960’s.

Castles and ice cream go hand in hand so Lowri says so we found an ice cream shop!



Everyone had an ice cream except Aneirin.

Rain in Wales?

The morning brought rain and a quiet day in Llwyngwril. Luckily the garden needed rain and we needed a restful day.

Lowri watered Don’s Zen Garden and played some Plants versus Zombies.



Around 3.00 pm the rain ceased so most of us missioned to Dogellau with coffee as our aim. Lowri and Karen headed to the playground. Don, Rachel, Aneirin and I headed to the coffee shop called THRoberts for coffee and cake and the others joined us later.

As Emma requested Karen made yummy Yorkshire pudding for dinner and Emma made a delicious crumble with the Tayberries we picked yesterday.