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Monthly Archives: April 2021

Six months wait

27 Tuesday Apr 2021

Posted by mikeandnikki in Uncategorized

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The days have been passing, the months have been passing until the lockdown rules are changing. I know they have been changing at different times between England, Scotland and wales. And I also know it’s been longer than six months for all these changes.

The thing is the six month wait refers to me and Nikki having a proper day out. The last time was when we went to Lincoln last October to get our new fridge in the camper. We then spent a day in the old part of Lincoln, had lunch out and then a meal and drinks in the pub in the evening, a proper day out.

Yesterday was one of our days off, the weather was hot and sunny so a day out was planned. And most important the pubs in wales were opening for outside drinks and food. And we just so happen to have a pub right across the road from us.

But first our day out. We decided to go to Portmeirion, we never got the chance to go last year. We booked our tickets online and planned to get there early to avoid all the crowds because I wanted to take some photos.

Portmeirion is a tourist village designed and built by Sir Clough williams Ellis between 1925 and 1975. It’s styled on an Italian village and is now owned by a charitable trust. It’s famous for the filming of the film The Prisoner. There’s a hotel there, gift shops and cafes. It’s only a eight mile drive for us to get there and they opened at 9.30am so no need to rush although we were first through the gate.

The buildings are all brightly painted and the views from certain points are amazing. We timed it just right with the sun out and as it sits on the edge of an estuary the tide was in and with no wind the water was calm.

I took about 120 phots but won’t bore you with all of them. These are just some of my favourite ones I took.

As you can see the colours are fantastic. We spoke to a painter decorator there and he said how busy he was all the time. We wandered around and then decided to have a spot of lunch. Just sat outside in the sun watching the world go by. It was good to be out again properly. There is a coast/ woodland walk from there also which we did after lunch. Again fantastic views from certain points.

After our walk we went and sat down in the sun again and just watched the world go by thinking how nice it was to have a proper day out. Sod the expense this is what we work for, to enjoy life. After arriving at 9.30am and having a good look around etc we left at 1 30pm. Admission was £13 each and lunch was £20 we never ate in the hotel.

Back to base for a chill out for an hour, then shower and then off to support the local pub which opened at midday. The sun still shining which was good as all the seating is out side. All the tables set out with plenty of space and table service only. A few drinks and a nice meal and that was us done in for the day. A short stroll home to bed. The end of a great day which we had waited six months for. Just got to save up now for the next one.

Have a rest

We had snow

14 Wednesday Apr 2021

Posted by mikeandnikki in Uncategorized

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When I said we had snow what I meant was we had a dusting of snow unless you were up on the mountains or on top of Snowdon itself. But even so the weather has been strange. We got battered with up-to 70 mph gusts of wind, then it all calmed down and warmed up enough for us to sit outside in the sun with a cool beer and get the BBQ fired up thinking summer is on its way.

Then the wind turned on us from the north and east and although it was sunny it was bloody freezing. Then Easter Monday we had snow. Just a dusting on low ground but it did look nice.

My Snowdon garden
Dusting of snow

Ellis from the small holding across the road bought us some eggs over from his chickens. They range from small bantam eggs to turkey eggs. And all were very nice. He has a collection of chickens ,Guinea fowl and four huge turkeys. They Rome around on his land and out side on the lane etc as free as they like. He has to search here there and everywhere for the eggs. We always check them by putting them in a bowl of water. If they float they are bad, they should all sink. We have never had a bad one and they are very nice.

Free range Easter eggs

We have just had our long weekend off so decided to go away, gives the camper a run and gets us off site. We chose a site up on Anglesey, just over an hour away. We had not been to this one before but stayed on one just two miles down the road from it last year. It’s in the middle of nowhere but the idea was just to chill as it’s been busy here and a lot going on.

The site was called Penrhos and is just outside Brynteg. There was only two other units on site on Sunday. But there was another twenty booked in on Monday which is when all the travel restrictions were lifted but still not busy. Fantastic views from the site across the fields to the mountains of Snowdonia and Snowdon itself in the distance all covered in snow.

We had a loverly area all to ourselves for the first night and then two others came in but plenty of space.

Our peaceful spot
View from the driveway of the site.

We saw a red squirrel while walking around the site and lots different birds including, pheasants, partridge, woodpecker, blue tits, great tits, long tailed tits, goldfinches and we even managed to sit outside in the sun while having a beer so that was a bonus.

This site at Penrhos was the 70th site we have stayed on since getting this camper in February 2014. That’s seventy different sites and some we have been back to. That seventy sites include sites in England, Wales, France, Spain and Portugal. So as you can see we do use our camper. Some peaple only go away once or twice a year in theirs Have wheels will travel is my motto.

So that’s us up to speed with you all. It’s good that the country is slowly coming out and about and getting back to some sort of normal. The pubs here in wales are still closed and don’t open until the 26th April and then only outside. We are back at work this afternoon and thinking it’s going to be a busy season. But we will still get away once a month on our long weekends off. Stay safe everybody.

Open for business

01 Thursday Apr 2021

Posted by mikeandnikki in Uncategorized

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We are now open for business but you can only come here if you live in Wales at the moment. That’s what Mr Drakeford has said so Nikki has been busy phoning peaple who have booked from England, sorry but you’re not allowed to come here to stay at the moment. It’s been a busy time getting everything ready but worth it.

We opened the gates last Saturday and had four arrivals who were all pleased to be getting away. Nikki was also very pleased as it meant I had someone else to talk to. A steady flow of peaple have been coming in over the last week.

Nikki went off shopping and on her way back she said she saw three police cars speeding towards Porthmadog. It turned out there had been a murder. Apparently a 65 year old man was killed by his son.

The site is looking nice and now the weather has gone from 60+ mph winds to 18 degrees and sunshine just as it was our two days off.

We decided to go for a little trip out on one of the days to Borth Y Gest a small village on the edge of Porthmadog. Nikki made a picnic up and managed to fill my backpack with other come in handy stuff we might need on our small hike around the coast path to a small beach.

Borth Y Gest

We parked up and loaded the rucksack onto my back and as my legs sank to the ground with all the come in handy stuff we laughed. Getting back to my feet and off we went along the coast path. The tide was in and the sun was shining. What a beautiful day. The coast path is so nice and the spot I wanted to get to meant a steep climb down some steps.

Steep steps up or down.

Nikki managed the steps ok even with her little legs. We got to our destination and sat on the bench just staring out across the estuary at the mountains and the small bay arcing it’s way from us both left and right. The only noise being birds singing and a small child screaming now and then who was with his parents.

Peace and tranquility.

At the end of the headland you can just see a house. It’s called the powder house. Built in the mid 18th century to store explosives because they did not want the explosives stored in Porthmadog harbour, so the ships would drop it off at the powder house. Very carefully.

It’s now used as a holiday let and valued at £464,000 and what a location. I left Nikki sitting on the picnic bench and went off exploring the coast path a bit further, up to the house and just around the corner. I loved this other bench with the wording I found on my way. It says Smell the sea, and feel the sky, let your soul and spirit fly.

I sat here for a while and then made my way back to eat our picnic food. At least that made the rucksack lighter for on the way back. A three mile round trip and a great day out followed by a BBQ and beer when we got back. Life’s good. I saved my favourite photo of the day until last. Stay safe everyone we’re nearly there.

Leave only footprints.

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