Ticking items off the list.

 May 6th.  Yikes!  A chilly morning and a grey sky.  But what a comfortable bed.  Had an excellent sleep last night.

Today was a Welsh Cooked Breakfast!   If this is normal then why are all Welsh people not morbidly obese?   Black pudding was an item crossed off my list this morning. Um…..a strange texture and taste but not unpalatable.

Next a visit to Conwy Castle.   We paid for our ticket at reception manned by an American named David - although the name was Welsh I was inwardly a little shocked not to have the expected Welsh lilting accent.  Dating from the 1300’s much of the castle structure remains preserved.   I now understand what is meant by castle town as from the ramparts I could see just how much of the current town would have been enclosed by the strong castle walls.   

High walls with marvellous views of the valleys one way and the sea the other.   But the stone steps winding up the towers were hazardous.  The high arch in the roof of the great hall is still intact.   I loved the views of the green fields and the woods so different from home.

Watched a truck come through this narrow gate and momentarily stop to readjust the cab’s wing mirrors.   My this is a narrow entry.   There’s at least three of these gates in the remaining castle walls.

Lady Satnav guided us to Llandudno and The Great Orme Tramway.   A car park merely a minutes walk away from the entrance.   Opened in 1902, it is a funicular  ascent of a mile at a nearly 10 degree incline up the limestone mass that is the Great Orme,   I was amazed to see some people walking down - we sensibly bought return tickets.   

Amazing to see so many people had brought their dogs.   The lady in the seat across from us had a giant bulldog which she lifted off and on the tramcar.   Our tram had five dogs as well as around 40 passengers!   Nobody but me seemed to think this a strange phenomenon.  Very cold at the summit so we went inside a visitor centre and watched a documentary video on the flora and fauna.  It was interesting to see strangely different colours of sheep and Kashmir Goats roaming around.   Also lambs!   A reminder that it is actually Spring here.  ( On our return home we saw Kashmir goats eating the shrubs in front of Llandudno Hospice so they must roam off the Orme at will).

Then it was time to walk briskly to Llandudno town centre and join the Victorian Extravaganza.   The town centre was shut to traffic and instead filled with a rich variety of carnival side shows, carousel, helter skelter, ghost train etc etc.  And an endless supply of candy floss, ice cream and other sweets.   A red double decker bus had been converted into a shop for The Great British Fudge Company.   At the centre of all this, right by the main stage was a display of traction engines - all operational and puffing steam.   

Our main aim was to listen to the Cor Meibion Maelgwn Male Voice Choir.    A delightful half hour of singing finished with the Welsh National Anthem and although I of course recognised the tune I couldn’t join in and felt very conspicuous standing there silent as the whole crowd joined in the rousing and spine tingling song.   What an experience.  We introduced ourselves to the kindly secretary-gentleman of the choir, who had emailed me with details of this performance and expressed our thanks for his invitation.   He was delightful and smiled broadly when teased by a friend that he was adding more ladies to his list!   

After the choir there was a performance by the George Formby Society and I joined in with many elderly singing a couple of the songs.   Mother gave me a CD of George Formby years ago in my Christmas Stocking so this too was familiar.

As we strolled along we found two of the statues forming the Alice in Wonderland Trail.   Apparently the Alice for whom the book is named spent her holidays in this beach resort town so we said hello to the White Rabbit and to the Mad Hatter but couldn’t find Alice herself.   There were little plaques in the pavement at various places with rabbit foot prints which were probably the trail itself.   We were too taken up with all the other distractions - oops attractions.

And then it was to the promenade and the pier where to my delight I found there was a traditional Punch and Judy.   

The gentleman operating it all told us that he was fifth generation and so the pressure was on to ensure it would continue.   Started in 1860 and has been on the Llandudno Pier ever since.   Of course we had to attend.   I shouted loudly with all the rest, “yes you did, no you didn’t” etc until I thought I’d lose my voice!   It was just like I’d read in books and another tick off my list.

A surprise on the pier was to finally understand that there could be some meaning to that tongue twister “She sells seashells on the seashore” because halfway along the pier there was shop doing just that!  

So tired but weary I said goodbye to my new (until tomorrow) favourite place, Llandudno

Welcome to Wales

 May 5th.   Daylight at 5am woke me and amazed that the skies were clear.   A pale blue compared to NZ but fluffy clouds and blue sky were welcome.   Breakfast at the closest McDonald’s and then a short journey round the corner to Belvidere Road Church.   Greeted at the door by three surprised gentlemen to whom we explained the connection, following which we explained to at least three more people until finally we were seated in the auditorium.   I am so pleased we came - and so, it seemed were they.   The lady seated to my right told me that the original church was just up the road and was now converted into up market accommodation but the outside is still as was.  She is a geography teacher and wanted to know what earthquakes felt like as she’d heard that NZ has many🙂

Lady Satnav guided us through busy central Liverpool, past the huge Anglican Cathedral, 

busy streets,  

and into the Queensway Tunnel (aka Birkenhead Tunnel) a £2.10 toll road under the Mersey.   Then on through part of The Wirral and on to The North Wales Expressway.   Being only an A road it was less frantic than yesterday’s M56.  Noticed signs warning of badgers at many places along the way.   Finally a sign reading Croeso i Cymru and thereafter signs in Welsh first and then English.   Seemingly impossible to guess at pronunciation, the words seem to stutter over double consonants and Ll is pronounced Cl?   

Lady Satnav unhappy when we turned off to the small village of Caerwys and found a pub to have Sunday Roast lunch of delicious Welsh Lamb Rump (it’s served pink is that Ok? we were asked)  Also stwnsh pronounced like stunch - at least to my ear is actually a delicious carrot and swede mash. 

One thing I have noticed is how many gardens and even fields are full of dandelions. I wonder if there is a use for them?  Surely they are not grown for flowers here?

Back on the A55 and with an army of wind turbines visible out to sea we finally arrived in Conwy where to surprise and delight a castle was the first thing I saw.   

Narrow windy streets, small quaint houses and shops.  

Parked by part of the castle wall and wandered through the centre of town to the  promenade.   Bank holiday weekend so many people out.  Found The Smallest House in England - 72 inches wide and two stories high.  A one up one down it is an essential photo spot.

We will stay for three nights at the B and B accommodation which is perfectly suitable.   

Quaint room, elaborate  mantle, sash windows, rosy cheeked hostess and a splendid view over a delightful flower garden. 

Bye bye Manchester Hello Liverpool - via Wedgewood Estate

 May 4th.  A rainy start to the day with a breakfast at Pret A Manger, 

then a walk to the Peveril of the Peak Pub for Little Sister’s requested photo shoot. 

Then  back to the idiosyncrasy of the car park payment system.  The dratted AI and camera recognition is a step or two ahead of my tired brain.

Satnav guidance to get out of the city.   Fields of bright yellow rape seed.   A thatched cottage - just the one but a taster of what’s to come I hope.   Green fields where sheep were safely grazing are much smaller than home and lots more horses.   Two huge wind turbines but not the army of them so familiar at home.   Motorways are much the same everywhere but Little Sister kept commenting that she had “bumper stickers” with the cars behind urging her to drive faster than the speed limit.  At one point I looked left to check for a clear way and noticed that the van in my sight was a bully - oops that should be a VW Bulli!  Crossed over a small canal and I saw a narrow boat navigating the small lock. 

Finally we turned off the motorway to local roads. To my delight there was a beautiful bluebell wood near Handchurch.   I had some anxiety when we seemed to go past the large sign posts for Stoke On Trent but Satnav guided us accurately to the Wedgewood Estate.   

On a scale of 1 to 10 I give this a solid 15.   I shook hands with Josiah Wedgewood 

then entered the museum where the delightful Julia introduced herself.  She sounded exactly like Aunty Rachel and was so excited to hear we had just arrived in the UK.  Guided tours run in the afternoons only but she graciously offered a bespoke tour and we spent an hour and a half in her care touring the museum and hearing history brought to

Wedgewood pottery was made not just for British Royalty (Cream ware was renamed Queens Ware when the wife of George 3 wanted some made) but also the Russian Imperial Family.   

The W family were strong in the abolition of slavery movement and pottery buttons were made and sent to America where Benjamin Franklin is said to have commented that these spoke louder than thousands of words.  Possibly quite true as they were not discreet - around the size of a playing card.

The famous Jasper ware was produced in a one off limited edition of a purple/pink for the Platinum Jubliee of Queen ElizabethII.   

I fell for a chess set (Not For Sale) and Little Sister fell for an Advent Calendar for sale at £865!  

Only four of the original Portland Vases remain but they are still made today and still have the wonky handles which were a feature of the original.

Kindly Julia used her influence to ensure us a table for a Cream Tea and of course we chose Wedgewood Original.  Delicious.

Then a safe trip through to Liverpool where we found our accommodation.   I’d booked a guest house elaborately named The Mountford Grove Suites.   In reality a very tired shabby chic room with mini ensuite in a Victorian building - minus the chic.   But it’s close to the church I want to attend tomorrow and a bed is a bed after all.

Emirates and Manchester

The Emirates experience was a marvellous start to this Adventure but 17 hours in the air, even in a lie flat bed is Hard!   

Dubai Airport was a real challenge. It is enormous and we had to walk nearly 40 minutes and ride a ‘train’ to get to the gate for our connection to Manchester.   The Dubai Manchester leg was also a Dreamliner aircraft but as the stewardess told me it was “an experienced airplane” aka older than the first one.  But still lie flat beds, personal attention and way too much food.

And we have arrived safely.   The Rental Car Village was a short bus ride from the airport and Mo, the car rental clerk may have looked Indian but he spoke English sounding straight off Coronation Street!   We have a brand new Mercedes A-class compact automatic with satnav and heads up display.   We navigated the half hour journey from Airport to central city with no problems and the delight of seeing first, a real English cottage and its garden, then rows of terrace housing.  

The  buildings here are amazing and we’ve walked the central city this afternoon admiring age, brick work, size and quirky details.

And I’m on my way

 Travelling with Little Sister is interesting.   I mean how would you spend the time if you had a day at the airport?   Well New Zealand’s famed needlework store The Ribbon Rose is only an Uber drive away, says she.  So off we went.   Big Sister, that’s me, kept a beady on her to ensure no purchases of bulky wool!  We compromised  on one new knitting pattern.   And as Emirates does not allow knitting needles in carry on luggage there has been no knitting today.

Instead we have safely checked in, passed through the Express Lane in Departures and are now spending time in the Emirates Business Lounge.   I could get used to this life!   Current-me is thankful to past-teenage-me for starting the travel savings so early and being able to indulge in this luxury.

See you again when I arrive in Manchester tomorrow.