Portmeirion and Gus

I've decided that I'm glad people moan about holidays in Wales. Go on! Go for it - wet, rainy, unfriendly, yada yada yada.....

You see, personally I adore the place, so if a good moan means that people stay away (especially from my favourite corners), then I'm a happy bunny, bouncing around the hills of Snowdonia and getting funny looks in Portmeirion.

Those of you who know me will remember that I spent my 40th birthday in Portmeirion, with reprobate friends and family taking over village houses and helping out in the process of getting blind drunk, with singing, dancing and all that party stuff.....

For those of you who don't know, Portemeirion is a beautiful Italianate-style village, built on the estuary just outside Porthmadog. Remember that weird t.v. series, The Prisoner? (Only if you're a sad, out of date hippy, obviously). Well, that was filmed there. You can stay in the village or splash out and stay in the hotel. We semi-splashed and dripped ouselves into a flat above the village shop "Pot Jam".


We made merry with the LandRover and toured all the hills, highways and byways. Plantar Fasciitis notwithstanding (I'm going to have to call it something else), I've learned that I must rest these feet and, currently can only potter or have short walks.

However, we did one fantastic walk behind Harlech which has stunning views over Snowdonia and round to the Lleyn Peninsular, the dunes of Harlech beach and out to sea. My camera isn't all that good, but you can just see the village of Portmeirion in the distance...

And just to please 'im indoors, here's a picture of a train. Snowdon Mountain Railway of course - which we've been to see a couple of times but never gone up because a)the tourists are many and waiting and packed in like sardines and/or b), the building at the top of Snowdon is being demolished to be rebuilt (as a Sainsburies I wonder?).

This weeks competition - what does WYDDFA stand for? My entry once more refers to 'im indoors. Why You Do Do Fart Alltime? (Anyone got a spare bedroom?).

A final bit of news - we were so happy about our little holiday that we realised we wanted to take a doggie walking in these nice places too. The Dogs Trust, just outside Leeds, was on our way home so we paid a visit. ..... Meet Gus, the new family member. We're all v.happy - except Murphy the cat but we hope some persuasion and tuna fish will change all that. So, another boy in the house. O.K. I grew up with four brothers so it's inevitable I suppose... except WYDDFA?