Easter Sunday in Betws-y-Coed

We got on the coach with the oldies today and went to Llanberis, home to the Welsh slate museum. 'How boring will this be?' I wondered to myself. I've been to Easdale and Luing, I know slate...

I'm pleased to report that I was wrong. There were reconstructions of working sheds and machinery, with sounds and smells. A slate-splitting demo was going on, but I was too busy watching a video about how an entire row of quarrymen's cottages was moved, stone by stone, and reassembled like a jigsaw puzzle, in the museum grounds. The four cottages were furnished inside in different styles, from 1861 to 1961. In three of them it was possible to go upstairs and see different types of sleeping accommodation. (I won't say bedrooms because they weren't as grand as that, in most cases). I am a social history nut, so Ioved this and watched the entire video. Found my friends again in the cafe afterwards, and then returned to coach. We drove up the Llanberis pass, through Snowdonia national park. What can I say, apart from the over used phrase 'awesome'. How about 'the majestic scenery put me in mind of Glencoe, and my uncle Archie, who uses language like that'I feel very at home in North-Wesr Wales. I think it's the granite. Not that different from Argyll. Rugged. Not quite as green. 

Next stop was Betws-y-Coed. There are some spectacular waterfalls nearby, which we passed, but the town itself, with the exception of the tourist info office and the railway station cafe, is overpriced and it's hard to find anywhere to sit out of range of revving motorbike engines. Of course bikers love going out in mountainous areas on Sundays, and I have no quibble with that, but I'm not a fan or petrol engines, unless they're part of the sound effects of Meatloaf songs!

Anyhow, we found a church that was 'inclusive' but otherwise looked a bit Catholic, and went in there for some quiet time and and window-appreciation. We didn't know what to make of the statues outside, so I've included one for reference. 

Got back to the hotel about 4pm. Did a bit of reading, had a bath. S phoned. V phoned and came over to my room to admire my sea view. Then we realised it was suppertime and she was still wearing her PJ trousers! She rushed off to change and I went down for cottage pie, which was a treat. Classic comfort food. We skipped the bingo/quiz/ singers afterwards. Went for a long walk to the West shore instead. It's on the other side of the spit of land, and is the residential area. It was deadly quiet and dark there, and V thought we might be attacked. I told her we were not in South Africa and we were safe enough, but we wandered back, past a vintage glass tram stop/shelter, to our hotel. Stayed chatting in the lounge (our rooms are so tiny) until throwing-out time, and then went up and threw my suitcase out of the room into the corridor and myself into bed. Oblivion! 

Will I come back to Llandudno? Definitely. Summertime perhaps.