Good Luck

Hey Chelsea, good luck with going for your licence. We will be thinking of you :)

You can See for Metres!

Behold the magnificent view from the summit of Mount Snowdon:



On Sunday, Eve and I climbed to the 1085 metre summit of Mount Snowdon in Wales. The mountain is called Yr Wyddfa in the local lingo (have no idea how that is pronounced). This is Wales' highest mountain. It isn't the highest in Britain, that honour belongs to Ben Nevis, near Fort William in Scotland (we climbed this one five years ago on our honeymoon). Neither of these mountains are terribly high on an international scale, but it's still few hours of good exercise.

So it was a bit misty, but still fun. It wasn't clouded in all the way up; there was plenty of great views of the beautiful Welsh landscape on the lower bits. This panorama photo was taken at around the halfway mark. If you look carefully you can see the Snowdon Mountain Train creeping up through the valley on its way to the summit.



Not soon after we stopped to take that shot, we were approached by a plucky and determined scavenger. We named it Betty the Sheep. Betty seems to hang around the Halfway House (a small shop halfway up the hill) begging for morsels from the climbers. She followed us for a few hundred metres, then bleated at our betrayal for a while and wandered back down the hill to search for easier prey.



To be fair, she did manage to bum a small section of peanut butter sandwich from us, which we offered in an attempt to get rid of her. Didn't work.

At about 750 metres or so, we stepped into the clouds, and the wonderful views dissappeared. It became errily quiet, except for the sound of the wind which started to whip up stiffly from the valley, trying to force us over the edge. Visibility was only a few metres.

While there wasn't much to see, the fact that we couldn't see anything was eery in itself. Take a look at this shot, from about 900 metres or so up:



Looking over, it's impossible to tell how deep the drops on the side of the track get, it could be thousands of metres for all you can tell. There must be some strange kind of vertigo you can get from *not* being able to see how high up you are. Suffice to say, we kept well to the centre of the path, which was thankfully well marked.

Occasionally in the higher reaches the cloud would part for a split second giving a hint of the view.



We eventually reached the summit train station, after climbing some surprisingly exposed and treacherous bits across the narrowish ridge near the top (I'm not surprised that people have died climbing this mountain). The mountain railway train pulled into the station just after we did.



The train is in that picture somewhere.

The train station, shop and cafe is about 20 metres below the actual summit of Snowdon. So we climbed the rest of the way to the top, where I took the first photo. There you can find a standard issue plaque showing the direction and distances to various geographical thingies. We weren't that interested in this, as it could have said the Sydney Opera House was 15 metres away due north and we wouldn't be able to disprove it.



Here is shot of a bunch of tourists at the summit of Snowdon. Again, you may have to look carefully to see anything.



Deciding that there wasn't much to see or do at the top, and that we were freezing to death in the rather icy breeze, we bought tickets to take the train back to the village of Llanberis. This particular train was a steam powered affair, which was pretty cool.



The railway is a rack and pinion job, designed to clamber up the occasionally steep bits of the mountain. It's been operating since 1896, and they seem to have four or five locomotives, about half of them steam engines. The train takes about an hour to make the 5 mile (8 Kilometre) trip to Llanberis. Of course the weather when we arrived back at the bottom was clear and bright. Oh well.

Slate Museum

We visited an excellent place with a historical explaination of why there is a huge hole in the mountain in Llanderis. We went to the slate museum which was interesting as they had all the huge cutting tools still working from 1787. The things they made were excellent, so so refined and delicate in some ways as they sort of carved out patterns of flowers etc on the slate to decorate the home.

Here is some of the tools and the huge wheel that powered the whole thing, run by water

Its not just the round abouts

Check it out, we saw this amazing car in Wales. Its a three wheeler, must corner like its on rails :P

Views from Wales

After our adventures climb to the top of Snowdonia Mountain we drove about the place looking at the stunning landscape




We also had a look around the slate museum, which was interesting as they had all the huge cutting tools still working from 1787. The things they made were excellent, so so refined and delicate in some ways as they sort of carved out patterns of flowers etc on the slate to decorate the home. You can now see huge chucks of the mountain missing from the mountain were they mined, it was quite odd.

Iron Bridge

Some historical investgation this weekend. We checked out the groove and very old first iron bridge built in 1775 or there abouts. It is in a beautiful village of which we visited on our return trip from Wales. It is also the location where stupid me dropped the camera, eeeekkkkk. But fortunately for yours truely, the filter on the front took the impact and so the filter was the only thing to brake. Well you judge as these pictures were take after the event.



Here is the view from the bridge

Piglet's pearls of wisdom

It is awfully hard to be b-b-brave, when you're only a Very Small Animal.

The Royal Poop Scoop

You may have noticed the lovely ladies and gents on the horses all dressed up off to the palace in our London post. Now royalty could not possible have a parade that ended in a street filled with piles of poo so they have the royal poop scoop following, check it out

Winnie the Pooh's words of wisdom

“If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.”

Eve in the garden with apples

Well fancy that, who ever heard of such a thing! But here it is our beautiful village's answer to the secret garden. There are apples, pears, blackberries, mulberries and greengages, all free to help ones self, yummy.



If you don't know what a greengage is, well it was developed in France from a wild plum that originally came from Asia Minor. They are totally delicious and they are eating while still green, they have a lighter and sweeter favor than that of the ordinate plum.

Seven Hours in London

Now you would think that this is quite a long time to see stuff but you would be incorrect. It does take whether walking or on the hop on, hop off bus quite some time to get around. We started off at the coach station on Elizabeth and Buckingham road. From here we thought when Buckingham Palace should be on Buckingham road so we got the maps out and head off.



Once we reached the palace the queues were amazing, not to mention the crowds just peering in through the bars. We aren't sure what they are waiting for but we thought it might have been the changing of the guard, which was in a mere hour!

We left this location and went in the direction of Harrods, yummy store. On the way we did catch sight of some interesting folk on horsed heading back the way we came.



At Harrods we lost ourselves among the lollies and chocolate, which was delightful. Though fifyteen pounds for a scoop of icecream in a bowl was stretching the friendly. We looked around the varies departments and even went into Tiffenies Though I could not persuade Ben in on account of us looking scruffle. (jeans and a t-shirt) But I was right at home with so much that sparkled, I even fancied a pair of earrings a mere 2793 pounds. Ben told me to keep dreaming, can you image.

Here is a view from the top of the bus




Next it was off to the National Gallery, which is free to get in and look around. We checked out all the greats, leonardo Da Vinci, Carvadio and Reubens to name a few. We raced through this with the understanding that we could still make it to see some of the Britsh Muesum, alas it was not to be. After spending an hour on the hop-on, hop-off bus (thought interesting) we walked the rest of the way only to find it as we had to head back. But never fear we will return and we have decided to limit each trip to a few locations, next will be to walk around the tower bridge, go to Tate Modren and the British Muesum. I guess Harrods will have to the one after than.

We also went passed number ten but as you can see not much to look at as the gate is as far as one gets.

The Bathroom of Queens

Yes I did it, I decided to go into the Harrods bathroom but I did get out of paying as the lady had just stepped out. It is a pound for this wonderful privilege. Though I must say you do get service. There are a number of perfumes and hand creams for you to use. And there are comfortable couches if you feel inclined to sit around the bathroom. So a thumbs up on the experience.

Its Raining, Its Pouring

Its amazing, down it comes. Yesterday I rode down to Ben's work to have lunch with him and go for a walk and today I rode into Cambridge, visit the library, go to the postoffice, have a coffee etc. Man, both times I almost drowned out there. And no I was not riding in the river as one Laurence Capper suggested :P

On the up I did see my first squirrel, so cute though hard to describe its movements. It sort of jumps, bounces and waves along. The tail is fluffy and very funny as it bouces along with its body. I have also been picking the free fruit here. I am going to make a blackberry flan this afternoon. I also picked apples and pears, yummy

80's Bird

Hey Dan,

Saw this in the natural history museum bit of Norwich castle. Is this your new mascot?



Hint - look at the label on the wall.

More Shame

Seen on a bus shelter in Norwich last weekend.



I'm going to have to wear a brown paper bag over my head.

Ridiculous Round Abouts

Did I not say that these things would only lead to tears. Well not tears as such, but definitely much dints and scratches to our nice new secondhand car. Poor thing, I was minding my own business at a psyhedelic round about with three lanes in and one out on the side that I was sitting. And the lights change and I go forward and this lorry takes the turn too short and scrapes the length of the car before I have even left the line. Needless to say I was in a bit of as state as I had already had a bad morning trying to find a nursery. These people only have garden centres that sell everything except the bloody plants. Oh well, he was nice and we are getting a courtesy car so I can't grumble too much.

Castles, Cathedrals and Cask brews

What could be better than such a weekend. Saturday we did attempt to go to Norwich but the traffic was amazing, so we decided to tackle that location on Sunday. Instead we headed for Ely, an incredible place with a church whose construction was started in 673. It was finished off in 1081 with some changes after a fire to the central tower in later years.



We then went to a cute little tea house and had lovely cake. I had a white chocolate and raspberry cake, super yummy. Ben went for the plain fruit cake. We then came across an impressive collection of birds. There are ducks, swans and geese. So we decided to feed them.



They have a lovely water system here as well. We are hoping to hire a barge in the near future and check them out.


Sunday we were successful with our getting to Norwich and well worth while, though it sucks to try and get out of the place. In the end we ended up coming out on the east side of the town. Not were we wanted to be. Well in this fair city we checked out Norwich castle which use to be a very wealth place with a trade I wool and also served some time as a jail, weird.

This is Royal me inside the castle:



We also saw the Cathedral. This town has two of them, and an over abundant supply of churches. Something like forty odd. The reason - well the guilds like to show off how well they did that year, and show that it was all for th eglory of God (of course) and so every guild in town built their own.



We also went to a pub, of course. It was called Mischief and it served a lovely wheat brew called Straw Dog. extremely yummy



Next weekend we're off to London :P

The Essentials

Behold the lounge room.



We now have the essentials: the internet + wireless, a digital television receiver with speakers hooked up to our projector, a bed for the spare room, and of course, beer.

No fridge means the beer is not terribly cold, but this is England, where beer usually isn't cold anyway. Tasty though...

It'll be nice when our ship literally comes in, but for now we're surviving in something approaching style.

Shame, Shame, Shame

Why is it that only the crap gets exported from Australia to the UK?

Neighbours, Kylie Minogue, and Fosters.

Yep. Fosters is the one beer that you can get at pretty much any pub that we have seen. And people actually drink it. I've seen them - I swear! If I get photographic evidence I'll post it.

The first weekend we arrived here, we found ourselves in a lovely pub in the very cosy village of Grantchester, just to the south of Cambridge. There was Fosters on tap, and a girl from Melbourne behind the bar serving it. Several patrons ordered it while I watched in disbelief.

To add insult to injury, the girl told me that one of the reasons it is popular is its relatively low alcohol content. Appalling.

Thank you all for the send off