Monday, May 30, 2016

Visiting the UK: Part Four

It is lovely to be compiling these little stories about my trip. I love writing and these renditions will ensure I don't forget the little details as time goes on. On with the show...

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This was another day of waking up at 8:30 AM which became my habit. This lovely, sunny day A, her two beautiful Hungarian Vizslas and I drove into Wales and into the village of Llangollen. A and her family are lucky to live quite close to the Welsh border. It turns out my ability to pronounce Welsh is abysmal so I stopped ruining the language after a couple of attempts. However, one lovely Welsh gentleman did stop to teach me how to say 'Good morning' in Welsh while we were walking along the canal.


Initially we walked the dogs along the river but went up just a little ways from where we'd parked so that I could see the River Dee and then we headed across the river to walk along the canal. I love canals and have been lucky to see them in several countries in person. This canal is no different in its beauty and gentleness.


I would love to go for a day trip along a canal in one of these barges. To be honest, what I'd really like would be to get inside one and look around. One that's lived in or used for overnight tours would be best. Any takers?


I've never been lucky enough to see a horse drawn barge before. This one was filled to the brim with school children. What a lucky bunch to have this type of outing during the school year!



We also saw a group learning how to canoe and a solo kayaker in his river kayak making the journey - commute? - via canal.

From the Dee Bridge 
As you can see, Llangollen is simply gorgeous and, I'm afraid, yet another place I'd love to go back to and explore. As it was fairly far from home and we had the end of the school day approaching, we headed back into town for a just a quick lunch at a cafe. You can see the one we went to, the one to the right of the white building a little further up river - grey stone. You can't see it from here but there's a water wheel just behind that lovely wooden railing.


Looking back at the bridge from the cafe.
I didn't note that name of the cafe we visited but the fish and chips I had was delicious. The doggies weren't content there but one of the cafe staff came out to ensure we felt perfectly at home, dogs and all. I love places that not only cater to humans but to dogs too - water bowls provided and everything.

A poor quality picture of the water wheel.
Just up the road, is a remarkable feat of engineering by Thomas Telford. Through the Vale of Llangollen can be found Britain's largest aqueduct at 126 feet above ground.


You can walk right alongside the canal boats as they traverse the aqueduct. 


 Neither of my photographs do justice to the shear height and length of this massive structure.


I will tell you that this is still the River Dee if you want to reference the above pictures which I took from just above the river. I am way up in the air here.


Across the Vale.
The best side view I could get.
The end of our adventure was spent winding and wending down one lane roads back to A's in time for the school run. A went off to pick up her youngest, I,  and I got to be entertained by her eldest, O, and, of course, the dogs one of which is only six months old so eternally entertaining!

By this time, our evenings had morphed into a bit of a routine. A made tea while O and his younger brother (I) worked on homework or played. Both children were/are a delight and it was wonderful to see them two years older than when they'd left NL. O is growing up into such a lovely young man; I quite enjoyed him. I is just a cutie and still very much a playful little boy and SO cute in his uniform! After tea and me washing up - the very least I could do for my room and board - A got the boys off to bed and I enjoyed knitting (or re-knitting I should qualify. That darn heel flap almost did me in!). 

2 comments:

  1. it's only when we see things through the eyes of a visitor that we realise this crummy little island of ours scrubs up quite well for a photo! I suppose it is quite a beautiful place if we ever take the opportunity to slow down and notice it for a moment

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    1. It really is gorgeous. I think I appreciate the beauty of my own country/province/town because we lived away from it for thirteen years before returning home. Absence makes the heart grow fonder! Thanks for visiting my neck of the woods!

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