Wales - Llandudno

I'm doing a recap on the third part of our trip to Wales and the Isle of Man, just on twelve months ago, as I never did get around to blogging about it.  I want to  get it down before I forget.

We left the Isle of Man by ferry back to Liverpool on the first of September.  We are always intrigued by the wind farms out in the sea.

Our first job was to collect our little Hyundai hire car.

The planned destination for the day was the town of Llandudno, on the north coast of Wales. It sounded nice when I had read about it, and it didn't disappoint.  It is a reasonably sized town, but not too big.

We found Cricklewood House B & B, which  ended up being then nicest accommodation we stayed in all trip and were ready to start exploring by lunch time.  In hindsight, were pretty lucky to get this accommodation.

It was a nice, warm Saturday towards the end of the summer school holidays, so there were plenty of people around, although it didn't feel crowded.  A major item on the landscape was the pier and the beach was mainly stones.

There was a small section that was sand and we were amazed to see donkey rides.  It was just like a scene out of a vintage children's picture book.

There were also a couple of rather attractive boats taking tourists for short rides.  It would have been lovely, but we didn't have enough time.

Then it was time to go for a wander along the pier.  It certainly was the nicest one we have come across and was very popular.  Looking back to the beach you can seen the lovely row of tall terraces that line the shoreline.

Once again, there were plenty of people, but it didn't feel too crowded.

The first part of the pier had lots of souvenir shops, but they thinned out as you ventured further.  An ice cream kiosk hit the spot.

What a lovely old merry-go-round.

Towards the end there was an amusement arcade.  They seem to feature at every seaside town and are always well patronised.  I'm guessing they would be very popular during wet weather days, which tend to happen in the UK.

We were surprised to see fisher folk at the very end of the pier.

Back on land you notice this limestone head land "The Great Orme".  Its name derives from the old Norse word for sea serpent.  You can walk up there. Yeah, right! Or you can drive up.....

Or you can catch the Great Orme Tramway.  It's pretty obvious which choice we made.  The tramway has been in operation since 1902.

We passed this pretty pub.

The tramway runs right beside the road.  The road is rather steep towards the end.

Once you reach the top there is an information centre and a stunning sculpture of a mountain goat.

The view is spectacular.

Another way we could have reached the summit is by cable car.

On our way down you could just see a bit of the Great Orme Bronze Age Copper Mines.  These were only discovered in 1987, when some landscaping was done.  Once again, we didn't have sufficient time to visit, but I think it would have been really interesting.

Remember that pretty pub?  How could we not go and enjoy a refreshing beer in the warm afternoon.

When we drove into Llandudno, we found that we were going to be treated to an unexpected activity to enjoy.  The UK Goldwing Club were having their annual Llandudno rally.  I've never seen so many Goldwings, and they were all so beautifully presented.  

There were hardly any that were stock standard, with murals, lights - so many lights - flags and every imaginable accessory.

The town crier and mayor were on hand to welcome them all.

Once it started to get dark the streets were closed for a light parade.  Wow!  What a spectacle.  It went for ages.  We are so pleased that we were there to see it all.

Then it was time for dinner.  There were heaps of restaurants, but also heaps of motorcyclists, so remember that pretty little pub?  Yes, we ventured back there and enjoyed a delicious meal.

I think Llandudno was one of my favourite places that we visited.  The fact that we were on the road again, exploring, could have contributed to that.  Anyway, it has provided some wonderful memories.