The best delayed holiday of the year

 .... so looking at my camera the next tale of holiday excess was one day later after arriving back from Wales on Thursday - on Friday evening after helping my sister in law out and dropping Leia off for her garden holiday and collecting number two son Callum from Derby station we set off again all packed up for ...... Wales again. This time Anglesea 'Farriers cottage' a three bed holiday cottage near Red Wharf bay.

It was the family holiday we booked in 2019 for 2020 that was delayed until 2021 ! We had it for a week with Callum staying until the following Wednesday and Tom Courtney and Teddy arriving Saturday night going back Tuesday.  

We had the best of times, walking exploring swimming in the sea (me) rock pooling castle walking butterfly farm and the hit of the week was the hot tub.... especially for Teddy. It might have ended up an expensive holiday for Tom and Courtney as they went home talking of having one for their new house they are having built !

Some photos ...it was a split week with family until the Wednesday morning then just me and Rachel to the Friday .....

On Sunday morning Callum and I went for an explore around the Newborough forest and beach area  - some stunning views of the mainland and the Llyn peninsula 

We then joined the others at Cemaes bay for a typical seaside day

Rachel spend the first years of her life in Cemaes bay, by the bungalow they lived in

The square building in the distance is Wylfa power station where rachel dad worked 

Getting ready for the butterfly farm ( after we got teddy out of the hot tub !) 

Then on to Conwy castle 

Sadly Tom Courtney and Teddy had to go home on the Tuesday so on the Wednesday on the way to taking Callum for his train to London from Llandudno Junction we took the time to explore under the Menai suspension bridge a great area to wander 

How old is the Yew tree ? 

After dropping Callum off we parked up and took a walk to the top of the Great Orme

Thursday we opted for a walk along the Red Wharf bay .... we walked the beach one way then the woods back  as it was still beautiful weather 

Friday after locking up and saying goodbye to the cottage we stopped off in Conwy again and this time walked the castle walls ( free) not done it before despite visiting Conwy many times. Better IMHO than the castle itself as the views were stunning and you could look into peoples back gardens  ! 

A great week of good company and good food in a beautiful place. Rather than spending hours buying unwanted stuff for Christmas why not consider a short or long family break as a present ....memories are priceless..... not how long do you think before the next trip? 

My picture reminders

It's been a hectic few months. I'm sitting here at the cottage enjoying the coolish interior as the country (and no doubt a load of my boater friends) bake in one of those nice summer heat waves, the ones we moan about when in them but dream off when the inevitable rain follows. 

There is much I could and possibly should be doing but I'm reminded of the sage advice from my ( retired before me ) brother in law Bill who said 'remember, unlike the days of work, it does not have to all be done today, it can be put off, do what YOU want to do'. Today that is echoing around my head so I've made another coffee and had a look through my most recent photos to remind me what I've been up to for my blog diary......

After our boat clean and cruiseette I was back on the bike  - this time the big bike for a few days to North Wales - a trip that was moved due to the Covid Lockdown in early May. I booked the hotels and did draft routes and two friends joined me. Originally this trip was booked to get Rachel back to her beloved north Wales and on the bike but the new dates bumped into other holidays  - also a casualty of last years lock downs that holiday will be another blog ....

So we rode to here ....

We were originally going to be based in Bala ( bracketed note: one of the reasons we like living where we do is the access to wales in an hour and a bit Scotland in three hours and the south coast in three and a half hours) but the hotel did not have the revised dates free so I opted for a place in Betws-Y-Coed. We did a day north onto Anglesey and a day south to the bottom of Snowdonia.... a place ive not visited much but was impressed with. I normally stay/ride north of Barmouth but the area around Tywyn and  Machynlleth will be re visited and possibly stayed at.... more holiday planning but that's retirement for you.

We did the Mach Loop where the fast jets practice their low level flying  - another day ride for the future and on my way home (I could not persuade my fellow riders to join me ) I stopped off at the Pontcysyllte aqueduct, I can't pass or be in the local without a visit.

All in all a good few days, I'd prefer to stop more for photographs but that's the negative of riding in a group rather than on your own. 

we stayed in this ecological B&B in 2012 when we brought Rachel's dad Charles back for ( sadly) his last visit back to Wales. It overlooks the Tanygrislau reservoir near Blaenau Ffestiniog  

My 2018 BMW R1200RT 

We had a stop off for ice cream at Beaumaris 

On the second full day we went south. This is the wooden toll bridge over the Afon Mawddach estuary 

On my return to home I stopped at the Aqueduct - it was mad busy. I want to revisit this canal but only well out of season or when the world has returned to a bit more normality