A while back, Mary’s brother Anthony decided to go and live with his other half in sunny North Wales. Over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, we thought it would be nice to pay him a visit, so Mary, Harry, Mary’s Dad and I squeezed into the (still troublesome) A4 and set off. Bank Holiday traffic was, well, predictably horrible, but 7 hours later we arrived – somewhat tired but glad of the M6 Toll Road.
Our first evening saw a trip up the local hill for a panoramic view of the surroundings. The area seems so big – with actual proper scenary with hills and mountains and rivers and, and features. It’s ‘spectacular’ 
A couple of guys were out flying a radio controlled glider from the top, and using a petrol-driven scooter to retrieve the craft after its 2.3 seconds of flight – somehow, the scooter-guy seemed to be having more fun…
The following day, we jumped into the car and headed into Snowdonia for a very enjoyable walk around Llyn Idwal (map). Amusingly, the kind fellows who put the path down at the lower levels seemed to have thought better of it by the time you get about half way round. Not surprising really, as you start going up more than along. Anyway, a path would probably take all the fun out of it. It would stop small people causes quite so many near-heart-attacks, at least…
The walk brought back memories of a trip to the area during my days at Barton Court (not a girls’ school). Sure enough, on checking the map when we got home, I found that I’d walked around the very same lake about 12 years ago on the way to the top of ‘Y Garn’ (another map). Back then, of course, we carried on up rather than taking the right turn at the big boulder and got back to the minibuses at the end of an exhausting day (we were only youngsters!)
On Sunday, we southerners felt the effects of our exercise and ached profusely. The adult males took refuge at a local hostelry, whilst Mary, Cally and Harry went shopping at a place which seems to make stuff you never knew you wanted, but can’t, apparently, do without. Our as-yet-still-with-their-mum kittens got an ‘Activity Centre’ (a furry triangular structure with holes and hanging mice), whilst Mary returned with knitted slippers. They’re very comfy, I’m told, and I should stop smirking at them… 
Monday was going home day, and so we sat in traffic with the rest of Wales whilst the tiny A-roads tried to deal with about 1000 times their normal throughput. It was another 7 hour trip, but we eventually got home and collapsed onto sofas, arm chairs and beds.
I’d like to say a big thanks to our hosts for a lovely weekend – see you again soon