On a nice sunny day we had a great time exploring Machynlleth, Snowdonia National Park, Beddgelert and Capel Curig.

We were meant to be going to Tallinn in Estonia this weekend. But unfortunately the Coronavirus pandemic put a stop to this trip.

Instead we decided to go on a little tour of the United Kingdom over the course of the next week. Starting in Snowdonia before heading to Chester, Lake District, southern Scotland and Shropshire.

We left Swansea bright and early for the first day of our adventure.

Machynlleth

There was very little traffic as we travelled through Wales. Although we seemingly drove past 436 pubs called ‘The Black Lion’.

Our first stop of the day was the histrionic town of Machynlleth, just south of Snowdonia National Park.

Machynlleth was the location of Owain Glyndŵr’s Welsh Parliament in the 15th century. It claims to be the ancient capital of Wales. But this has yet to be proven.

The main street is full of shops, cafes, bakeries and pubs. At the end of the street is the imposing Machynlleth Town Clock.

After getting a coffee we continued on our trek north while my wife and mother-in-law were practicing their pronunciation of Machynlleth. 

Bala and Llyn Tegid, Snowdonia National Park

Only a mile or two north of Machynlleth we entered Snowdonia National Park.

The scenery along our journey was sensational with huge mountains and blue lakes.

Just south of Bala we stopped off to get a few photos of beautiful Llyn Tegid, also known as Bala Lake. This used to be the largest natural body of water in Wales.

The view of the lake and the mountains really was something else.

We then made the short drive to the historic town of Bala. After a quick refreshment in the Bulls Head Pub we had a quick walk around the town.

Viewpoint from Capel Curig, Snowdonia National Park

Our original plan was to stop in Betws-y-Coed. This proved impossible unfortunately as the car parks were all full.

Instead we journeyed on to Capel Curig to stop at a famous viewpoint of Mount Snowdonia on the main road. The view from here has to be one of finest in the country.

As we drove away from here we could not believe the amount of cars parked irresponsibly at the side of the road.

Beddgelert, Snowdonia National Park

About 30 minutes after leaving Capel Curig we arrived at the pretty village of Beddgelert.

This village is named after the legendary dog Gelert. This hound saved the life of Llewelyn the Great’s child from an attack by a wolf.

Unfortunately for Gelert, his master thought he was responsible for the attack and killed him in grief.

He then discovered his child alive and the body of the wolf. Llewelyn, filled with remorse, apparently never smiled again.

After parking the car, we walked through Beddgelert to the grave of the famous pooch. The village seemed full of dogs, no doubt here to pay tribute to their ‘guv’nor’ Gelert.

Tap and Spile, Bangor

After dropping our bags at our hotel in Bangor, we made our way out for evening meal. Our restaurant of choice was the Tap and Spile.

For starters I opted for baked Camembert and for main, Menai mussels with white wine and cream. The food was absolutely delicious.

The meal wrapped up a great day for us in North Wales. Tomorrow we are off for a day in Chester.

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