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Static Caravan In North Wales 2003 - By Ren Withnell
Everybody laughed. We were off to stay in a static caravan in North Wales in November. "You'll freeze...hyperthermia...everything closed...wet, dark, windy..." and so it went on. Sounded great to me. The gf has always liked the romantic notion of being all snuggled up in a caravan while the rain makes it's noise outside. She certainly got her wish! For me it seemed a cheap way of getting away for a weekend without having to pitch tent.
So on a fresh and cloudy Friday lunchtime the bike was loaded and we were off. From here in the North West of England it's only 75 very easy motorway miles to Prestatyn. These were cold miles but dry. We arrived at the site to find it almost totally deserted, save for a security guard on the gate. We asked for directions to our van. We found it...wrongs keys!!! After much head scratching and cursing, the gf pointed out we were trying to get into the wrong van...DOH!! After finding the correct van and a few more key problems we were in. The van was nowt fancy, just clean with everything you'd need.
We unpacked and re-arranged the van to our own likeing and then it was tea time, and dark. We hopped on the bike in search of a food vending place (aka chippy) and headed into Prestatyn town. We found a chippy and a Spa shop, so with food, snacks and drinks we returned for the night. On return we noted there were perhaps a thousand vans on the site, but only 10 or 20 showed any sign of life, definitely out of season. We ate our tea then went to the bar on the site, the only thing open out of season. It was suitably quiet apart from a few hardcore caravanners and perhaps a sprinkling of locals. We retired for the night with the sound of the now very strong wind whipping around the van.
I was very very comfy in the van, the fire was on low to keep off the chill, the mattress was blissfully comfy and the gf was not snoring for once. But I still was awake due to my panick about the wind blowing my bike over, or even the van! It sounded like the the roof was being ripped of the nearby pool, the van shook on its fixings and rain lashed hard against the plastic windows. I needn't have worried, the bike, the van and the rest of the site was fine. I guess I'm just not used to hearing wind through thin caravan walls.
gf posing at Betws-Y-Coed Train Station
We were up early, on the bike and having breakfast at a supermarket by 10.00. Supermarkets are the best place for breakfast. You get clean toilets, reasonable food and chance to stock up for the rest of the day. We set off again into the Snowdonia area, with no more of a plan than to "look around". We went to Betws-Y-Coed for some lunch, got lost on some back roads round Blaenau Ffestiniog and stopped on top of a wind lashed hill via a dirt track to admire 3 wind turbines. All this time it was lashing down. I was leaking through my cheap waterproofs, my gloves were filled with water and my helmet was soggy. Of course the gf with her cheap snowsuit, second hand leather jacket and even cheaper waterproofs was bone dry, and toasty warm. We were out and looking around until tea-time when we returned to the van so I could defrost, retrieve my nether regions and collect myself.
We ventured into town again for tea, settling on traditional welsh kebab with a serving of local 7up and purchased some good oldfashioned welsh croissants for breakfast. For the evening's entertainment we watched some welsh TV programs from America and the gf sampled several glasses of welsh wine with a French name. We really felt we had experienced the true welsh way of life and we were culturally enhanced for doing this. We really know how to live.
So sunday morning arrived, we loaded the bike, locked the van and headed off for home with a stop at the services for breakfast along the way. All in all I really enjoyed the weekend and we have already booked to return in 2004. but being the wild, adventurous and whacky people we are, we've booked the same van, FOR 3 NIGHTS!!!
WOW!!!
The miniature trains at Betws-Y-Coed
Reader's Comments
Garth said :-
I reckon this must be one of your first posts on this website? Who is Cath, the gf?
27/02/2017 13:25:42 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
You have been trawling the deepest depths of this website Garth! Cath was my girlfriend up until May 2004. I'll let the link below explain what happened back then. It was a long long time ago.
www.bikesandtravels.com/biker.aspx?ride=102...
27/02/2017 18:42:43 UTC
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