Home
Travel StoriesNorth Wales Bed and Breakfast 2008 - By Ren Withnell
North Wales Bed and Breakfast 2008 - Caernarfon, Pwllheli and Criccieth
Cool! The gf has a week off from the kids again and she can take a week off work too. Unfortunately I’m booked to be on the radio on the Monday morning and to do a presentation on Tuesday evening. So it seems we can have Wednesday, Thursday and possibly Friday night to go out and play. We consider camping. I’ve not fallen out with camping, but this time I really want to have a few days relaxing and not having to build, rebuild and move home each day. I’m feeling a tiny bit flush too because I’ve just been paid for a few jobs. Stuff it, let’s sleep comfy for a couple of nights.
The gf has something of a talent for finding interesting places to visit and stop at. She’s a Google expert and persistent to the point of distraction when it comes to research. This time however it seems time and circumstances are against us. Neither of us get chance to find a place to sleep. We are going to wing it, I do hope we can find somewhere as it’s the start of the summer holidays.
So it is on Wednesday morning I’m following the all too familiar routine of nagging the gf to hurry up and get ready. It comes as a surprise for the gf to be “allowed” 2 saddle bags worth of luggage. Without the camping gear there’s quite a bit of spare room on the bike. What is even more of a surprise is the weather, it’s looking dry and getting warmer. As we set off the bike feels fine, the weather is fine, the gf is happy and all is well with the world.
The bike and the gf. This is a light load because there's no camping gear...
The motorway is the same as it ever is. The trip really starts when we hit the A55, the dual carriageway that runs across the top of Wales. I’ve got quite a strange feeling inside me today, I feel happy. The sun is shining, the scary idea of being on the radio and doing a presentation are behind me and after a couple of weeks on the 125 the NTV 600 feels very nice. The gf is snuggling behind me, the views are improving and I’m just really glad to be right here right now.
Along the A55 what little clouds there are hug to the cliffs and hillsides. It’s quite impressive to see and reminds me of those pictures of the Himalayas with vast mountain tops capped by mists that roll down the snow covered slopes. Of course the hills are much smaller and there’s no snow, but hey, it still looks nice.
I could have sworn I’ve never been to Caernarfon before. I get a little lost and end up crossing the bridge to Anglesey so we make a u-turn and get back onto the right road. I spot a Morrisons and decide to pull off for a brew and a bite to eat. I get a strange feeling of déjà-vu then realise we have indeed been here before, to the very same Morrisons for the very same reason. Mind you, the last time we were here it was wet and windy and we were very tired. This time it’s bright and sunny and we are quite relaxed.
Caernarfon. Not my picture, Jason Hulme from Bolton.
We dine and whilst I eat my sausage sandwich I marvel as the gf, tiny as she is, polishes off a full English breakfast. Back on the road the scenery is getting more impressive. The coast is to our left and mountains rise to our right, this time the sun has cleared the clouds and the air is getting warmer and warmer. The road turns inland to head across the Lleyn peninsula leading to rises and falls, bends and curves. I’m not going fast today though, I’m happy to watch the views pass by and flow with the holiday traffic.
Pwllheli comes into view and shows itself to be a rather bland town full of tourist tat shops and too much traffic. We head on to Abersoch. Abersoch seems to be a much more pleasant place and we park the bike to see if we can find somewhere to sleep. As we walk a little we stop…and realise we’ve been here before too! For the life of us we can’t decide when it was we came here, but we’ve definitely been here before. It’s not a mystical déjà-vu, we’ve definitely been here, we just can’t recall which trip it was on.
It’s too hot to walk. It’s certainly too hot to walk whilst wearing bike jackets, bike pants, bike boots and carrying helmets and gloves. We give up very quickly so I retrieve the bike and we hop on. The first Bed and Breakfast we find looks nice, but when the landlady tells us it’s £90 for the night we run away quickly. I’m feeling flush…but not that flush. The landlady did however have enough time to point us to another place out of town. That place wanted £70 for a bland looking room that smelt damp. We left there quickly too. A long drive down a single track road that leads to nowhere helps us to decide to try Pwllhelli.
I don’t hold out much hope for Pwllheli. It seems I am right too. We drive round for half an hour and it seems the tourist town has no room for BnB’s. The one BnB we do find is cheap, but skanky and rather unpleasant. We leave again, quickly.
Criccieth is the next town along the coast. I spent many a holiday in Criccieth as a child and I know where the BnB’s are in town. As we ride into the town I pull into the first Bed and Breakfast I see. It’s the www.bronaber.co.uk and as I park the bike a tall chap greets us. The room is £57 for the night and is perfectly pleasant. The gf seems happy to so we decide this will be our bed for the night. We unload the bike and settle in. I’m feeling a little more relaxed again now we have a bed for the night.
After a rest and…er…checking the bed for comfort, the gf and myself take the short walk into town and the castle. We pass the hotel where I stayed many times as a child and it’s still exactly as I remember it. I wonder if the original owners are still there and would remember me, but I doubt it very much and choose to not risk making a fool of myself. The castle is closed. I was hoping it was the kind of place where we could just saunter around but the busy-bodies have it all walled off and have installed a tourist shop and charges for the privilege of viewing our own history. Curses.
Criccieth Bay, the easterly side.
There are a number of places to eat. The restaurants are quite expensive, one pub has stopped serving food for the evening and the next one has nothing inspiring on the menu. Whilst looking for somewhere to eat we are inadvertently looking around the small town and the gf notices how nice it looks. The gardens are full of flowers, the place is tidy and there’s life about but it’s not too busy. The gf also remarks upon how many exotic flowers and plants seem to be growing well here and that the weather must be milder.
We decide to eat at the chippy. We sit in the shadow of the castle overlooking the western bay. The chips are acceptable but not that tasty, the gf didn’t want a drink but still manages to drink most of my can of pop, much to my dry-mouthed disgust. Beside us there is a strange ornamental boat with an oriental model house upon it, surrounded by stones with writing on. The sign nearby tells us it’s from the Criccieth in bloom team and it’s to commemorate those who died in the Tsunami in Indonesia. Anyone is welcome to place a stone with a message of remembrance to any lost loved ones. Although the chips are poor and most of my drink has gone, I’m quite happy to sit on the bench and watch the sea gently lapping the stony beach. I must get the gf to make me a brew when we get back to the BnB.
North Wales Bed and Breakfast 2008 - Caernarfon, Pwllheli and Criccieth
North Wales Bed and Breakfast 2008 - Aberdaron and Nefyn
North Wales Bed and Breakfast 2008 - Llanberis Pass and The Great Orme
Reader's Comments
John said :-
Hi i would just like to say how much I enjoy reading about your trips.keep them coming, I just never seem to get the time ( or money !) to do any.Still I can do a bit of traveling by proxy with you cheers John
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Name
Comment
Add a RELEVANT link (not required)
Upload an image (not required) -
Uploading...
Home
Travel StoriesNorth Wales Bed and Breakfast 2008 - By Ren Withnell