Well enough was enough and we decided it was time to go back and see the all the sights long forgotten, and many new ones along the way!
Day 1
After a very pleasant journey through the wonderful marches and the stunning Cambrian Mountains we arrived at Aberystwyth in glorious sun!
It really is a marvellous seaside town, a proper old-school resort. A walk along the front and some of the best chips we have ever had made the visit complete, and we set off to see a show that could not fail to impress.
We arrived at Bwlch Nant Yr Arian not far from the coast just in time to see the incredible sight of Red Kites feeding. The only way to experience it is in the flesh, pictures cannot do the sight and sound justice! Seeing these amazing creatures in such numbers was a true delight and one I HIGHLY recommend!
It was then time to set off to our hotel, but on the way we travelled via Devil's Bridge and made a stop at the Vale of Rheidol Railway. While we did not travel on the line, it is a wonderful place and it was marvellous seeing one the locomotives up close.
We then got some amazing views of the Rheidol Valley as we continued our journey and made it to our accommodation for the night.
Day 2
Started as a slightly dull affair weather wise, but nothing was going to dull my spirits of the day that lay ahead. Probably the main reason for the holiday was to visit the Talyllyn Railway again as I could barely remember my visit as a young child.
When we turned up at the station and saw our train was to be Dolgoch and there were some of the Victorian coaches in the train, that was the icing on the cake!
Travelling in Victorian coaches behind a Victorian engine is just the most fantastic experience, and the Talyllyn is the most magical railway! It is far and beyond my favourite preserved railway and it is my hope to get to volunteer on it one day. :)
We also got to see Edward Thomas, Tom Rolt and a very brief glimpse of Douglas in it's RAF livery. After spending an enjoyable couple of hours there we set off to our next destination, the Corris Railway which I have never visited.
On the way though we drove up the road that parallels the Talyllyn Railway and stopped off by the awe-inspiring Lake Talyllyn. I have never been to such a beautiful and idyllic place in my life! I've been to the Lake District, and found it frankly disappointing. Lake Talyllyn has the stunning beauty of it but without the mass of tourists ruining it. I could have stayed there forever!
Then we travelled through even more stunning valleys and arrived at the sweet little Corris Railway. We had just missed the train, but happily looked round the shop with it's model railway version of the line and the tiny museum, that is in the process of being refurbished. I purchased some 009 wagons kits and some books and was happy to think my money was going towards their Falcon build and the re-building of Corris station. Anyone in the area should go and visit this marvellous little place!
We drove back along the Lake Talyllyn road just to take in the views again, and made a stop on the way back to the hotel in Aberdyfi. This is the quintessential little seaside town that we spent so many happy childhood times in. It was like meeting a long lost friend, and we spent a very enjoyable time wandering the front and of course eating ice-cream! ;)
On the way back to the hotel we passed the Dyfi Osprey Project, and knew we could not pass up the opportunity to see even more magnificent creatures. We added that to our list to do the next day....
Day 3
Was a very drizzly morning so we revised our plans a bit. We decided to head for Porthmadog first and then do everything else in the afternoon when it was due to clear up.
We drove along the road that parallels the Cambrian railway line running along the coast. This was mainly as I wanted to see Barmouth Bridge and Harlech Castle on the way.
I must admit to being a bit disappointed as we got more into North Wales. It became quite dull & rugged, and the places less attractive. It really felt like an area that had suffered with the loss of industry.
It also took a LOT longer to reach Porthmadog than we had expected! We did get there just in time to catch a SAR Garratt crossing the road from the Welsh Highland which was something I really wanted to see. I was also lucky that the loco pulling the Ffestiniog train was a Double Fairlie, one of my favourite types of locomotive!
By the time we left and made the long journey back down to mid-Wales we had run out of time to do some of the other things we wanted to do, but were very happy as our next stop was the Osprey Project by the Dyfi Estuary. This stunning nature reserve is a must for anyone on holiday near Aberystwyth.
We walked across to the excellent 3 tiered hide that overlooks the Osprey nest, and there in the distance were three pretty much fully grown young Osprey! What a sight it was to see these rare birds on and around their nest. I managed to get some half-decent shots at the maximum zoom level of my basic digital camera, including one of dad Monty bringing sticks back to the nest.
I encourage people to follow the project here!
Very happy with what we had seen, it was time to return to our room for the night. On the journey back we stopped briefly at the Dyfi Furnace, an amazing preserved 18th century Iron furnace.
When we arrived back at the hotel, we were greeted by an VERY welcome surprise....a Hummingbird Hawk Moth! What a stunning little creature it was! :)
Day 4 - homeward bound
We had decided to visit Borth Zoo on the final morning before we set off for home, having run out of time the day before, but the weather forecast was sadly against us. We said goodbye to our hotel and set off.
On the way back we passed the Vale of Rheidol Railway again, and spotting another of my favourite types of loco simmering in the yard we decided to pop in to get some shots.
And with that we made our way back through the stunning scenery and into England. It's amazing how quickly you forget but the second we crossed the border the roads turned to utter garbage! Pot holes and bad repairs everywhere! The roads in mid/north-Wales were superb, so smooth even on smaller mountain and coastal roads....what a difference! Also the drivers are FAR more rude and aggressive in England, no idea why.
The inescapable conclusion
I LOVE MID-WALES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I YEARN TO BE IN MID-WALES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Everything about the place was fantastic! The area was stunning, all the people we met were lovely, it has a completely different feel to it than where I live. It has a magical feel, an ancient feel. There are huge parts of the land that feel like you could have stood there 3000 years ago and it would have looked that same! Not to mention all the wonderful narrow gauge railways! We have decided that when we move it will definitely be to mid-Wales, no question!
Obviously I would miss Worcestershire, but you just cant get a rural life in the country anymore without piles of cash. Plus it's getting more and more built up around here.
So my advice to everyone is, VISIT MID-WALES! At some point in your life, you MUST go there! YOU MUST!
Next time we wont wait so long to go back to Wales, and there is still the Bala Lake and Welshpool & Llanfair railways to visit! ;)
I will posting some videos on Twitter and please follow this link to see the rest of my photos from the holiday (at least the ones I am happy with).
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this! :)
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