And so to Wales

 We had a lovely trip to Chester and a look around the shops until the skies opened and we had to go to the pound shop for umbrellas and I went to shoe mart to replace my sandals with flat gym shoes a bargain at £3.99

Then to Prestatyn in Wales and we went for a lovely walk along the very long beach  promenade with views of kite flyers and off shore windmills.
http://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/plas-i-fan.html

B & B has a beautiful garden.photos on link above. they recommended a Malay restaurant and so we tried it and had a tasty meal. The waiter from Penang taught us to fold napkins into shapes and then gave us a free Baileys each so we gave him a generous tip.

My fortune cookie said I must give to receive and Perry,s said that his present plans will succeed.

rich man's faux castle with amazing interior

Into the snowdonia national park where there were huge slate mines eating away the hillsides. They must have made serious money for the owners as there was an amazing home built as a castle with incredible fittings.

Anglesey castle

Day two 

castles,sheep,forests,

Bangor which was busy

Anglesey with castle which you could walk around the ramparts and fishing boats.

photos of the whole trip

Night was spent in a watermill with chickens which must have had fleas as we both got bites.  Really nice accommodation but no Internet in the bedroom so I had to go in lounge and they cut it off at 11.00 in the middle of a conversation with Claire.

 Super fresh fruit salad for breakfast.

Day three

Didn't get to go on the train as it was a bit cloudy so we will try tomorrow.
http://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/tygwynhotel.html    photos of Inn.

Stayed the night in a coaching inn long and skinny with lots of low ceilings and wood beams. Restaurant was so popular they could not fit us in, but did come and get us from our room when someone left early. Really nice meal so I can see why it rates so highly.

Day four

we went back to Snowdonia and we got a ticket for the train to the top of mt Snowdon a great trip that I cant see every happening in NZ, imagine a train to the top of our highest mountain. Those Victorians loved a good challenge. It was quite steep in places and I can see why they did a rack and pinion style track.

After the day in the Snowdonia area we went and wandered about Betws-Y-Coed for a while, this town seems to only have cafes and tramping supplies shops.


Then on to our final holiday B & B on the banks of a canal .
Next day we went to visit viaducts and aquaducts.









We have got our new flat organised to fit Claire and Blair in, a nice semidetached house with 2 double bedrooms and a the whole loft has been converted and lined out with big windows so they will become our playroom.
We move in after 1 September.