World Heritage Sites and getting connected

Blaenau Ffestiniog

That is a name isn't it? It is a village in the Snowdonia area an area popular with outdoorsy types. This villages claims to have 'roofed the world' - well the world that uses slate on their roofs anyway. A local man who Stuart helped change a tyre, directed us to a night camping spot outside a disused slate quarry.

On a mild calm evening, the lake and abandoned slate buildings in the quarry were a very tranquil spot to take our evening ramble (to employ a local phrase).

The village has a little narrow gauge railway that runs to a nearby port – Porthmadog. After a couple of attempts to park the truck we were satisfied with its position - across the road from some professional busy-bodies. We rode this dear little toy-train to Porthmadog. We enjoyed some excellent fish and chips and as it was another very hot day - an ice cream. No room left for dinner that night (in my book anyway).

After the train trip, about 5pm, we headed back to the previous nights campspot.   Alot of shuffling about ensued getting the truck level so the hot water would fire up for our shower before a scratch dinner. The night was a little unsettling to start with as someone parked next to us and kept their engine running for a long time, but eventually grew bored and left.

Was Thomas the Tank Engine Welsh?

Aquaduct at Llangollen 

Its a long way down to the river (crossing the gorge on the aquaduct)

We drove north about 30 miles to Bewts-y-Coed, an  attractive Welsh town with buildings of grey stone set around a stream which is rushing over rocks under the overhanging branches of fresh spring growth. We eschewed the pay and display (another £2.50 saved) and parked in the main street. We found a nice coffee place near the railway station, I resisted the cakes on display even though I wanted to sample the local baking.

Off again, to Llangollan where we parked in the pay and display- someone gave Stu their left over parking ticket - another £2.50 saved.

We stocked up with some more alcohol and bread and were off to a world heritage site -Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. It carries canal boats over the river valley, and stands on tall brick pillars.

Built by Thomas Telford and William Jessop, opened in 1805 it used to carry chemicals, coal and brick to the Midlands. It now is solely for pleasure narrow boats.

One of the pressing issues when carrying your house with you is disposing of waste and loading with fuels and water. We were able to take advantage of the facilities provided for the narrow boats and emptied the toilet cassette and filled with some fresh water. Relief all round as the hot weather is causing the toilet to turn a bit whiffy.

World heritage sites are on the menu this week as the next day we visited another World Heritage site one of the central hubs of the industrial revolution, Ironbridge gorge.

We spent the morning at an open air reconstruction of a Victorian town talking to volunteers and staff dressed in costume.

The candlestick maker

Internet access is very important to stay in contact with the outside world, I was told 'no problem, we have access and paid-up data - go for it'. Within a couple of days all paid for data was used and Stuart determined to get a source of free data. He ordered a wifi booster so we can tap into free wifi zones while remaining a distance away. This booster didn't come cheaply but is to be the way forward!

We already had a mifi (personal modem on the truck) but the booster was extra technology.
Alot of leaflet studying ensued and he rigged the system up but it wasn't performing as expected. "A pole, I need a pole" he said as he clapped eyes on my little truck-broom.  The bristles were removed, the white booster thing (about the size of two packs of cigs) was strapped to the broom handle with his ever-to-hand duct tape.  "Height, I need height". The broom handle with wifi booster was poked out of the ventilation hatch in the top of the truck. It was slowly rotated by hand. I was outside the vehicle by now and the whole scenario reeked of a surveillance operation in a crime show.

Still not quite performing as expected he moved the truck to a far corner of the nearby Tesco Supermarket and set up operations there to take advantage of their free wifi. I looked back as I walked away and could see a figure inside hunched over a laptop with the booster unit poking out of the truck, it looked suspicious to me. He sat there for a long time while I walked back to my parent's house. Success!  Free wifi was obtained and a penny saved is a penny blessed.

We did manage to book a passage on the aforementioned free wifi for a ferry crossing to France which will be a whole new chapter.