This blog is about our recent trip. It may take me awhile to complete so I will do it in sections.
We left home on 5th September to fly Etihad Airways to Manchester. One of our neighbours kindly dropped us off at the airport and after about three hours we were up in the air heading for Abu Dhabi. I cannot for sum reason sleep on planes. On the other hand as soon as Tony sits down he is asleep. To past the time I go to the toilet several times, watch movies, play games or go for walks up and down the plane knocking people trying to sleep as I pass. Luckily a friend was also travelling on this flight so I was able to go and have a chat with her. Fourteen and half hours later we arrived in Abu Dhabi. We had a 2 hour wait there so I put my feet up and tried to take a little nap. The next 7 hour trip was not too bad and we arrived in an overcast Manchester to be greeted by my brother-in-law, Barry. We regimentally marched out to his car (Barry was in the army for 10 years - the red berets) and made the 15.9 miles to Macclesfield where he lives. This was to be our base.
After a couple of days rest and a visit to Old Trafford to fill some orders we had received from people wanting Manchester United gear, we headed off to Wales.
Barry has a large static caravan in seaside resort and town called Llandudno in
Wales. It has a large bedroom with onsuite. another bedroom, a bathroom, eat in kitchen and lounge. What more do you want. This was to be his last trip there as he is now in the process of selling it.
Wales was a bit bleak to start with but then it brightened up and we ventured off along the promenade and a walk in the town. That night we had dinner at a Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant. The following day we went to Caernarfon Castle, a medieval building in Gwynedd, North West Wales. The Castle was used for the investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales in 1969. We spent a couple of hours there climbing up the stairs to the turrets and through the tunnels and then had a wander through the town which is enclosed but a wall. A bit like York actually. When we entered one of the shops a couple of locals began to speak Welsh although they had previously been speaking in English. Apparently they tend to do these when tourists are around. Welsh is a Celtic language and is more closely linked to Breton than either the Scots or Irish Gaelic. It has been used as a written language since AD600, which makes it one of the oldest languages, especially when you consider that two of the most widely used European languages - French and German - were not used until 300 years later.
We were going to stay in Wales another day but when we woke up the next morning it was
raining and the forecast said there was a strong wind on the way so we packed up and headed
back to Macclesfield. That night we had dinner at the Rising Sun, just up the road from Barry's place. In fact during our whole stay we would have eaten there about 6 times.
The weekend and the next two days were spent visiting family and friends and of course, church. The first week I went to St Edwards but they didn't remember me from last time so the following weeks I went to Saint
Albans.
Next Blog..... we leave for Scotland and there's trouble ahead.
