Llandudno

Llandudno
Originally uploaded by wastedpapiers.

Just back from nice couple of days by the sea at Llandudno in North Wales. We went for a day trip hoping to find a B&B so we could stay longer and luckily found one on the Parade which runs along the sea front. A comfy en-suite family room on the top floor that over looked the bay. If you stood on the bed you could see our car parked outside and if you stuck your head out of the window you could see the Great Orme. That's it behind Archie and Hazel in this photo. At the other end of the bay is the Little Orme, another imposing rocky prominence.
We went to the top of the Great Orme in an old rattling tram that takes 20 minutes or so to get to the top up some very steep gradients. At the top is a cable car that takes you down to the Happy Valley - a steep wooded park and gardens that look out over the pier. Also on the Great Orme is the Bronze age copper mine that you can explore with aid of a plastic helmet. A warren of narrow passages hewn out of the rock in prehistoric times go down 220 feet but the public can only go down 60 feet which seemed plenty! I was getting quite claustrophobic at times and glad to get back into the light again.
The town is also very quaint with lots of charity shops and arcades. We didn't really have time to explore it all so looking forward to going back next year to stay longer perhaps. We were annoyed that we had just missed Ken Dodd on at the local theatre the night before but assumed it was sold out anyway. Maybe see him there next year. "Buddy" the long running musical was on now but we'd seen that in London so not bothered about seeing it again.
Archie enjoyed the beach and bought a bucket and spade to make a few castles and moats and looked for tiny crabs when the tide went out and more sand was exposed.
The Llandudno town brass band played on the bandstand one evening and drew quite a crowd to hear selections from Gilbert & Sullivan and other favourites.
The weather took a turn for the worse today so we came home as planned and beat the thunderstorms back to Northwich.
We ache all over now from our walks down the steep streets and over pebbly beaches!