10 June 2022 Bound for Llandudno ( Pontcysyllte Aqueduct )

Will Llandudno be another mega St Ives? Let's check it out! Dr H had only good things to say about Llandudno , the place she stayed sometime back. 

Enroute, we slotted Pontcysyllte Aqueduct as a pit stop. It was a place Pat saw on Google map. It came with many reviews, so we thought we could see it for ourselves.

This is the westward expedition:

Check out from Old Rectory. 1 hr driver to Aldi (pit stop). Drive to Aqueduct (1.5 hr). Walk the aqueduct. (3 hr). Reach Llandudno apartment by 4pm.

Our base is an apartment Augusta St, Llandudno (Expedia). It is just a 2 minute walk from Llandudno Station.

A dinner reservation was made at Seahorse Restaurant. The lovely people there agreed to seat us at 6.30pm, a perfect time for dinner. 

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Everything ran on cue. We set off after breakfast from The Old Rectory , drove 1 hr to Aldi but ended up at the Tesco nearby for our toilet break and snack purchase. Petrol was cheaper at Tesco so we topped up though the tank was 3/4 tank full.

Then off we go, to the Aqueduct. It was arduous, all 1.5 hr of it. A coach slowed us down for 30km until we could finally overtake it and make up for lost time towards Llangollen.

The aqueduct was well frequented, mostly by locals. We had a quick sandwich lunch at the Chapel tea house round the corner. The walk along the aqueduct was pretty but my fear of heights made it difficult for me to take photos.

We attempted a trail by the river, a viewpoint which was not exceptional. But the trail was gentle and nice. I didn't get to enjoy much because a notice mentioned something about adder in the vicinity. The adder is not the mathematical type but the slippery kind that hisses (don't all snakes do?). Thank goodness we did not see any.

2 ice creams put an end to our ice cream craving. We hopped back to the car and drove another 1 hr 15 min to Llandudno. This time on A55 towards Conwy, the drive was straight forward.

We arrive at the apartment just 15 min off the mark. I was so pleased with its location ( near M&S, retail park, beach ) I texted the landlady to thank her. It was a newly renovated place, with mod cons, spacious and everything to put right our stay in Old Rectory.

Stinkiest muscle in the fancy restaurant

We walked to Seahorse restaurant for a seafood dinner. Food was not exceptional except for the price. Dining area was cramped and a small difficult flight of stairs made our coming and going precarious.

We paid a princely sum of £65 for 2 two course dinners and wine. 

We walked along the seafront, seeing the headland a-lit with the setting sun. We picked up the car at the apartment and made a beeline to Asda down the road.  

We dropped off our food at the apartment and headed up to Great Orme. It was a difficult drive up. Wind was gale force at an estimated 80 kmph, the sea fog was coming in. Horizon was blurred as sea and sky merge in a smuggy mess. Near sundown, we panicked and  left, the car shaking from wind gusts. Downhill was so precarious I clung on to the handle, helpless and fearful. Pat suggested we take a tram up the next time.

We watch an episode of our Korean drama on Netflix. It has been a tiring day though we did not do much except drive.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day. I can't wait to see how the Asda gluten free bread tastes like. It would be interesting to eat in the beautiful apartment, by the bay window.