This may be a little premature, but I’m just starting to think about actually getting to Caernarfon. I wonder how many people are coming from the Cardiff area? (I think you are, @Y_Ddraig_Las - anyone else?)
I’m not really feeling up to driving, but if anyone else would like to I’d be happy to pay the petrol. Thing is, our cupboard under the stairs is full of German wine from various visitors last summer, and we hardly ever get a chance to drink it. (How sad is that?!) You see where this is going…
Otherwise, anyone getting the train and feel like carrying a case of wine for me?
My plan was to drive up and offer lifts/ car share up.
The only warning is the age of my car, so the suspension/ride comfort isn’t what it was, I do watch people hurtle over speed bumps and realise how poor my suspension must be as I wouldn’t do that!) and I tend to make frequent stops. It’s only about a four and a half drive (probably about two stops + a ‘does the driver want a wee wee, because we want a wee wee too’ at some point), so more like 5.5 to 6 with me, which I know lots of people don’t like.
Other than that, yes, I could even attempt a Barry pick up. I shouldn’t get lost as it is pretty much the good old A470 all the way.
Have I put you off yet? Or you could just drink the wine beforehand and on the way, then I’m sure you’ll be fine!
Ah, great, thank you! I will have to think about details when I’m more awake - for example it just occurred to me that you will probably be staying for the party, so I would still be public transporting it home again, but without wine of course…
No need for you to come to Barry of course, but thanks for the offer. (And I did navigating up to Criccieth a couple of weeks ago without any major incident - not a great feat with the help of Google!)
I will be coming from Cowbridge -probably driving- and if so can offer a lift one way. Am intending to stay with a relative either just before or just after depending on which is best for her. I can let you know as soon as I am more sorted.
Do we have the address of the venue yet? I am used to driving up the A470 but don’t know Caernarfon.
I’d be very happy to go with whoever feels most like being yakked at in Cymraeg for 6 hours before we even start! (Or not, of course!) Or possibly all travel together, although I guess you may need to be separate, Anne, if you’re visiting someone else as well.
Yes, i am staying for the party. So, if you are not partying, i won’t be able to offer a lift back. But can to anyone who is back to Cardiff or even drop off in the Valleys.
I’ll be in touch as soon as I have sorted out when I will be staying with my relative near Bangor. Happy to start boot camp rules early though I suspect you are rather more fluent than I am!
Happy to ease into bootcamp rules very gradually! I am going to find bootcamp rules really challenging actually as people I generally speak Welsh to tend to throw in a good smattering of English words and Wenglish and I normally just go with the flow!
The address is Isfryn, 11 Church Street, Caernarfon LL55 1SW if you want to look it up on GoogleMap.
There are not many parking spaces on the street outside, and unfortunately none of the long-stay car parks are free anymore, but if you need to know which car parks are long-stay and which short-stay or directions beforehand, give me a shout
I don’t believe we’re hiring a minibus this year, so we’ll need to share cars if we’re going out beyond the immediate vicinity. I’m happy to use mine (a VW Golf), which will carry four people in reasonable comfort, or five in some discomfort. Has anyone had any thoughts about interesting places to go, or has Aran already worked out a plan?
Some places nearby that might be worth a visit are:
Llanberis - including the National Slate Museum https://amgueddfa.cymru/llechi/
Bangor?
A little further afield - Oriel Ynys Mon in Llangefni http://www.ynysmon.gov.uk/hamdden/amgueddfeydd-ac-orielau/oriel-ynys-mn/ - an art gallery including a lot of work by Kyffin Williams. If we’re visiting Ynys Mon perhaps we could take in the Seawatch Centre at Moelfre http://moelfre.org/highlights/dm_03.htm or Parys Mountain, near Amlwch. I think it’s best to avoid Beaumaris, because everyone seems to speak only English there nowadays. A little beyond Beaumaris, however, is Black Point at Penmon, with an interesting Norman church and medieval dovecote nearby.
Has anyone else had any ideas?
I will have a car too, also fit 4 comfortably (provided the person behind the driver is quite short, I’m 6’2" so need to have the drivers seat all the way back sorry). Does the ‘Popeth yn Cymraeg’ rule mean we can only play Welsh language music or Radio Cymru in the car, If so great!
This is happening isn’t it, we’ve started to talk about the week. It’s all very exciting!
Only Welsh all the way. If you watch tv try to mute the ads. Radio Cymru or Welsh language acts on a cd. Welsh only books (this includes no English/Welsh dictionaries). Probably the only English that would be impossible to avoid would be on food and drink packages. The more strict you are with this rule, the more you will get out of the experience. It really is magical.
There’s an endless amount of stuff to do around here - but of course with the tourists attractions, it’s a bit hit and miss how much Welsh you will/won’t get.
I think we can chat about one or two trips out, but I’m really keen for you to get the full benefits of spending the week in what is in many ways very much the capital of Welsh-speaking Wales - for you to really get to know Caernarfon…
