More scenic driving and an old toll bridge.

Our route today, more or less

We did another stunning drive down towards Dolgellau, turning off to head down through a pass to Tywyn where we stopped honey ice cream.  Yes, I know we had ice cream yesterday and are not winning the battle of the bulge but not we couldn't pass up the opportunity for one last morsel of the ice cream.

We drove along the coastline to Dolgellau and crossed over River Mawddach using the Penmaenpool Toll Bridge.  Penmaenpool Toll Bridge is an old wooden bridge which was built in 1879 to replace the river ferry.  We paid 70p to go across the bridge which was a beautiful sturdy-made old bridge and well worth the 'costly' 70p.   After crossing the river we drove to Barmouth and then up to Penrhyndeudraeth, not far from Porthmadog, using side roads off the main road.  The mountainous roads were very narrow with very infrequent passing points.  We had to go through a couple of farm gates but the views and the excitement of being on the road was worth it.

From Penrhyndeudraeth we headed to Bets y Coed via Beddgelert and stopped for hot chocolate and scones at Caffi Gwynant which was a church that had been converted into a tearoom/restaurant.  It was very nice inside. 

From Bets y Coed we drove down to Ffestiniog and took a squiggly north easterly and south easterly route via small narrow roads back to Bala.

We wanted fish and chips for dinner but, after going up and down the main street in Bala, we didn't see any takeaway fish and chip signs.   Eventually we saw a chap walking down the road with his fishy meal so we asked him where we had got them.  He gave us a few directions and we eventually found the fish and chip shop.  The entrance to it was very narrow, squashed between two large shops, so no wonder we hadn't seen the place.

Dinner was yummy...!

PHOTOGRAPHS

Heading towards Tywyn

Penmaenpool Toll Bridge

Off the main road, somewhere between Frafnant Farm and Bryn Bwbach 

(on a greater map scale:  between Barmouth and Penrhyndeudraeth)

Caffi Gwynant

Between Beddgelert and Bets y Coed with views of lower slopes of Mt Snowdon 

and a lake

Mountain pass, honey ice cream and a lake.

We took a lovely route over Bwlch y Groes (Pass of the Cross), also known as Hellfire Pass, just south of Llyn Tegrd to Minllyn.  As we headed down the other side of the pass we stopped to take photographs by the turnoff to Lake Vyrnwy.  A cyclist had made it to the junction and was happily taking photographs while his pal was still trying to cycle up the hill, sweating profusely.  Eventually the other cyclist made it and stopped to rest.  It was a beautiful place to stop.  Before we left we offered the 2 chaps some small cartons of fruit juice which they accepted gratefully.

Cyclist heading up south side of Bwlch y Groes

We headed down the pass to Machynilleth and on to Tywyn where we stopped for honey ice cream (http://www.haloshop.co.uk/).  It was well worth the stop and the ice cream was delicious.

Dam wall at Llanwyddn, Lake Vyrnwy

From Tywyn we went up a valley towards Tal-y-lln and crossed the over the mountains from Corris to Aberangell where we re-joined the road and headed back up towards Bwlch y Groes we had been over earlier in the morning.  On the way there was a sheep in the road being herded back to the farm.  Unfortunately it seemed quite strong-willed and didn't want to go in the direction that the farmer wanted her to go, but in the end the farmer and a sheepdog won.  It was quite a long trot back to the farm for the sheep but she got there in the end, and we could continue our journey 

Before reaching Bwlch y Groes we turned off and drove towards and around Lake Vyrnwy.  We stopped at Llanwyddn to stretch our legs and take photographs of the dam wall.  The area is a lovely recreational park with walking/cycling trails and picnic benches.  From Llanwyddn over Hirnant Pass and headed back to our campsite.  The narrow winding road took us, once again, through beautiful scenery.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Llyn Tegid

 

Heading up towards the north-facing side of Bwlch y Groes 

Looking back towards Bala and Llyn Tegid

 Views from Bwlch y Groes

Heading down the south side of Bwlch y Groes

Lake Vyrnwy

 

 

Looking down from Hirnant Pass to Cwm Hirnant

Circular drive and beautiful scenery.

Our route today, more or less.

The area around Bala is truly lovely.

Using a book that we had, The Most Amazing Scenic Journeys in Britain by Reader's Digest, we used one of the suggested routes.  We tried to stick to it closely to it as we could, as well as deviating off it now and then but getting back onto the suggested route.

We started off by driving down the east side of the Llyn Tegrd lake near Bala then took an unnamed narrow road over the mountains to Trawsfynnyd.  Farms along the road were remote, the moorland and landscape at times bleak but yet beautiful.  I was given the task of opening and closing farm gates as we went along. 

St. Cybi's Well

From Trawsfynnyd we drove over to Porthmadog, around the Lleyn peninsula via Pwlheli and Abersoch, Aberdaron, over to Nefyn and then Llangybi.  At Llangybi we stopped to see St Cybi's Well - the water of which was believed to have caused miracles - sick people would get well if they bathed in the waters or drank the water.  We took back roads from Llangybi to Porthmadog then went back to Bala via the B4391 and an unnamed road.

Wowwww...!!, when seeing such beautiful surrounds I am so grateful to be alive but humbled by mother nature.  Her formidable forces that craft and make the landscape to what it is: pushing up mountains and seemingly squashing in valleys, or the wind and rain that erodes away at rocks and cliffs; and so much more.

PHOTOGRAPHS

 

 

St. Cybi's Well