Mum and Dad woke up in the morning and the sun was just starting to come up. Hurrah for the lovely sunshine! Dad got up to first and went to buy freshly-baked granary bread from the shop so that they could both eat it with their breakfast.
Here's Dad taking in his first proper look around the campsite in the beautiful sunshine.
The campsite was quiet with 360° views of hills and mountains. Absolutely gorgeous!
Dad cooked delicious Butcher's Choice bacon for breakfast and they ate it with their still-warm granary bread.
Mum went to the potwash to, ummm, wash the pots and she met some nice people there and chatted for a bit about the location and how long they were staying and all those kind of things that people talk about at campsites. Then she headed back to the tent and they both got ready for a day of walking in the hills. The weather forecast was fantastic, so shorts were worn. Yay!
The walk they intended to do was a walk they had done previously on a day trip. It was discovered by Mum on a solo camping trip in 2012 and is so lovely that it's worth doing again and again.
Here's the 7.5 mile walk that Mum and Dad did. Starting at the campsite, walking by the river to Llyn Dinas then heading up into the hills above the Sygun Copper Mine and down the valley of Cwm Bychan via the Nantmor path. After that, a quick hike up the road to join the Fisherman's Path alongside the river Glaslyn which leads back into Beddgelert.
And they were off! Here's the river Glaslyn which flows from Llyn Dinas into Beddgelert through the campsite. The sunshine was very warm and the vegetation was lush!
They reached Llyn Dinas, which takes its name from Dinas Emrys, a nearby wooded hill (complete with thigh-deep bog) which is said to have links with Merlin (Myrddin Emrys) and the King Arthur legend.
Dad loved the views downstream.
The views downstream towards the campsite and Beddgelert with the mountain of Moel Hebog in the distance.
Mum loved seeing the weeds wafting with the current. This is a spawning ground for salmon which can be caught from the lake.
After a nice break at the lake, Mum and Dad climbed up and up and up and up and up towards Grib Ddu. Oh my, the going was very hard in the increasingly hot sunshine. A few breathers were needed and brows were mopped but the views were spectacular!
Taking a break on the way up and admiring Llyn Dinas from an elevated position.
Finally they reached the top of the lake path. The lake had disappeared and had been replaced with views of Snowdon and the surrounding mountains. Mum and Dad had a nice sit down on a rock to enjoy the wilderness.
The furthest peak in this picture is Snowdon, highest mountain in England and Wales.
After a good drink and a sit down, Mum and Dad continued their journey along Grib Ddu. There was more climbing to do but finally they reached the highest point of their walk and had another sit down.
It was pretty much downhill all the way after this point, down the valley of Cwm Bychan along the Nantmor path. But despite being downhill, it was not terribly easy as there are many rocks and uneven parts which need to be carefully negotiated.
Dad loves stepping stones. And those shorts are...yes....The Holy Grail shorts!! Mum found and bought them for Dad whilst he was working away. Dad says they are fantastic and he is chuffed with them. Mum is glad that the search for shorts is finally over, but then Dad said he wanted to buy a new walking hat. Uh oh!!!
By this time, their bacon baguettes had definitely worn off, so they sat down by a nice waterfall to have a drink and replace some energy with Bourbon creams. Yummmmm.
Mmmm chocolatey, lactose-free snacks. A big thumbs up from Mum!
Then they were off again, down, down and down through vegetation and cool woodland until they reached the car park at Nantmor. They saw some strange circles in the ground by here and Mum found out later that they are called 'buddle pits' and they were used in Victorian times to separate minerals from crushed ore by means of sedimentation.
It only took a few minutes from Nantmor to reach the beginning of the Fisherman's Path, an exciting journey along the river Glaslyn.
The river Glaslyn. Loud and wild and powerful!
Here's Mum in her walking shorts on the Fisherman's Path. Wooo legs!
After walking by the side of the river, the path curves towards Beddgelert. The going is much easier and provides ample opportunity to rest weary legs and take note of the scenery and wildlife.
Here's another orchid to add to the list of ones we've seen. This one is a Heath Spotted Orchid.
More Heath Spotted Orchid and an Early Marsh Orchid. Beautiful!
Finally Mum and Dad reached the village of Beddgelert after a wonderful walk in the hills. They were tired and ready for a nice sit down but before they did, they popped into the Gelert outdoors shop where Dad didn't find a walking hat (surprise, surprise) but Mum found a super pair of navy cargo shorts for £5. Bargain!
They decided to spend the evening at the Saracen's Head. A very nice pub with a TV, food and a nice atmosphere. The bartender was lovely! She gave Dad the remote control for the TV, recommended cider for Mum and put everything on a tab for them.
Tasty, refreshing pear and passionfruit cider. Perfect for supping after a tiring, hot walk.
The pleasant restaurant at the Saracen's Head. Mum and Dad watched the Argentina v Belgium match before ordering some food.
They were joined by a friendly chap who was also staying in the area with his family. He told Mum and Dad that he had been to a nice beach called Borth-y-Gest only 15 minutes away and showed them the photographs he had taken. They thought it looked lovely!
After the football match, Mum and Dad ate dinner. Mum really fancied the pan-fried sea bass with mashed potatoes, fennel and a lemon and dill sauce but was concerned about the ingredients. But Dad made inquiries and the chef said he was happy to make Mum a sauce that was free of lactose. Hurrah, what a nice thing that was! Dad had a nice bit of steak which came with some extra-tasty 'gourmet chips' and mushrooms.
Mum's sea bass with mash and fennel, and a delicious lactose-free lemon and dill sauce. OMNOM!
Mum and Dad had intended to watch the second football match of the evening, but after dinner Mum felt extremely worn out. So they went back to the campsite and snuggled up in the tent where Mum fell fast asleep before 9pm and Dad quietly read his book.
A tiring but most excellent day!
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