Some in the blogging community choose to visit places in Wales portrayed on their Granny's old tea towel, or should that be "... their old Granny's tea towel."? Quite a good idea but my Granny's tea towels got stolen by the Turks.
I have visited many places around the UK where seagulls have been problematic so this weekend I had lust for sea air, seagulls and crappy food eaten in the proximity of tatooed loud and incomphrehensible sounding Northern people. Please don't get me wrong, I am a snob. So I took the opportunity to test the concept of a Motorcycle touring company specialising in problematic sea side locations with shitting sea birds open exclusively to BMW Motorrad riders - and I need to put some miles on my new machine prior to its "running in" service where I will be charged £150 or so for a free coffee.
I chose for the inaugral tour the Northen Welsh resort town of Llandudno and picked the cheapest hotel with a seagull problem on the marvellous website "last minute guano dot com".
I had in mind a few things to do in Llandudno such as visit the obvious Victorian pier and the Great Orme tramway.
The weather forecast for the weekend was sun cloud rain and wind, in no particular order.
***************READER WARNING - TRAM STUFF AHEAD********************
The walk down the Great Orme was bracing in the cold spring wind that was to bring sleet snow and hail the next day. The next priority was a restorative capucinno on the Guy Martin Pier -------> see, this is true!
Iechyd a Ffarwel da am y tro!
I have visited many places around the UK where seagulls have been problematic so this weekend I had lust for sea air, seagulls and crappy food eaten in the proximity of tatooed loud and incomphrehensible sounding Northern people. Please don't get me wrong, I am a snob. So I took the opportunity to test the concept of a Motorcycle touring company specialising in problematic sea side locations with shitting sea birds open exclusively to BMW Motorrad riders - and I need to put some miles on my new machine prior to its "running in" service where I will be charged £150 or so for a free coffee.
I chose for the inaugral tour the Northen Welsh resort town of Llandudno and picked the cheapest hotel with a seagull problem on the marvellous website "last minute guano dot com".
 |
| That red motorcycle is actually mine at Llandudno - clever these BMW GPS systems? Stoke on Trent does not enter into it but I went past Rhyl OK. |
 |
| Here we are: The Shelbourne hotel, the only place to have been bombed out of the solid esplanade front... I had to ride around a bit to find the advertised exclusive hotel parking area tucked around by the dustbins. |
 |
| On approach to the parking area my first seagulls are spotted |
 |
| Tucked in nicely |
 |
| In Room 4 I feel instantly at home. |
 |
| The explosion of motorcycle gear increases significantly the entropy of the room within minutes of arrival. |
I had in mind a few things to do in Llandudno such as visit the obvious Victorian pier and the Great Orme tramway.
 |
| An orienation stroll along the sea front |
 |
| Spot the seagull |
 |
| Some appealing buildings - I do like a good recessed balcony |
The weather forecast for the weekend was sun cloud rain and wind, in no particular order.
 |
| I notice that there is a ski slope and cable car too |
 |
| The decaying Grand Hotel heralds the renovated pier |
 |
| Promenade |
 |
| One is not amused... |
 |
| ..to have a tram staion named after one |
***************READER WARNING - TRAM STUFF AHEAD********************
 |
| Splendour of Victoria station |
 |
| The lower section tram arrives suspended on a cable |
 |
| Fish Tram Chip WYSIWYG |
 |
| Hard to understand timetable |
 |
| Perillous view as we are dragged up the lower town reaches of the Great Orme |
 |
| It's the Halfway point and we must transfer tram to the summit |
 |
| The marxist styled concrete block masquerading as the visitor money extraction centre |
 |
| Ships in a field as a Greek coach tour guide might say |
 |
| Not a seagull - they can't make it to this altitude |
 |
| View down the piste to Llandudno bay |
 |
| Healthy fare |
 |
| Following consumption of a lot of healthy fare, I forego my return tram fare and walk down back to the town next to the tram way (or in the local lingo Dramfffordboyo) |
 |
| Both the lower and upper sections are cable powered but differ in their construct. The upper has 3 cables linked to two tram cars and a winch at the top. The lower has a cable attached to each tram car wound around contra rotating drums at the top... I think. |
 |
| Wise warning to anybody who has suffered whipping from a flailing hawser. |
 |
| Halfway station |
 |
| The passing point and the cables diverge |
 |
| The welcome arrival of a Honda breaks the constant drone and squaeking of sheep and moving cable pullies |
 |
| The passing point - gravity is our friend and as one comes down another goes up |
 |
| Anxious to investigate how the cable is picked up I lie on the line |
 |
| Technical blurb |
 |
| Town texture |
 |
| This is probably not "do not feed the seagulls" in Welsh |
 |
| Dim Fford is obviously no route and I suppose sgio could mean snow, but llethr? Leather?? |
 |
| The pier is in good Victorian nick |
 |
| A bit windy at the end of the pier and my froth is blown over the side |
 |
| Some visiting bikers wondering where the sea has gone |
 |
| Anti seagull measures prevail -"Nid ydynt yn ei hoffi i fyny Mae eu gwaelodion" as Corporal Jones might have mused on C4C |
Iechyd a Ffarwel da am y tro!
Thank you for all of the tram pictures. It seems odd that the cables are just lying on the tracks with a handful of guide pulleys. Seems like a great way to pick up dirt. Or maybe I'm missing something.
ReplyDeleteBikes seem to have a lot of places for gulls to perch. A great way to initiate your new bike. I must've missed the "new bike" post. I remember the cruiser but not a Beemer.
The trams were quite fascinating Richard and I've never seen a cable system of such length.
ReplyDeleteThe cruiser is at my "second home" and the mini GS at my "third home"!
The spontaneous expansion of gear seems to be a common issue with motorcycle travels. It happens to me, too all the time. Gorgeous weather, by the way, bring some back with you please.
ReplyDeleteOnly on the Saturday Sonja, I had to beat a hasty retreat after my full English on Sunday! Hail and wind.. .
DeleteGreat pictures!! You crack me up - 'last minute guano' indeed.
ReplyDeleteThere is a reason we call seagulls "shit-hawks"
You have seagulls too?
DeleteMostly at the coast 60 miles west but we have a surprisingly large number of them inland.
DeleteThey come inland here when there is a storm at sea
DeleteA wonderful memory Nick - many years since attending the Dragon Rally and rock climbing in Llanberis. You should be glad of seagulls. In NZ's south island, we have the Kea, a native parrot. The destructive bastards will rip your seat, open canvas packs to see if there is food inside and generally make a nuisance of themselves. They are also protected, which gives them open license to be obnoxious, much like your tattooed northerners :-)
ReplyDeleteGeoff, presumably the Kea's ate all the Kiwis?
DeleteAh very ice weeken you had ;O) wonderful!! xs Mrs. Nikos EL
ReplyDeletenot that cold...
DeleteVery interesting tram way pictures, thank you. I wonder why they use two different systems, perhaps it depends on the inclination.
ReplyDeleteI'd think that "sgio" is the Welsh version of "ski" - ?
I am curious, sorry, but the "healthy fare" - what is this stuff on the right side ?
Great view from room 4 btw.
The healthy stuff is a baked potato (variety=estima?) topped with baked beans and cheddar cheese.
Deletehttp://www.lovepotatoes.co.uk/varieties/smooth-potatoes/estima/
DeleteYippieahyeah - thank you for the link !
DeleteLooks like a great trip! Beautiful pictures, thanks for the post. Love reading your blog!
ReplyDelete