Steam-trains, Castles and an old Harley

[Lone Rider]

Thanks Ron for posting it - look forward to the next installments

 

[2wheels]

Then off to nearby Plaidy.
Many homes for sale here and many older weather-board originals from the 1930s now worth 500,000 pounds.







Then I stumbled upon this Vincent.



Upon hearing the bass throb of the Harley, the owner Garth came out for a chat.
He's a retired 'Bobby'.
Garth got me some cold orange juice and we spent the next hour chatting.
They like a chat here!
They seem to always have time to chat and I respect that.
Maybe that's one thing that's lacking in so many modern, frantic, 'gotta get this done now' cultures of today.

Well, Garth's Vincent is quite colourful.
He told me why.
Being a Bobby, he has seen so many road accidents involving cars and bikes where the driver claimed 'not to have seen' the motorbike.
He determined never to be in a situation where his road bike is not visible.

And the Vincent bit?
A few years ago he got a message that he'd inherited a Vincent.
His eyes lit up.
But the Vincent was in many parts in a box and too many parts were missing so he sold the box and its contents.
In sympathy his son put a Vincent sticker on the tank of his father's Honda!



No names, no locations but I was introduced to this collection of bikes.
The pic doesn't include the entire collection, such as the two more Goldwings!

Feeling peckish, so back to Looe central for lunch.







I've devoured only two Cornish pasties here but have been warned five times about the gulls who, allegedly, swoop down and steal an entire pasty from the unwary.
It hasn't happened to me and I haven't seen it happen, so I'm beginning to think this is a local myth. They are huge birds though!

Apparently today was hot, so hundreds fled to the beach.
Some of the sights are not worthy of sharing here !!
But so much white, bare, tattooed skin rapidly turning pink then red.

 

[2wheels]

Auke, the maps you installed for me are keeping me 'on the twisty and narrow'!

 

[The Bigfella]

Seems to be some problem with the attachments there Ron, in post 42.

I'm loving the ride report though.

 

[2wheels]

Glad you're enjoying it Ian; #42 repaired now.

 

[2wheels]

Here's the Hannafore Point Hotel in Looe.
Excellent.





Russ and I were talking with the young manager.
He told us that during WW2 what is now the restaurant section was an orphanage for 'evacuated children'.
He claims that some of his staff can occasionally hear the sounds of children's voices and the patter of their little feet when they close up at night.



Spooky.

 

[2wheels]

It was a blistering hot day for the 'holiday-makers' and Looe beach was packed.

 

[2wheels]

Russ McD was on his trusty TransAlp hurtling down to Looe to keep me company and to show me some of the minor roads.

Waiting for him on the hotel balcony.









The Cornish flag.







Russ arrives and joins me on the balcony for a plenary session.





Planning done, time to walk into Looe Central for a meal.



We stumbled upon the oldest pub in Looe; the Jolly Sailor where we settled in soaking up the ambiance.



Thankfully, they also sold real beer.



We were both enjoying Looe.

 

[2wheels]

Some observation; keeping in mind this is my first (but not last!) UK visit.

1 the driving behaviour is exceptionally good (esp compared to what we put up with in Siam).

2 road-works crews create more danger than the road and/or motorists.
Too many unnecessary man-made chicanes, even when no road repairs are occurring!

3 the scenery is spectacular.

4 water from the tap can be consumed! No need to carry those plastic water bottles.

5 it's bloody expensive!

6 warm and friendly natives.

Loving it.



:bash and :katand and and and and and

 

[KTMphil]

Have you started camping in the tent yet?

 

[2wheels]

This tent last night.



Very comfy.

 

[2wheels]

8th August

An excellent ride today from Looe via Bodmin, Tintagel Lenmouth and Watchet.
ie Cornwall, Devon and Somerset.

Eggsselent Breakfast at the Hannafore.
Reasonable view.



Today was the day when two of the key elements of my ride fell into place, i.e. steam loco and castle!

We called into the train station at Bodmin and purchased two tickets for a short ride on the 'Bodmin and Wenford Railway.









The ticket collector, punching holes in the ticket as in 'the time'.



I hadn't been on a steam loco since the late 1950s.
Ahhh, the soot in the eyes, up the nose, on the camera lens.
The base-drum sound of that mighty engine pulling and pushing the load up a slight incline. The very serious and earnest railway men in their uniforms, almost contemptuous of the passengers, who live for steam.











Loved it.

Now to my first castle.

 

[2wheels]

And here it is!





But is wasn't a castle!



But there was a real one nearby.







Continuing along the delightful A39.











And into delightful Lenmouth.









14th century pub.



Russ devouring a mint lamb Cornish pasty.



Mine was spicy lamb.

Continuing along the A39 towards Watchet.





I'm really getting to like old 'Bluey'.



Thanks for being an excellent guide and companion Russ.











And to near Watchet and a B&B here at the Mason's Arms.

 

[KTMphil]

Ron, how much are you paying for B&B's?

 

[2wheels]

It varies around 40 quid Phil.

 

[Captain_Slash]

You mentioned England is expensive Ron, it is for tourists that's for sure

 

[2wheels]

Gonna have to roll the tent out soon Colin.
Now in wonderful Kidwelly, beside the castle.
About to start report of today's ride.

 

[Just Bob]

Bloody hell! Finally get time to log on to Rideasia.net to catch up and end up in Blighty instead.
Spectacular shots as usual Ron.
Enjoy!

 

[2wheels]

8th August

To Wales and some real castles.

English style breakfast at the Mason's Arms (near Wasford), which is a huge meal and sees me out until the evening munch.



Then along the A39 past some exquisite little villages and scenery.



My destination was Bath.





Into busy Bath.









I met local Adrian when giving 'Bluey' a drink.
He's built this little gem, which has a 125 engine in it and says it's perfect for the Bath area.
Lugging the big Harley around bath sure wasn't fun. Too many traffic lights and pedestrian crossings.

Then Montana took me onto the M4 and the M5, which I tried to exit asap.
Got onto the 'Old Passage' bridge on M48 into Wales (free crossing for bikes but, from what I recall, about 9 quid for cars!!)

Russ recommended Raglan castle, so that's where I was heading.
More of the M4 then onto the A449 past some unpronounceable places to Raglan.



(continuing after breakfast at the Cydweli B&B!)

 

[2wheels]

And to the magnificent Raglan castle.







http://www.castlewales.com/raglan.html

[SIZE=+1]"T[/SIZE]he castle is probably most closely associated with William ap Thomas, who fought with King Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. In 1426, ap Thomas was knighted by Henry VI, becoming known to his compatriots as "the blue knight of Gwent." Sir William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, was the next owner of the castle, and it is Herbert who is responsible for Raglan's distinctive Tudor-styling. The castle was also the boyhood home of Henry Tudor, later King Henry VII. As a boy he bided his time at Raglan, while his uncle Jasper agitated a Lancastrian return to the throne in the person of young Henry."


​

Then I was determined to ride minor roads, so got onto the A4138 and headed towards Kidwelly, where another castle was awaiting my arrival.









Into delightful Kidwelly around 7pm ...



... and stumbled upon this.
The magnificent Cydweli castle.













Oh, what this entrance has seen!



http://www.castlewales.com/kidwelly.html

"This castle fell to the Welsh on a number of occasions in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, including once in 1159 when the Lord Rhys took it and burnt it. He is later credited with rebuilding the castle in 1190. By 1201, however, it was back in Norman hands and remained English from then on, despite periodic attacks."
​

Then it rained, so I retreated to the excellent Kidwelly B&B ...



... after visiting the local Fish & Chipery parlour where I met Mrs Lee and her family from China who have been here for 14 years.



An excellent day on the road.

 

[bsacbob]

Great pictures Ron, good to see you've arrived in gods country at last, get a pint of Brains beer down your neck

 

[Ally]

Very nice report Ron, good to read all the positive vibes too

Ally

 

[2wheels]

Thanks Bob and Ally.
Now in Tywyn after an excellent days ride.
At yet another B&B tuning in to the incredible local Welsh language.
No drinkie poos until after report is done; I have learnt my lesson!

 

[KTMphil]

Yaki-da !

Thanks Bob and Ally.
Now in Tywyn after an excellent days ride.
At yet another B&B tuning in to the incredible local Welsh language.
No drinkie poos until after report is done; I have learnt my lesson!

 

[2wheels]

From the wonderful 'The Grapes' pub in Maentwrog all I can say for now is ....

" Dwin Cael Amser Arbenig yn Cymru!
Lechyd da! "

(Thanks Heidi. The Sky is the limit!)

 

[Elkie]

Hi Ron, looks like you're enjoying your ride around the "Old Country" and I'm pleased to see that you are checking out real beer. There are a minimum of 1,200 breweries in The UK, with an estimate of nearer 1,400, producing around 5,000 different Real Ales at any one time. How does that compare with Thailand's insipid offering. It's one of the few things I miss from the UK, but boy do I miss it. Have one for me...Cheers!

Check this link out and you may be lucky enough to coincide with a beer festival on your travels.

Beer Festivals

Great pics as usual.

 

[Lone Rider]

Hope you don't mind Ron but for the Non-Brits like me among us, here is the route Ron has taken so-far.

 

[2wheels]

Yep, sure is a wide selection here Steve.

Thanks Auke; but how the heck did you do that?

This is why I didn't even commence a trip report last night.

 

[Lone Rider]

Wow, that is a monster sized beer. The route - just looking at place names, castles visited, etc. and actually a piece of cake as your trip reports are very detailed. I did use the Worldmap as the Europe map would just show a sea of black dots.

 

[2wheels]

9th August

A wonderful day behind the bars yesterday, mainly because Montana directed me to minor roads including some excellent B roads.

I left Kidwelly (Pwllheli) once it was less freezing around 10am
and headed along A487 via Mnffordd onto the A493, across the river at Penmaenpool then along the A496 to wonderful Barmouth and along the coast to the incredible castle at Harlech and a little Church almost buried in the sand dunes at Llandanwg and to here at 'The Grapes Pub' at Maentwrog.

Here's what I saw along the way.











I did say 'minor roads'!





(WiFi a bit dodgy so I'll post this batch now)



And a stop-over at the beautiful city of Aberystwyth.







Entering Barmouth.





And near Harlech into the sand-dunes to this ancient little Church which, from time to time, needs to be extricated from the sand dunes.







Then into Harlech and here it is, right beside what is now the highway! (Although apparently it was once on the actually sea-side). The magnificent Harlech castle.



Now this is a castle!

http://www.castlewales.com/harlech.html

"Following the fall of the Welsh stronghold of Castell y Bere, King Edward's forces arrived at Harlech in April, 1283, and building work began almost immediately. Over the next six years an army of masons, quarriers, laborers and other craftsmen were busily engaged in construction. In 1286, with the work at its height, nearly 950 men were employed under the superintendence of Master James. The final result was a perfectly concentric castle, where one line of defenses is enclosed by another. Unfortunately, the outer wall is ruinous today and fails to convey the true 13th-century effect."​

View from the castle.

I met a teacher who showed me the view from her school!





The name of the school.



Lots of flowing streams along the way.

(Warm enough to ride now, so to be completed tonight. Want to tell you about the delightful "The Grapes' pub in Maentwrog.)

 

[bsacbob]

Looks like the weather is being really kind to Ron, hope you have time to turn inland to Betws-y-Coed and Llangollen (take a walk up to crow castle it only take about five hours) and see Crucis Abbey, spent many an happy hour playing there as a kid.

 

[2wheels]

It was an excellent stop at 'The Grapes' in Maentwrog last night.
Very friendly staff, especially Heidi who taught me a lot about the Welsh language.

Norman arrived; a local lad who likes a good chat.



A staff member owns this little Citroen 2CV and takes it to France and Germany.
Lots of old and new French cars here.



Good to be alive.

 

[2wheels]

Read on Bob.
You had a good childhood!
Enjoying the music, thank you.

 

[2wheels]

10th August

Another good day in the saddle and 'Bluey' still chugging along beautifully.

Here's the view from the lounge at 'The Grapes' whilst munching breakfast.



Here's 'The Grapes'; easy to by-pass coming down a gradient to a T-junction, but well worth a stop.



Today's ride (how's your Welsh?) was initially along the A4085 to Nant Gwynant, the A498 then the wonderful A4086 past Nant Peris where I did a U-turn to ride it again! (A bit of 'doing it both ways').

Back to the A4086 where there were many trekkers and cyclists out enjoying the 'warmth'. Onto the A5 at Betws-Y-Coed and on to Rhydlydon, Cerrigyrudion, Maes-Y-Waen and a stop at the beautiful railway station and stream at Berwyn.

The main station at Llangollen was inundated with Saturday visitors, many sitting in the 'warmth' eating ice-creams! Tough lot these Welsh.

Then onto the A542 and A525 to Pentre Llanrhaedr the A543 through Trefrant and onto the A55 along the coast to a very busy Conwy, which is where I am now.



Many fast flowing streams in this area.



The wonderful A4086, which I shared with many bikers.











The first 'Oops' I've since since arriving.
Note the brick wall.







At Llangollen.



The boys are back in town.



A NG kit car wearing a Rover V8 inside.



Morgan.



??





The station at Berwyn.
Alas only a diesel train.



But in Llangollen .....



Along the A542.







This was seen beside the A55 near Conwy but it was illegal to stop beside the highway for pics.



How's this for an entrance into Conwy?
Some welcome mat.



Nice back-drop for the local bowling club.



If there's not too many people at the castle tomorrow I'll have a look inside.


http://www.castlewales.com/conwy.html

"Construction of Conwy began in 1283. The castle was an important part of King Edward I's plan of surrounding Wales in "an iron ring of castles" to subdue the rebellious population."
​

 

[2wheels]

And now for something completely different, but vaguely relevant.

Monty Python- The Annoying Peasant - YouTube

[video=youtube_share;rAaWvVFERVA]http://youtu.be/rAaWvVFERVA[/video]

 

[WarProfiteer]

Nothing much to add, but I'm tuning in and this is great! My european time was all spent in southern & central europe. Never made it to the UK, so this thread is incredible to me.

 

[Ally]

Well done Ron !

Are there many caravans hogging the roads ?

Glad you met Thomas the Tank in an "anarcho community"

Ally

 

[bsacbob]

Great pictures, hope you enjoy your ride to Liverpool, watch out for the guy's in shell suits.....

 

[Loop]

What a a fantastic trip,something i can only dream about doing.

I always suspected that English wasn`t the first language of the Welsh.

 

[2wheels]

Many vans and 'mobile homes', but luckily they are going in the opposite direction to me most of the time.