Early start and Apocalypse Now.

Unbeknownst to me why, a very restless night was had, with the hours of 2-4am spent reading and awake again at 6am.

So I decided to quietly pack the van as not to disturb my 2 van neighbours and get on the road even before Coffee today. 

I had been persuaded by new found friends in Teresa and Paul to go off my designed route for my next stop, which after doing the journey I can say im glad I did it early so as not to meet another single vehicle on the narrow windy lanes. 

The scenery was baron and wild and almost giving the feeling of being in a post Apocalyptic world, I even found myself saying good morning and Thank-you to the sheep who kindly hurried off the road when they heard Black Bettys early morning growl. 

By 7.30 AM I was parked at my next visit and my morning cup of coffee was in order before exploring the area

Check out the short video of the crazy roads. 

DAM DAM DAM!!

So now you are all on the edge of your seats in anticipation I will let you all in on my morning escapades. 

As mentioned earlier thanks to Teresa and Paul for the idea and also Deri from work for mentioning it too. 

I had parked up in Elan Valley to walk the reservoirs and see the Dams in action. It was slightly disappointing to see the reservoirs extremely low and the Dams not gushing with roaring torrents of water. But I will definitely come back here again. 

I did a 13 mile circular walk from Caban Coch, up to Craig Goch and back the other side where I crossed back over Garreg Ddu to the carpark where I left Black Betty. 

The walk was very flat on the way out and then wooded pathways and fields on the opposite side. 

Dont do what I did and head up into the Forrest and end up in what looked like a very active Logging area with fresh cut pines and huge tracks in the ground, but luckily no mechanical monsters in sight. 

This man-made  pathway through the towering pines came to an abrupt end and I had no where to go. So check out the last pic below to see where I got a very dirty backside after sliding down. 

Lunch and wine...dy roads

So you could be fooled to think i've done a full day slog already but getting up so early means its only just lunch time when I arrived back at Black Betty. So I treated myself to tuna Sandwiches and a protein yoghurt. I know how to live!! 

Then we hit the road with achy legs it became a long 2.5 hour journey especially with the amount of clutch usage on the windy road up through Snowdonia National park to arrive at my home for the next 2 days. 

Cae Du campsite in Beddgelert (trying to decide how to pronounce). I will post my review of the site later into my stay but first impressions are very clean but basic. 

Beer blogging

So after a lot of miles put behind me today, its time to enjoy the sun over a nice cold pint of Madri as I sit outside the Prince Llewelyn pub and update you all with today's excitement. 

Might even push the boat out and have a second one before heading back to cook some unknown culinary delight. 

Spicy Balls!! 

Tonight's dinner, forged in the roaring heart of Black Betty, was an absolute triumph! I devoured spicy chorizo meatballs, perfectly paired with Mexican rice (a huge shout-out to Uncle Ben for that!). I tossed in some fresh spinach for a vibrant pop of green, and while the grater went AWOL, that didn't stop me from showering it with glorious cheddar cheese.

But the real magic? Eating it all outside, bathed in the glow of a setting sun, with an epic panorama of rolling hills practically grabbing at those fluffy white clouds. That, my friends, is a feeling you just can't reckon with. Pure bliss!

And for anyone wondering i devoured the lot!! Followed by.... you guessed it an Arla yoghurt. 

Beddgelert in Gwynedd in north-west Wales, the name of which was formerly believed to mean "Gelert's grave"

In the legend, Llywelyn the Great returns from hunting to find his baby missing, the cradle overturned, and Gelert with a blood-smeared mouth. Believing the dog had devoured the child, Llywelyn draws his sword and kills Gelert. After the dog's dying yelp, Llywelyn hears the cries of the baby, unharmed under the cradle, along with a dead wolf which had attacked the child and been killed by Gelert. Llywelyn is overcome with remorse and buries the dog with great ceremony, (then leading to the town name) but can still hear its dying yelp. After that day, Llywelyn never smiles again.

Tomorrow is not far now, and today has shattered me out! A trip to the shower block and an early night, fingers crossed the elusive sleep doesn't show its nasty head. 

A chilled out day tomorrow and a hunt for Gelert's grave while I conserve some energy ready for Friday's challenge of the Rhyd Ddu pass to the top of Snowdon. 

Its been a pleasure!!