A WALE OF A TIME

It may have taken me over a month to pull together a pictorial of our adventures but I thought Wales was a fine place to start. While it was a flash in the pan visit it certainly left its mark.

Armed with a healthy dose of cabin fever we were due for a break. Two weeks into their course and the boys were already studying like men possesed. I continue to adjust to life as a stay at home mum. This is not a natural environment for me as it requires all sorts of virtues...such as tolerance...and patience and yada-yada-yada...baby steps.

It seems like we weren't the only ones with a getaway on the brain, so when friends suggested a weekend in Wales I we jumped at the chance.

First stop on the journey was the Mountain Bike park at Coed Llandegla Forest. Not your typical family pit stop but bear with me. While the boys "blaised trails" - Jon, Will and I took the Mountain Buggy and went bush. The park has great walking tracks for all levels, spectacular views and some nifty hard carved Owls to entertain the wee ones. Best of all there is the most fabulous cafe waiting for you at the end of the hike.

• Traveller Tip #1 - order the hot chocolate with ALL the trimmings

As the crow flies our accommodation was 20 minutes up the road. 1 hour and many (many) arguements later we arrived at Clocaenog. The cell phone reception in Northern Wales isn't exactly reliable. Infact...

• Traveller Tip #2 - if you're intending to navigate by cell phone it may pay to write down directions and/or consider loaning a GPS. This will save hours of your life...and prevent you from having to ask directions to your location...somewhere you will not be able to pronounce.

We stayed a fabulous B & B - The Old Rectory Clocaenog, which is a little off the beaten track but well worth the trip. The hosts (Catherine & Michael) go out of their way to make you feel at home, this is particuarly important when traveling with children. Better yet, right at the bottom of the driveway is a brilliant playground that will keep the ankle biters busy for hours. For the adults in the group the lounge area boasts a great selection of books, DVD's and Sky TV.  But wait, there's more. In the morning we were treated to seasonal berries with yoghurt and cereal followed by a fully cooked meal. If you're planning a trip make sure you book in!

A quick 5 minute drive up the road is the historical town of Ruthin. There's not too many towns where you can stumble across a castle, but stumble we did - into ruins, and moats, and castle gates, and dungeons. It spoke to every romantic bone in my body and was the perfect place to 'take tea'.

• Traveller Tip #3 - if you have the time, book in for a high tea at Ruthin Castle. Better yet, attend one of the Mediaeval Feasts they host during the year. They look like a hoot!

Please don't ask me to pronounce this next word, just trust me when I say it is well worth the visit. Standing over 200 feet high, and spanning 1000 feet in length the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is a masterpiece of civil engineering and get this, it was completed in 1805! That's one very old, VERY tall bridge. My pictures fail to do it justice - perhaps I was distracted by the river boats floating past me as we hovered all those feet up in the air - however I'm sure your imaginations can fill in the rest.

• Traveller Tip #4 - While brilliant if you're crossing the bridge with small people be vigilant. The footpath isn't too wide and the gaps in the railings are actually large enough for them to maneouvre themselves through so keep a close hold. Not the kind of holiday memories we're aiming for.

Short and sweet - like I said but well worth the visit. If you know of great things to do share the love - I'm looking forward to heading back and taking a better look around.

For now enjoy the highlights of our trip below.

Jacq