Isle of Anglesey

Flown over to Anglesey, or Ynys Mon in Welsh. Its just a short journey from Caernarfon, I could have glided over from the top of the castle. It's the sixth largest island around Great Britain and very nice it is too. First place I went was Beaumaris in the east of the island. A nice town with another of Edward I's castles. This one is a world heritage site. In the photograph you can see the Menai Strait and the Menai Suspension Bridge. The Menai Strait is narrow but has strong currents and whirlpools, so best use a bridge (or fly like me!. The suspension bridge is by Thomas Telford and was finished in 1826. A mile away is the Britannia Bridge. Originally by Robert Stephenson and completed in 1850, wait 1000 years for a bridge and two come along at once. It caught fire in 1970 and was rebuilt, opening in 1980.

Caernarfon Castle II

Another photo in Caernarfon Castle. On one of the towers here. The castle sits on the banks of the River Seiont and looks out over the Menai Strait towards Anglesey. It has polygonal towers rather than round ones. It never was finished. Of the two gates the Kings Gate was never finished and now has a glass barrier where you can look out at the town below.

Caernarfon Castle

Here I am at Caernarfon Castle. Lots of seagulls here so have decided to swoop down on a couple of unsuspecting ones. Caernarfon is in Gwynedd in north Wales. It's a large impressive castle. King Edward I started building the castle in 1283, I'm sure he had help otherwise he would still be building it. It is one of several castles he built (yes definitely he got some builders in) to establish English control over Wales (boo!!!). It was sacked in 1294 by Madog ap Llywelyn (hooray!! I could have helped with the fire). The English retook the town the following year (boo!) and started rebuilding.

Snowdonia

On my way to Caernarfon. Decided to stop here and have my photo taken with this lovely view. The lake behind me is Llynnau Mymbyr. It's about 3/4 of a mile long. A delta has built up and cut the lake in two, so it's two lakes. It isn't far from here to Mount Snowdon.

Nadolig Llawen

That's Welsh for Merry Christmas. I decided to help out my friend Father Christmas this year. We have quite a few things in common :- red, jolly, like Christmas and can fly, well he can with a bit of help from my friend in the picture. In the dark my flames give off more light than a red nose, Santa's usual way of seeing where he is going.

St Davids III

A couple more photographs from St.Davids. Here I am still in the ruins of the bishops palace. It's been a ruin for a few hundred years now.

This is St Davids Cathedral. They started building it in the 1100's. It was badly damaged in the 1600's and badly restored in the 1790's. Hasn't been a lucky building! It looks very nice now, as does the city. You can see the mountains in the background.

St Davids II

I'm in the ruins of the bishops palace here. Behind me you can see St. David's Cathedral and the hill that leads up to the city itself. There are quite a few steps on the hill and they were quite large for my little legs so I flew up.