NORTH WALES OLYMPIC TORCH ROUTES.

MONDAY/TUESDAY 28th/29th MAY 2012.

I have been following the Olympic Torch Relay today on a BBC news page which gives you all the details and also has a live web-cam feed; this is because it is in Wales and in particular North Wales today and tomorrow, the crowds have been amazing and of course the hot sunny weather also helps ! Today it started in Aberystwyth and ended up in Bangor this evening; the route took it through Tal-y-Bont,Machynlleth,Dolgellau,Blaenau Ffestiniog,Portmadoc,Criccieth,Pwellheli,Carnarfon and Bangor. All this area I know like the back of my hand since I first went to work as a ‘Commis Chef ’in Bala when I was sixteen and of course subsequently when we have worked in Pen-y Gwryd, Beddgelert and of course Colwyn Bay.North Wales looked spectacular as the torch was taken along by the runners, it is taking 70 days with 8000 runners for the 8ooo miles ! At one stage the torch came down the Cliff Railway in ‘ Aber ’ which is a ‘Funicular ’ and is the longest in the UK taking passengers up and down a 50% gradient. Later the torch traveled on the famous ‘ Ffestiniog ’ narrow gauge heritage railway that comes down from Blaenay-Ffestiniog to the ‘ Cob ’ ( Harbor Wall ) in Portmadoc 13 miles away.

Tomorrow it is going from Beaumaris on Anglesey across the famous Menai Suspension Bridge built by Thomas Telford in 1826 and ending up in Chester. The route is going to pass through Conwy,Deganwy,Llandudno,Rhos-on-Sea,Colwyn Bay, Old Colwyn,Abergele,Kinmel Bay,Rhyl,Rhuddlan,Queensfery,Harden and into Chester ! The torch is going up Snowdon on the mountain railway with the flame in a miners lamp where it will be met by one of my mountaineering hero’s ‘ Sir Chris Bonnington ’who will take it to the top ! Later in the day it is going on a lifeboat and cable car before it passes through Old Colwyn on the main road past our dear friends Tim and Thea’s road !! To say that we know the area is some what of an understatement ! It is ending up in Chester in David and Jane’s territory so watch out !Next week I’ am going to do a picture blog about the two days in North Wales after we get back from Guadalmina on Tuesday.

PS; The pictures above show the route maps for the two days.


Thought for the Day;


To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.


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