Tuesday, February 19, 2008

The Other Way Round

We take the scenic route to Tenby. One of several possible scenic routes, in fact.

For the last few years we've settled on a route that goes Leeds to Manchester to Bala to Machynlleth to Aberystwyth to Cardigan to Tenby, just bypassing Dolgellau via a little village called Brithdir.

One of my favourite parts of it is going over this mountain pass and seeing this view, with the lake in the distance:


It's hard to judge the scale of it, until you realise that to the right of you there are lots of miniature sheep which appear to be about two inches high, surrounded by miniature trees. Then you understand that perhaps the mountain is bigger than you first thought.

The Dolgellau to Machynlleth part of the route takes you down the left hand side of a kind of circle made of roads. The right hand side of the circle looks much longer, so we'd never tried it.

Silverback suggested (thank you!) that we should try it, because the other way goes over another scenic - and difficult to say - pass, called Bwylch Oerddrws ("Did you mean Bwylch Orders?" asks Google - well, no, I didn't, actually).

It was glorious in the sunshine: though I know it would be glorious in any other weather too.

Again, it was hard to tell the scale of the huge mountains: here are our friend David and my mother looking at the scenery:

The Other Way Round didn't take much longer at all. When we go to Tenby in the summer, we plan to go the Usual Way going and the Other Way coming back. Or perhaps the Other Way going and the Usual Way coming back. Either way, I'm already looking forward to it.

4 Comments:

Blogger The Birdwatcher said...

Mrs BW has a favoured route from Buxton to Jamestown? which is near Tenby when she goes to see her mum. It takes longer but the scenery is wonderful and the roads fairly quiet in that special Welsh sort of way,and she says that it relaxes her.

6:54 pm  
Blogger Silverback said...

Listen, Missus, when I told you of that secret route I didn't mean for your mother and your friend to go off out onto the mountain sheep worrying.

The Welsh don't take kindly to foreigners messing with their mountains - or their sheep for that matter.

I bet it was her who nicked 'my' fern too. I have my eye on her.

4:16 am  
Blogger Jennytc said...

Delighted all went well at the wedding, Daphne. Keith and I were not far from that 'secret route' the other week.

11:21 am  
Blogger Malcolm Cinnamond said...

Fabulous! Brings back so many happy memories of days out from Shropshire.
I assume the other side of the 'circle' is the coast road from Dolgellau through Llwyngwril and Tywyn. Takes all day, but there are some wonderful sea views.
I can recommend the Centre For Alternative Technology near Machynlleth if you have time to stop.

Blimey! I sound like a tour guide.

7:51 am  

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