This morning again dawned warm and sunny and, after a relaxing breakfast outside, we headed up into the hills, parking at the beginning of the North Wales Path above Llanfairfechan. This meandered upwards at an easy angle, soon reaching open hillside. Foxgloves and welsh poppies were still in flower despite the hot weather. As we climbed the views back over the Menai Straits to Anglesey and down to Bangor were fabulous. Reaching the open hillside there were rounded lumps of whin covering the hillside, all on the verge of coming into flower. White rumped wheatears flitted on boulders and rock walls (oh for my 500 lens!), house martins swooped and wheeled in the air around us and all around were the raucous cries of herring gulls and jackdaws croaking and talking to themselves. Welsh ponies pottered around the fells feeding and minding their own business. Eventually we reached the Druids' Circle, an ancient stone circle, the tallest stones being shoulder height, perched high above Penmaenmowr and The Great Orme at Llandudno. This Bronze Age monument is said to be one of the finest examples in Wales. The stones are encrusted with a colourful lichen flora and all around yellow tormentil flowers peep golden out of the grass. This is a magical and atmorpheric spot and I couldn't help trying to imagine what it must have been like 3000 years ago when it was used for worship and ceremonies.
As we wandered back down the hillside, the sound of farm machinery busy with haymaking drifted up from the valley on the hot breeze. All around were aromas of hot earth and bracken.
Soon it was time to head for Bangor Station to pick up our son Thomas who was joining us for Beth's graduation. As we waited for him in the car park , it was fascinating to watch a buzzard being harried by the local herring gulls.
The evening concluded with a BBQ, a great Tour stage and a digestif in the last of the evening light.
To see the images large, click on a thumbnail.
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| Looking back to Bangor and the Menai Straights from the North Wales Path. |
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| The Druids' Circle |
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| The Druids' Circle with The Great Orme in the background. |
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| The Druid's Circle. |
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| Lichen covered standing stone. |
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| The Boy after the BBQ. |
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