Where do you want to go on the third day in Wales?

[Diane]

If you intend to come to Wales in October, please vote for where you want to go on day three.


Centre for Alternative Technology

http://www.cat.org.uk/visitus/vc_conten ... ir=Visitus

Nestled in the hillsides of Southern Snowdonia is one of the world’s most renowned eco-centres, featuring interactive displays and practical examples of sustainable living, renewable energy and organic gardening. CAT takes a refreshingly positive look at environmental issues and offers practical solutions to help us lessen our impact on the environment. On arrival, visitors ascend 180ft (60m) via a remarkable cliff railway – powered entirely by water-balancing. You can sit back and take in the magnificent mountain vista before exploring the inspiring array of exhibits.

The seven-acre display site, includes exciting interactive displays that demonstrate the incredible power of wind, water and sun and has working examples of environmentally responsible buildings, energy conservation, organic growing and waste management.

Off-peak there is an air of tranquillity, the perfect time to enjoy the diversity of flora and fauna that flourishes around the site, to take a stroll around the fascinating organic gardens or enjoy a leisurely meal in our wholefood restaurant.

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Narrow Guage Railway Ride, plus visit to Slate Mines

http://www.ffestiniograilway.co.uk/index.asp

The Ffestiniog Railway is the oldest independent railway company in the World - being founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832.

The railway was built as a gravity and horse drawn line to transport slate from the quarries in the mountains around Blaenau Ffestiniog. As the slate industry flourished, so did the railway and the town of Porthmadog. Slates from Blaenau Ffestiniog were exported to ports all over the globe - many in ships built in Porthmadog.

The railway was extremely successful and introduced many innovative engineering solutions to cope with the rapid increase in output from the quarries and in the number of passengers it carried. Engineers from around the world came to study the Ffestiniog Railway and, as a result, it has influenced the design and construction of railways in many countries.

However, the slate industry - and then passenger numbers - slowly declined, until finally the railway closed to traffic in 1946. Luckily, pioneering railway enthusiasts were determined that the railway should survive and it was re-opened in 1954.

Over the last fifty years, the Ffestiniog Railway has become a leader in railway preservation and is now one of Wales’ top tourist attractions. Visitors to the railway can enjoy the outstanding natural beauty of Snowdonia as they pass through areas inaccessible by road undisturbed by the sights and sounds of modern life.

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Portmeirion Village

http://www.portmeirion-village.com/cont ... ID=6;lID=1

Some good photos of the village:

http://www.pbase.com/belvedere/portmeirion_2007

A visit to Portmeirion is well worth the effort for the beautiful architecture on display.

The tiny village was built by architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis between 1925 and 1976 on his own private peninsula on the coast of Snowdonia in North Wales.

Despite its location, Portmeirion does not look or feel very Welsh at all. In fact, with its palm trees and central piazza it looks more Mediterranean.

It is set on a hillside, overlooking White Sands Bay. The buildings are the colour of boiled sweets and when you first enter through the Gate House arch don't forget to look up at the ceiling, where you will find an angelic mural.

By building Portmeirion, Sir Clough Williams-Ellis hoped to show that architecture can be attractive and fun without spoiling a naturally beautiful site.

Williams-Ellis' lifelong concern was with colourful architecture, landscape design, the protection of rural Wales and conservation. In Portmeirion he has left us all a great legacy. It encapsulates all his ideas and illustrates his quest for beauty.

His daughter, Susan, and her husband Euan Cooper-Willis established the Portmeirion Pottery in 1960 and there is a shop selling the wares in the village.

Williams-Ellis completed the village when he was over 90-years-old. It is now owned by a charity, the Second Portmeirion Foundation. The buildings are listed Grade II and the site is a designated conservation area which attracts around a quarter of a million visitors a year.

The focal point of the village is the Bell Tower or Campanille which the architect built in 1927.Two of the most impressive buildings are the Pantheon or Dome, dating back to 1958 and set on the hillside, and the nearby classical colonnade which was reconstructed in 1959 from a 1760 original. There are over 40 structures in all.

Sadly, you can't go into most of the buildings, because almost all are used either as hotels or self-catering cottages. But we did manage to get into the cafe and the Town Hall self-service restaurant to get a feel for things. There are also quite a few shops, situated in the original buildings and we found some nice souvenirs of our day out. On the Piazza, one of the buildings houses a free audio visual show which would be well worth a look. Fans of the Prisoner, Patrick McGoohan's enigmatic television series which was filmed in the village, might enjoy the Prisoner Shop.

Portmeirion's other claim to fame is the statue of Buddha, which was used in Ingrid Bergman's 1958 film The Inn of the Sixth Happiness. And then there is the Upper Fountain suite, where Noel coward wrote Blythe Spirit during a week in 1941.

If you have time, you could finish your day out by visiting some of the attractions on the edge of the village, such as the children's playground, the stone Temple and the Oriental lake.

[Henning]

The autumn beer festival at Spooner's and the chance to let my hair hang down was too seductive for me. I had to vote for that one.

http://www.ffestiniograilway.co.uk/loca ... &artid=185

[KerstinP]

Yes, Henning, sounds tempting, but I would prefer Portmeirion Village

[Henning]

Sister K. - if you prefer Portmeirion, why don't you give your vote then ? I could give you a little web training if you like, with or without the lock-in procedure. Do you think Brother C. will join us ? Do you think he likes hiding tours as well ?

[KerstinP]

I've given my vote now. Thanks, Brother H., I accept your offer (I've hidden all the keys)

I think our Brother C. prefers hiking tours

(Mother's coffee is waiting )