10th January 2025

We headed off to Portmeirion for a three-night post-Christmas break. The weather sounded a little iffy, Snowstorms were forecast. In the event there was no snow on the drive there or back. While we were there, a small icing of snow came down to brighten up the views.

We elected the Welshpool route, stopping at a charge station while buying lunch at Tesco. Arrived too early for the hotel, so a quick tour of charity shops in Porthmadog where I picked up a live vinyl double album of Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield and R (surprise, surprise!) a book.

Back to the hotel, where we were staying in Cliff House 1. A first for us. It is on the edge of the village, and you can park the car nearby. Excellent for loading and unloading, and for driving off to see the sites of the Welsh hills, but not so good for charging. The room was not as good as other rooms we have stayed in. It was also a little chilly, possibly because of the wintry weather, and the room not being used for a few days.

Our first night’s meal was in the hotel at 7.00. Excellent meal as usual.

It snowed overnight; tiny crystals rather than flakes. After breakfast, and setting up the car to chargein the residents’ car park, we walked around the gardens. At any time of year, there is always something new to see. This year there was much clearing up of old rhododendrons, and quite a few trees had also been cut down. I can only assume they had been clearing up much of the damage from the previous months’ storms. Health and Safety was also having a field day, new fences to stop you falling down the cliffs, and lots of tape barring you from entry to sections of the woods where there was clearing-up in progress. We saw signs to a new The Peace Statue, so we followed the signs.

On the second night we ate at Castell Deudraeth for a change of scenery. The walk up to this hotel in the dark was lovely. There were several owls hooting all around us. The Castell Deudraeth restaurant was not very busy. We were the last to sit down to eat at 7.00pm.

Our final day, so we took the car out for a drive around. We visted Plas Brondanw house and gardens. This is where Clough Williams-Ellis (the creator of Portmeirion) lived. It is now open to the public and is the home of the Susan Williams-Ellis archive. We were the only visitors, our footprints in the snow from the carpark to the house were the only ones.

Lovely house, and an exhibition of art by Ruth Jên Evans, ‘Seeds of the Imagination’ was on display. We ended up buying a print. The last of the limited edition, so it was taken off the wall, frame and glass included. While it was being wrapped, we walked around the gardens in the crisp snow. Whole place was delightful and the views superb.

We then drove on to the Lakeside Cafe near Blaenau Ffestiniog. We had stopped there before. With dinner at the hotel, we really only wanted (needed) a snack.

R suggested we visit a castle, Castell Cricieth. Of course it was closed. We walked around a bit of Cricieth and decided it looked a bit of a dump.

Back at the hotel, Negronis and G&Ts in our room before heading out for supper at 7.00 Another excellent meal. Oh and by the way, breakfasts in the morning are also very good.

Next day, there was a lovely sunrise. It was luck that I drew the curtains before the sun had come up. We went down for our last breakfast, and then packed up, and set off home, stopping at a Tesla (I know, I know!) charger on the M5 services for a Splash and Dash charge.