Porthmadog Weekend Away

I love going to Greenacres at Blackrock Sands near Porthmadog. We usually visit a couple of times a year at least but this year we have only managed to get this one weekend away, which was a week ago. I'd had a hell of a week at work and wasn't concentrating when we were packing. The result was that as we opened the caravan door for a self catering weekend away I realised I had not packed those essentials such as a towel, washing up liquid or even toilet paper! Not the "end of the world" but very irritating. A trip to Tescos soon sorted out this problem but hit my purse. 

I visited the charity shops in Porthmadog and was so disappointed to find that most are charging silly prices. Who wants to pay £2 for a used DVD when I can pick them up for 10p-50p on carboot sales. They are deluded. Oxfam had a mans Ted Baker jacket for sale at £149.99 - yes just shy of £150....!?! I did manage to buy a pair of new Van Dal black patent leather shoes for £3.99 from an independent animal charity shop and 6 coffee glasses for 49p each. These are just the perfect size and shape for using with my DeGusto coffee machine.

I also bought three Weightwatchers books for £1 and three Slimming Magazines for 20p each. We are still managing a reasonably healthy eating pattern and both of us have lost weight over the last few weeks. I am wanting to maintain this so £1.60 was well spent on the 100's of recipes and tips these books/magazines contain.

I bought the DVD boxed set of "Our friends in the North" for £2. I watched this series when it was first shown on TV and really enjoyed it so am looking forward to watching it again. One of the key characters is played by David Craig, the current James Bond. 

We have walked on the beach at Blackrock Sands and enjoyed the sea air and feeling of space around us and the big sky above us. It always recharges my batteries and is good for the soul. We also had a walk on the beach at Pwhelli and then David drove us to Abersoch on Saturday and even though the skies were grey, it was dry and warm so we had drinks al fresco overlooking the inside harbour at Zinc bar which is always a favourite.

We ate out on Friday night in the square at nearby Tremadog. The restaurant, Y Sgwar has the most delightful head waiter who is just an absolute darling and has been working there for years. We probably only eat there once or maybe twice a year and he adds to the experience.  This time he overheard me saying to David that I couldn't see their usual cod & chips on the menu which is delicious. I had noticed someone else eating it. He came to our table and said it wasn't on the menu but had overheard me and had two portions left that he would save for us.

We visited nearby Criccieth on Saturday night to go to Dylans restaurant. It is in a 1950s Art Deco building made to look like it was built in the 1930s. The building is part of Clough Williams Ellis's legacy (of Portmeirion fame). It looked just brilliant lit up on the waterfront.

The cocktails were fantastic - mojito anyone? as was the food. To be honest I found it a little over facing and left most of my main course. They specialise in fish and seafood and the famous Anglesey mussels. I love mussels and should have ordered them but had an urge for just plain burger & chips. Not very sophisticated but it was what I felt like. I left nearly all the chips as I was full after eating the burger. It was delicious though and there was a real buzz and great atmosphere in the restaurant. David ate his meal and then ate all my chips. He still remains youthfully slim ... life is not fair.

Sunday morning we were up early and off to the last Carboot sale of the season in Porthmadog. We then drove to Harlech on the other side of the estuary. We walked around the village taking in the views from the high view points across the golf course and out over the bay. The weather was dank and grey but not windy and warm so we called into a hotel that has a garden cafe looking out over the bay. I had a naughty hot chocolate with thick cream and became friends with the dogs belonging to the couple sitting at the next table.

We bimbled back to the caravan for an afternoon doze, a read of the Sunday papers and a shower and change for another evening meal out. We visited Castle Dudraeth at Portmeirion for a steak dinner. We have visited this restaurant more times than I can remember and I love sitting on the comfortable leather settees drinking a G&T next to the roaring log fires. We had a delicious meal that just ended our weekend away perfectly.

Well that's it for our weekends away until next year. Nothing booked yet but I'm sure it won't be long before we are booking something to look toward to.