It's the fourth week back in the UK and second visit for Katoon. As yet there have been no excursions, at least far for the city. Nothing was planned for the first month here, but we're opening our account with a simple overnight trip on this bank holiday Monday. There is a 3-hour journey ahead of us though, through some magnificent scenery as we head towards North Wales. The trip will be a taster of what is to come this summer.
We leave home at around 9.30 am, buy some fuel and head north on the A49 taking a break at Shrewsbury. We then choose a scenic route passing Oswestry and onto Llangollen. Here there is a planned stop as I wish to call at the heritage railway. The town is completely new to me and I shouldn't be surprised that it's teeming with tourists on this bank holiday Monday. Llangollen is certainly popular, nestled in the picturesque Dee Valley. The Llangollen railway is a standard gauge line that has been saved from extinction. On this busy day there are three services running from the town to Corwen some 10 miles away. The Llangollen Railway is a volunteer-run heritage railway in here in Denbighshire. The standard gauge line, which is 10 miles (16 km) long, runs on part of the former Ruabon – Barmouth GWR route that closed in 1965. It operates daily services in the summer as well as weekends throughout the winter months, using a variety of mainly ex-GWR steam locomotives as well as several diesel engines and diesel multiple units.
I've allowed an hour and a half here but it's certainly not enough. Just browsing around the souvenir shops alone takes all of that. As I head for the station, I'm not impressed to see a train leaving at the station and it's not practical to wait for the next service. One thing I do get right though is a bite for lunch. I recently purchased a food warmer and the cheese and onion pie I brought is nicely done. It will serve until we reach our destination. The plan is now to reach Colwyn Bay by mid-afternoon.
We reach Travelodge before 3.00 pm noting that check-ins before that time incur additional cost. We're pleased to see that the room is good and we waste no time settling in and warming more food. In the meantime I have to park in the retail parking area across the road. The advantage though, of having shops so near is obvious. After making ourselves comfortable and taking a rest I plan to go out and explore the new surroundings, but there is a problem. Well, two, actually. Katoon, so normally full of energy is not feeling too well. Then just as I was considering options, cloud that had threatened to bring rain since lunch, moves in with a vengeance bringing an end to the day. This brings into question how tomorrow will work out.

Source: Visit