Aberystwyth to Machynlleth, Just Looking

With most of the afternoon ahead of us, we drove north on the A487 just sightseeing.

It was a beautiful drive, surrounded by green hills with occasional glimpses of water. We drove through the old village of Borth, which our train companions had recommended as worth visiting, and then onward to Machynlleth ( you can hear the pronunciation here).

Machynlleth boasts a beautiful Victorian clock tower, built in the 1870's by subscription, in the center of town. The town is steeped in history, dating back to pre-Roman times, with copper mining active in the area as far back as 2600 BC. The Welsh hero  Owain Glyndŵr established the first Welsh parliament here, giving rise to claims that Machynlleth was the first capital of Wales.

What good chance brought us here? Antique stores everywhere! I went browsing while Larry took a coffee break at the local pub.

I loved this creative fundraising idea.

I loved the blue iron fence and door too. 

Ah, the pub! I stopped in here for a cup of tea, and to rest my tired feet.

The White Lion, in stone.

This is a busy town, with many tourists and lots of buses and traffic passing through. There was a decidedly upbeat feel here, and I found myself wishing our room was in this town.

 A good luck door? This is actually the door to the old livery stables in town.

An out-the-window glimpse of an old water mill with large no parking, private property signs that discouraged further exploration.

The sign reads, "Artist Valley." Made me curious but by now it was past dinnertime.

Most signs in Wales are in both Welsh and English, a good thing! Welsh is an intriguing language, with surprising combinations of letters.

And finally, back homeward to Aberystwyth, tired but ready to go back to the harbor for just a little while before dinner and bed.

For a bit different look at "driving" in Machynlleth, check out these off-roaders. I know a few guys who would love this kind of fun.


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