North Wales Day 4 pt. 2

We were expecting a long bus ride. We were expecting a nap. We didn't get either, but instead arrived at the first burial mound of the day within 10 minutes. Ken still managed to fall asleep in that time. We were in the middle of a bunch of fields. We played the groups favorite game "Hey Sheep!" and adapted it to play hey cow, and then taught it to Geier's kids, who decided to play "Hey field! All the grass looked at me! I get a million points!" We then began playing a different, slightly more frustrating game of find the burial mound with Prof. Geier. We were wandering along this path, and he was convinced that what we were trying to head for was some farmer's trash heap. Needless to say it wasn't. We found it in the end, along with some very frightened lambs that ended up on the wrong side of the fence. One couldn't figure out how to get back across (not the brightest of animals sheep), and just ran around bleating and panicking its mother. Sammy almost successfully got it to jump through the fence, but it crashed into it instead, and Geier yelled at us to leave it alone.

Mound #1

The burial mound (Bryn Celli Ddu) was pretty cool, we could hunch and walk into it in shifts and look around. It's been partially reconstructed, but it was still neat. The boys found a large piece of amethyst and a burned candle from someones recent ceremony.

Got back on the bus, still a bit grumpy and headed to burial chamber #2, Barclodiad y Gawres. This one was amazing. We couldn't go in it as far, as it has a lot of cool carved rocks, which are frequently vandalized, so they keep it locked now, unless you're taken in by a guide, but not in pre tourist season. The mound has been mostly rebuilt, and in itself isn't overly exciting, but where is stands is incredible. It's on the Anglesey coast, on a cliff, overlooking some amazing breakers and beaches. The view was stunning. We also got to play on the beach for awhile after, and I of course brought a load of stones, shells and beach glass home with me.


View from atop Mound #2



Our final stop for the day was at the place that is rumored to have the longest name in the world. I don't doubt it. The funny thing is, it was named sort of as a joke and a way to grab tourists, it works. The place, called Llanfair PG by the post office is actually:
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch


I'm not joking. You can ask me to try to pronounce it when I get back. The name means:
The Church of Mary in the Hollow of the White Hazel Near the Fierce Whirlpool and the Church of Tysilio by the Red Cave.


After taking a lot of goofy pictures with the many signs, we headed across the street for a wonderful dinner at the Penrhos Arms, where we again stuffed ourselves silly, and I had an amazing desert. We headed home to watch Shawshank Redemption in the common room (it being Paikin's birthday, he chose the movie). We sat around watching, pretending to do work, and knitting.



Llanfair PG!