![\"snowdonia](\"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1-20190527_134718.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Regular readers will notice a lack of current international travel from these quarters.\u00a0 It doesn’t mean there’s none in the near future by the way, it has just meant building projects, plus a husband working abroad a lot has gotten in the way, as has (in the nicest possible way) a need for our offspring to get to know “their own” country (even though one of them insists it isn’t his own country!) just that little bit more…<\/p>\n
I am not one to complain at such things, especially since I love a road trip.\u00a0 Add to that not having to navigate an airport with a three-year old whose over exuberance doesn’t tend to go down all that well with fellow passengers in a cramped aeroplane environment, and I am very happy to explore the UK a little more too!<\/p>\n
With a Welsh Father in Law, and various hiking holidays pre-kids, we know Wales reasonably well, and love it.\u00a0 We haven’t visited Snowdonia in any form before though, so given our general love of mountains and all that it seemed the obvious choice…<\/p>\n
Having left it until the very last minute to book anything for half term, we really and truly lucked in when we secured Ysgubor Llwyn y Ffynnon (known as Spring Barn<\/a> in English), it’s beautiful.<\/p>\n An old barn, originally converted by a US set designer, and a Welsh Artist,\u00a0 you can tell the renovation was done by people with a lot of creativity and good interiors knowledge.\u00a0 The current owners have continued the high-end theme, with gorgeous White Company Linen and lots of other bits and pieces that quite frankly I am not sure I would personally entrust to holiday renters!<\/p>\n Everything is perfectly thought out, from the grown-up lounge area with a decent wood burner and music system, to an upstairs TV room with masses of DVDs to choose from.\u00a0 You have to love a cottage that comes with hundreds of decent books to read too (not to mention stacks of cookbooks in the kitchen!) – I am determined to read at least one whilst we are here!<\/p>\n We arrived in glorious sunshine with time to explore before it got dark, so we headed straight down to the river at the bottom of the garden, with instructions to look out for the otters (haven’t spotted one yet, there’s still time!).\u00a0 \u00a0 The gardens are over a couple of levels and you look to the right across rolling hills, and to the left to nosey neighbours in horse form that come to inspect what we are up to at least three times a day!<\/p>\n Whilst part of me would have been more than happy to just sit and relax on our first morning, the other half of me was well aware of the forecast for the week ahead, and the urgent need to get out and explore just in case the weather prevented us from doing so at some point…<\/p>\n First stop somewhere to buy a coat for the Toddler as we had somehow managed to leave his behind (and mine I hasten to add!).\u00a0 Being a bank holiday and all, the only shop that open (strangely) was a charity shop, and we left with a Debenhams number that looked at least 10 years old for the grand total of \u00a31.75.\u00a0 \u00a0 Needs must for the time being and all that.\u00a0 \u00a0 It seems as though he’s following in the very image conscious footsteps of his big brother however, and it took a lot of cajoling and blackmail to get him to actually wear it (blackmail in good cake form – T H Roberts<\/a> (a cafe in an old Iron Mongery) in Dolgellau obliged!) before heading to the mountains…<\/p>\n Currently, with various ridiculous political happenings, it’s easy for this Small Island to feel a little “upside down”, so it’s nice to reminded of the good things about it, and this natural beauty is most definitely a good thing.\u00a0 Just look at this…<\/p>\n The bluebells are still out here covering vast swathes of mountain-side and dotting the woodland floor, and<\/em> we heard the first cuckoo of the year (a miracle amongst the moaning about the coat from one of our group!).\u00a0 \u00a0It might not be quite the alpine scenery that we are used to, but it’s equally beautiful…<\/p>\n Wales, it’s so nice to see you again, and introduce a few more people to your beauty…<\/p>\n![\"Spring](\"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1-20190526_164015.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Spring](\"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1-20190526_172543.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Spring](\"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1-20190526_180512.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Spring](\"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1-20190526_184752.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Snowdonia](\"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1-20190527_142812.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"snowdonia](\"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1-20190527_134853.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Snowdonia](\"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1-20190527_140028.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Snowdonia](\"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1-20190527_143548.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"bluebells](\"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1-20190527_104733.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"snowdonia](\"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1-20190527_142953.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"snowdonia](\"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1-20190527_143748.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"snowdonia](\"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/1-20190527_145837.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"Suitcases](\"https:\/\/suitcasesandsandcastles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/FARAWAY-FILES-FIVE-BADGE-with-map-1-e1515413853306.jpg\"){kind=icon}
<\/a><\/div>\n