The Chopper Chronicles

Have any of you folks out there ever been somewhere that just feels overwhelmingly good ? Even better than when you were a small child and awoke on Christmas morning and discovered Santa Claus had been particularly generous. Like walking into a room full of all your favorite things and closest friends. Maybe stepped around a corner and discovered love at first sight. This chapter of my blog has me really excited. Not just because I was discovering a new place and claiming it as My own, either. No, this place is different. Kind of like that first breath of fresh cool air after being cooped up in a hot smokey airless room for hours. Oooops, in My excitement to share it all, I am getting ahead of Myself however.  After we left Conwy, it was decided to go inland to Llanberis instead of Anglesey. There is a steam train in Llanberis that would be closing for the season soon that Mum and That Bearded Guy wanted to ride.   Angelesy would still be there another day. We drove about 24 miles on very nice crazy curvy roads, but thankfully, no more rain. This time I did not have the rear wiper intermittently popping up to grab my bum ! The scenery between Conwy and Llanberis was every bit as beautiful as the rest of North Wales that I have seen so far. We pulled into Llanberis and into a car park that was right beside a grand lake to decide what to do first. Flocks of people were walking towards the Llanberis Town Centre ( ‘center’ to us Yankee Doodle Chihuahuas ) and That Bearded Guy asked Mum if she wanted to park and head that way as well. Too late….Mum had already spotted a silhouette of something up on a hill down the valley a little ways. ” What’s that thing up there with a hole in it…? “, she asked. Suddenly That Bearded Guy remembered there was a castle up there. The crone had always refered to it as “..a pile of rubble..” not worth the time to see, so he had forgotten it was even there. Needless to say I almost had to hold on to My fur as Mum pulled out of that parking lot and headed up the road in that direction ! Personally, I would much rather walk up to a castle ruin than fight my way through tourists in some town centre ! The Traveling Twosome found the right place to park the chariot without too much trouble at all. Mum got me all leashed up while That Bearded Guy went to put money in the parking permit machine. It sure felt good there, despite the wierdo putting off some strange vibes sitting in the backseat of his car with the door open and parked near the chariot. The Bearded Guy returned with the parking permit and a grin as wide as The Grand Canyon. When he had gone to pay the machine, there was a very wet 10 pound note on the ground. This was really getting off to a great start ! We zipped across the road and crossed over a seriously babbling stream. ( it’s actually the river Afron Hwch ) The woods were nice and thick.  It was a steep, short and fairly easy trail upwards under a full tree canopy. Nice nice nice !!! Mine mine MINE !!! It felt so good up there I could already feel My handsome Chihuahua tail starting to curl ! We turned a small corner and there it was, Dolbadarn Castle. Wooo Hooo and Wowzers !!!!!!! I could not get through that kissing gate fast enough !! At the kissing gate, there was a stone hut, built by Cadw perhaps, but not anything old or special. There was also some old crone standing there waiting for some guy to catch up with her. She was quite surprised to see us and obviously uncomfortable by our presence. A round of serious barks and “Be Gone’s” took care of them immediately. Once I had taken care of the interlopers, I turned my attention to the Castle. I am telling you folks, I could feel My tail curl all the way around and not only touch itself where it started, it headed back around again for another revolution ! It was awesome !!! Better than a freshly opened bag of Schmackos ! There is something about this place that really sings ! Mum and That Bearded Guy felt it too. I could hardly contain myself waiting for them to take pictures from the outside of the castle…I wanted inside !! Not because it was kind of windy and a bit cold…because it was calling Me ! Finally Mum got around to taking me up the main stairway, My tail started wagging all by itself. It had a mind of it’s own it was so happy. Tail wagging is usually reserved for extra special people, not places ! Luckily for Mum she always keeps My lead on me or I would have been up those interior stairs in a Labs wag ! That Bearded Guy doesn’t do heights, and the skinny steep circular stairway didn’t have a rope against the wall to hold onto, so he stayed below. Most people would opt to crawl up those stairs for a view from a top window hole. I just had to see the view though ! Mum just had to see the view too, and heights do not bother her in the least. With a solemn promise to NOT lean out any windows to take pictures, up up up Mum and I went. WOW those were crazy skinny curvy stairs ! Mum was carrying me, My lead, her tortoise purse, the camera, and a small bag with something in it that I was going to leave on the trail up to the castle. She must have been excited as well, because had she been thinking, everything except the camera, and Myself could have been left down below. ( rolls handsome green Chihuahua eyes ) Good thing Mum is part mountain goat and has built in 4 wheel traction on her shoes ! We got all the way up to the top, and some one had put a grate across the top most step preventing us entry onto the top of the tower ! Drums toe toes in disgust !! I posed for a picture perched on the upper most window ledge possible. The view was fantastic from up there ! Llyn Peris ( lake ) to the right, and Llyn Padarn to the left.  No wonder The Welsh Princes of Gwynedd chose this place to build a castle ( well that and the strategic location for defending their realm.. ) Staying true to her word, Mum just stuck the camera out the window and snapped a picture of That Bearded Guy drying the 10 pound note he found, by waving it in the wind. Getting down took longer, but we made it without any incidents. I did notice Mum was in a bit of a hurry to find a place to tinkle afterwards though ! It was getting colder, and the Llanberis Lake Railway steam train would be departing the station soon, so off we went back down the trail. We will be returning to Dolbadarn Castle again for a longer stay and more scratch and sniffing next time !!! Goes to show…one old crones “..pile of rubble…” is another Chihuahua’s Magic Place ! Saying farewell to the Spirits of such people as Llwelyn ap Iorwerth ( The Great )   Llwelyn ap Gruffydd ( The Last ) & Owain Goch, to name a few, was hard to do. Knowing that we shall all return to really explore and spend some time there made it easier. I sure hope when we come back next time, it’s deserted except for ourselves again ! No wonder is considered the finest of all the native Welsh built Castles.

Along the trail up to ( My ) Dolbadarn Castle

Welcome to Choppbadarn Castle….er..I mean Dolbadarn Castle

My Dolbadarn Castle. I actually stood on the window ledge for a picture !!!

( second from the top to the right )

Ta Daaa !!! Tis I, King of North Wales in My Dolbadarn castle tower !

Nice view of Llyn Padarn from My tower

Nice view of That Bearded Guy drying his 10 pound note….is that a bald spot i see ??

First part of the stairway down from My tower

The last bit of stairs….finally I see daylight !!

Tis I, Chopper The Brave, surveying all that is Mine

This is awesome Mum. With my super Chihuahua vision I can see the sheep poo you trod in earlier

Looking back as Mum was dragging me away from My tower

For the complete set of 31 pictures taken at Dolbadarn click ->> HERE <<-

This is Chopper The Explorer, Grand PooBah of all I survey and King of Dolbadarn Castle & North Wales, signing off for now……

I raise my Paw and Wag my tail in a *bark out* to my wonderful friend, Debbie with a new last name as of Oct 11, 2008, in Marana/Tucson, AZ !!!!! HellOoOooo and Thank You Debbie Of All Pet Travel ! HelloOoOo and Thank You’s to Rich and Erika, miss and love You’s ! You too,  Carmen,  All of Vail AZ, …. Lots of kisses and Wags.…Hiya’s to Maxx and Duke !

Chopper The Brave ” Going Where No Chihuahua Has Gone Before “

Tags: Afron Hwch, All Pet Travel, Angelesy, Cadw, Chihuahua, Chopper, Conwy, Dolbadarn Castle, Kissing Gate, Llanberis, Llanberis Lake Railway, Llwelyn ap Gruffydd, Llwelyn ap Iorwerth, Llyn Padarn, Llyn Peris, North Wales, Owain Goch, Schmackos, stunning views, The Grand Canyon, The Welsh Princes of Gwynedd, Wales, Walks, Welsh built castles

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008 at 6:05 am and is filed under Afron Hwch, All Pet Travel, Angelesy, Cadw, Chihuahua, Chopper, Conwy, Dolbadarn Castle, Kissing Gate, Llanberis, Llanberis Lake Railway, Llwelyn ap Gruffydd, Llwelyn ap Iorwerth, Llyn Padarn, Llyn Peris, North Wales, Owain Goch, Schmackos, The Welsh Princes of Gwynedd, Wales, Walks, castle, stunning views. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.