Some photographs, some exercise and a little bit of history.

Hey there,
I hope the weekend is treating everyone well.  Friday I went to Llangollen with my dad and brother-it's a lovely little village/town (they call it a town but it's so much smaller than where I am from that, to me, it's a village!)-very picturesque and a photographer's dream.  I have many photos from there but I have not yet gone through and selected the images to print, but a print run will be done soon.  There is a varied selection of things to do in the town and its surroundings-it is the closest place to the Abbey I camped by in my first post!  There are a number of walks around this part of the country and I was told that from the town to the top of the nearby hill is only a mile so I figured I would give it a go!
From around halfway up, you can make out the ruins on the top of the hill:

My brother and I climbed the steep and winding path up to Dinas Brân castle-a walk in total of less than 5k (we went around, coming back a different route than we went up) but so steep in places that I was not sure I would manage it!  My painful back and joints were complaining-as were my completely unfit lungs, but with the encouragement of my brother, I did make it to the top-and it was well worth it!  The views are magnificent.  Dinas Brân is Welsh for City of Crows (or Crow City), I imagine it was so named due to its location perched above all else for miles around.



Once we made it to the top, the camera came out! You really can see for miles around.

I think it would be an ideal spot for a picnic-like dining on the world's mezzanine!  I shall take one with me next time (and some water and some spare batteries for my camera).

As castles go, there is not much that remains of this one but there is enough to get a sense of how spectacular it would have been-plus this is one you can visit again and again without it costing you a penny.  The castle that stood here was built in the 13th century and used as a dwelling after it ceased to be used as a strong hold.  It was burnt down by the Welsh to prevent the English from taking it, yet the parts which escaped the fire stand against the elements all these centuries later.

I think an earlier start next time to get the light to take the above shot in black and white-I think that would look awesome.
None of these images have a name at present, so any suggestions will be welcomed :) 

I am off now to get back to work but I will be walking more as I aim to make the climb less difficult for me when I go back to the ruins of Dinas Brân castle next month, so expect more images of the area in which I live-particularly the coast! I would love to hear your comments about this location, or for you to share the story of your climb to the top-it was the hardest thing I have done in a long time but the sense of achievement was immense.

Have a great day and I will be back on Wednesday.