Today we were off on another train adventure.  We were in Llanberis to take a steam train up the Snowdon Mountain Railway.  We were headed towards the summit at Mount Snowdon (we opted for this instead of the 4-5 hour hike up).  Great views out as we road up.  Lots of ohhhs and ahhhs.  Half way up the train has to stop to fill up with more water.  The higher we got, the more fog and rain there was : (   Seems I'm not meant to get a great mountain view at any point on the trip.  I even had to wear my raincoat- which if you know me is saying a lot.  It was super windy and raining at the top.  I still ventured up the slick rock steps to the summit.  Not a super picture from the top but it proves I was there : )  I took a few pictures so you could see how hard it was to navigate.  You'd think you would drop off the Earth if you took a step too far in any direction. It would have been WONDERFUL in better weather but nothing to do about that.

After the chug chug chug of the choo-choo (quite smelly), we headed to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwlllantysilogogogoch.  No my keyboard didn't get stuck!  That is the actual name of a town!  Don't ask me to pronounce it!  It's Welsh (obviously) and about 80% of the people around this area where we've been speak Welsh as there 1st language.  In this town with the incredibly long name, we saw the Plas Newydd House (mansion) and Gardens that were the home of Marquesses of Anglesey.  That's a mouth full! It dates from the 15th century.  The National Trust has owned it since 1976 but there was family that lived there until 2013.  It is most known for Rex Whistler's largest painting- It was 58 ft. long and is almost an illusion at points- it seems that parts of the painting move when you look at it from different directions.  He painted a cigarette in it which the Marques didn't like but Rex said he would finish it after the war but sadly he died in battle. Another noteworthy thins is the world's first artificial leg (the Marques was shot in the knee in Waterloo and his leg had to be amputated below the knee.

All aboard here we go- 5 miles up with the train chugging along at 5 miles an hour.

 The steam from the train

 A look up at the summit

Looking down from the summit.

 I made it!  Weird hairdo thanks to the wind and stranger in the background.

 Looking up at the summit.

 The train

 The track it went on.

 Back at the station!

 The Plas Newydd House

A peek outside.

 The wife's dressing table.

 

 Huge, GORGEOUS hydrangeas (but the garden didn't compete with the one from a couple days ago)