Monday 4 July 2016

Where the LLangollen Canal begins

After taking 87 photos yesterday I managed to take precisely no photographs today. Not one. So here are three I prepared earlier, i.e. yesterday. This is where we are moored, on the towpath, the second boat from the camera. If we hadn't been able to get in there we would have had to moor in the basin - no great hardship as it backs onto fields, then the hills. The only downside is that it's quite a bit further to the town as you have to go the "wrong" way to a bridge before retracing your steps on the towpath before being able to access LLangollen itself.

Yesterday evening we cycled up to the Horseshoe Falls to see where the canal/feeder starts.

Some of the River Dee's water to the bottom left of the picture runs via a grill to a valve house where the amount of water entering the feeder is controlled and measured.

We also had a look at the Chain Bridge which crosses the Dee from the Chain Bridge Hotel to Berwyn Station on the LLangollen Railway. It bounces when you walk across it; when you get to firm ground again you feel a little unstable. I like this shot of Jan on the bridge with the lines radiating out.

Today we said goodbye to Ally, Ben and Josiah as they left to drive home; in the evening we went to a Festival Songs of Praise at the Methodist Church. This was in anticipation of the LLangollen International Eisteddfod which starts tomorrow evening. In between singing several hymns, well known and not so well known, we were treated to an astonishing performance by a young pianist. Julian Gonzales, 16 years old, played pieces by Rachmaninov, Debussy, Liszt and Joplin. The Liszt was just amazing - we were in a good position to see his hands crossing over each other all the time. And he played it all from memory. Amazing. He hopes to study Maths at Oxford.

We'll do our LLangollen Railway trip tomorrow, before having to leave these lovely moorings.

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