Best Bus to Catch to Betws-y-Coed (3)

This is Bewts-y-Coed from above. The road running from upper left diagonally is the mighty A5; on the right is the railway station and bus “terminal” and the building top centre is the Tourist Information block.

Walking slowly (the fbbs are old, remember) south from the bus stop (itself to the north of the station and associated tourist shop grot), you come to the public conveniences, thoughtfully, but expensively, provided by the council as part of their policy to discourage tourism.

Apparently it is another scandalous 50P to P. 

Only it wasn’t.

The toilets were closed for refurbishment; but not only was there that inconvenience at the convenience, but the temporary conveniences also presented themselves as an inconvenience. The “man at work” reported that nothing was working as the water was turned off.

But the increasingly uncomfortable fbbs were invited to stride off across the footy pitch, and “just beyond” and “across the little bridge” they would find alternative more convenient conveniences.

They gave up! 

Surely there would be the usual offices at the tourist offices?

No caff either in the TiC, despite advertsing boards en route!

No WC for he and she!

But “the man” in the TiC confided that the hotel, just along the path, had graciously agreed to make its conveniences available conveniently to the public, many of whom were inconvenienced by the lack of same in the town. But no one had told the visitng public!

And they were up a load of steps.

Mrs fbb shot off at necessitous speed whilst her chubby hubby followed creakingly behind. But a very nice lady had sympathy for the old bloke and had obtained from the bar, the key to the level access executive loo …

… and proffered fbb second dibs.

With much relief, fbb was able to relieve himself.

Thanks a bunch Conwy Council for your really helpful welcome to one of the more important tourist hot spots in your area!

After a very enjoyable cup of coffee in said hotel, the fbbs made their way back to the bus.

Now Dai the Driver had told his alighting passengers of an X19 bus back to Llandudno which, he assured his much mucked about flock, would depart at 1305. That would be right, then, because he worked for Llew Jones and, anyway, the time was confirmed by Traveline.

So of course it would be right.

But fbb was, as ever, suspicious. He remembered using Llew Jones’ own on-line timetable to plan the excursion and was sure it offered an X19 at 1245.

Which, indeed, it did.

Mrs fbb opined that, as a Llew Jones employee, surely Dai the Driver would be right, even though he had returned on an earlier 1135 departure.

“We’ll get to the stop for 1245,” insisted fbb in an uncharacteristically dictatorial manner. (uncharteristicall dictatorial? fbb? really?)

And, you guesed it, at 1243 the bus pulled up …

… and left at 1245 …

… as witnessed by Mrs fbb’s wrist clock.

You wonder how many of Dai the Driver’s outbound customers would turn up at 1305?

Good innit?

The X19 follows the A470 all the way, making few stops including one in Llanrwst. Fortunately the fbbs were on the bus when a typical North Walian monsoon broke out!

Views of the Conwy river were somewhat impaired to the side …

… and fbb was very glad he wasn’t driving and thus coping with the front non-view of the road ahead!

A watery sun had re-appeared as the gruesome twosome repaired to their hotel room for an examination of the inside of their eyelids, by way of recovery from the excitement of the day thus far.

Beyws-y-Coed has succumbed to the lure of lodsa lucre,  with every building along the A5 being dedicated to serving visitors’ needs by emptying vistors’ wallets.

Why, even Craft Cymru was a thinly disguised Edinburgh Woolen Mill shop – with no “Mill” in Edinburgh, of course!

But if you stray from the A5 and toddle up the southern bit of the B5106 (unserved by Llew Jones) … 

…  there is a real village there and it is really lovely, mostly built in local slate and in local style.

… neither did they visit the Conway Valley Railway Museum back at the station.

There is only so much excitement that you an cram into one day! Yes, is that a locomotive on a miniature railway peeping out of its little shed?

Tomorrow’s delayed “Variety” blog will inclide a delve into the Museum’s offerings.