99. 18.04.2012 Framed by a telegraph wire.
On the north side of the Llyn there are a group of mountains called Yr Eifl. The English call them the Rivals because that what it sounds like but the literal translation is The Forks, maybe because they stick up like three prongs of a fork? They fall steeply down to the sea which makes them look even more impressive. This view was taken on the road as it plunges down towards Llanaelhaearn. The mountain in the background is one of Snowdon’s many ladies in waiting.
I have a confession to make. In 1981 I passed my geography O-level and in a way it was because I cheated. There aren’t many people who can remember the questions on their O-level exams but I remember the one I got. “Using the map, describe what you would see if you were travelling from Llanaelhaearn along the B4417 to Llithfaen”.
Well, I knew this road well and was able to describe it perfectly, perhaps even down to the position of the telegraph poles and the steep junction at the bottom of the hill, although this has now been replaced with a roundabout. Still, I passed with a B which was the highest grade I ever got which was only overshadowed by my cycling proficiency diploma and 10 meters freestyle swimming badge.
The roundabout was built care of European Community funding, as was a long stretch of the road between Caernarfon down to Pwllheli. This allows the summertime procession of 4by4-yacht pulling-double barrelled-cava swillings-botoxed wives with flabby bellied husbands Cheshire-jettsetters to rush down from wherever to Abersoch in a few hours. They all still have to contend with the winding streets of Pwllheli where they all pile into the back of each other and sit cursing and loudly displaying their annoyance via the medium of horns and ear drum damaging faux not quite far back as the home-counties Cheshire accents.
I’ve been trying to find out what the mountain in the background is called, but can’t remember what it said on the 1981 Ordnance Survey map. Any ideas?
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