I'll put my review of the University Health Board course we attended in the Health section of my website. It was an intense few hours and we relished the opportunity to relax with a leisurely two hour walk into Gwydyr Forest followed by a stroll around town for chips and ice cream while we watched the white water at Pont-y-Pair Bridge over the Afon Llugwy. Four rivers meet at Betwys-y-Coed and that is part of its attraction. Three tributaries from the west flow into the Afon Conwy. Pont-y-Pair means 'the bridge of the cauldron' and the water is rapid at this point. Built in 1468, the bridge is a hot spot for photographers. My instant snaps don't do it justice! You'll get a sense of the scale and can imagine us eating our tucker on a near by picnic bench and watching the sun go down.
Lake Elsi is a reservoir and fishing lake in a forest clearing above Betws town. The black and white signposted walk from St Mary's Church is one of 14 marked paths through Gwydyr Forest park that start from Betws-y-Coed. Gwydyr Forest Park itself is claimed to be 7250 hectares and surrounds Betws-y-Coed, growing from Cwm Penmachno, an old mining village on the Afon Machno, to Lake Crafnant, situated high above the Conwy Valley village of Trefriw, past Llanrwst. Habitats within the forest are diverse with ancient and planted woodlands present. We saw plenty of what my friend calls 'teddy bear moss' that sculpts walls and trees, covering them in a fairy tale green hue. We also disturbed a pair of what I think were buzzards, very close to us, looking over lake Elsi, and spotted robins and common birds who are quite tame and will feed from the forest paths. My friend Natasha's aunt is a therapist in alternative medicine. She says that after a stressful event you should hug a tree to 'earth' yourself and minimize anger, confusion, and fear. So that is exactly what we are doing with a little skepticism in the second to last snap below. You have to kick back and be silly every once in a while to release the inner child/earth mother. A troop of men with walking poles ventured past just after this and who knows what they thought. We, at least, had a good giggle!