I WAS GOING to wait 'til tomorrow to write this but decided that it would never get done if I did so. So here I am at 11:15 pm doing this dumb journal!

This morning I was up early but I just lay in bed until I was ready to get up. I went downstairs for breakfast and spoke with the Scottish trio about visiting the west coast of Scotland. I gave them each a pin of Ontario.

By 9:45 am I was ready so I left that B&B never to return. I decided to cycle along the coast so I ended up missing Bodnant Garden. In Conwy I headed toward Bangor along the coast. Though the road was relatively busy, the scenery was incredible and my ankle and knee improved so the ride was great.

Before too long, I saw signs for Penrhyn Castle so I headed for it and arrived by 11:30 am. The doors didn't open til noon so I took a photo outside. I locked my bike to a pole and headed inside. I left my red bags at the desk so all I had to carry was the black one which was quite light.

The castle was Neo-Norman built in the early 19th Century - very Victorian in its styles. They'd owned slate quarries in the area so there was stone everywhere. More ideas for my house. Most of the family's fortunes had been made from slavery so the locals don't like the place; they have to hire people from out of the area as nobody there will. On the way out I happened to notice a few palm trees in the bush. I wouldn't have expected them this far north in Wales.

I went in to Bangor where I stopped for lunch. I still can't get used to being stared at wherever I go because of the flag. I don't think many Canadians come over here.

I crossed onto the Isle of Anglesey on the Menai Bridge which crosses the Menai Strait. On the route I happened to look and see Snowdonia over the trees - I had to stop for a picture.

Soon, signs were around for Plas Newydd. I'd been told about the house by the guides earlier so I decided to head this way. I went through Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (Llanfair PG) which is the town with the longest name. The house is still home to the 7th Marquess of Anglesey. It was great. As I was just arriving, a helicopter landed out on the lawn. Supposedly some British show called Treasure Hunt will have a session filmed here.

The house had the moulding in the middle of the wall and at the top of the walls in most rooms. White against a deep colour - blue or red. The furniture was dark. Vases to match. Long velvet drapes. Huge windows. Rugs down stairs and over carpet on wood floors.

I left the house at 5 pm after having asked how to find Mr. Thomas. Someone at the house knew him and told me exactly where he lived. I think it's about 2 km from Plas Newydd! He wasn't here when I arrived but was in about three minutes. He showed me the house and grounds. He's building his own stone fence, and doing all the landscaping by hand. He teaches math at the local high school and is a typical math professor but he's a really nice guy.

We went for supper where we each had a sirloin steak. I ordered mine blue but I think it came closer to medium. It was a great change from fish and chips! He has a sister in Connecticut who he's been to visit six times. After supper we came to the house (on the way I looked south to the silhouettes of Snowdonia) where I had a bath when he went out with a fellow teacher. I just wanted to get to bed. But before he left, he said to make use of the phone if I wanted.

Right before having the bath I called home for ten minutes to let Mom and Dad know that I was alive. It was nice to hear from home. I didn't let them get a word in edgewise. I didn't mean to... it's just that it's hard to fit two weeks in UK into ten minutes! At the end of the call they said that someone says hello. I couldn't tell what they said but it sounded like 'Paul says hello'. I'll have to be sure to ask next time. If I have the cash and am near a phone I'll call next week in Stratford.