Uncle Richard and Auntie Fiona went back to work today so Kate, Calvin and Barnaby had the day to themselves.  We decided to take a family outing to where we went yesterday - Betws-y-Coed - in North Wales, where Calvin has decided is the ideal place to live in the United Kingdom, even though there isn't an M&S Food nearby. Barnaby, the amazing poodle, was coming along of course, however he did look a little bit worried - almost as if we were abducting him! The first wary look came when Calvin was trying to put the dog harness on him - there were a few tries before Calvin managed to fit it on properly and Barnaby seemed to be a bit unsure. The second wary look came when we were getting into Auntie Fiona's car. He got in alright but when he couldn't see Aunite Fiona around, he looked a little bit confused - probably because he had to sit in the back when he would usually sit in the front passenger seat! Then we sat in the car for a while trying to figure out the GPS system and familiarise ourselves with the car controls. Barnaby was more than a little wary and was looking around in all directions by now. With Kate, behind the wheel, we drove out to Betws-y-Coed along the winding Welsh country roads through lush green farmland and hilly country speckled with fluffy white sheep. Barnaby looked a little tense sitting in the back - peering through the front window - probably thinking if he'll ever see home and his proper family ever again! He did seem to like it when he got to ride up front on Calvin's lap though. We got to Betws-y-Coed where it was cloudy but warmer than yesterday - it was also less busy. Kate's priority this visit was to find a fix for her new boots which she bought in Prague. They were too wide for one foot but too tight in the other if she put an additional sole in. So her aim was to find another pair of shoes which would suit her feet better. Calvin and Barnaby decided to go for a little wander down the riverbank and do some exploring while Kate visited as many outdoor stores as she could within the 2 hours we were in town. We had some fish and chips from the the little takeaway on the corner of the main road and bridge which we ate from a bench overlooking the river, bridge and falls. Delicious big piece of battered cod and chips with salt and definitely no vinegar! After trying on various shoes but not able to actually find one in the right size to buy (but armed with some shoe volume reducers), we headed home. We were listening to BBC Radio 2 - a great station with wide range of entertaining music and some interesting talk shows and learnt some facts such as no point in England is more than 75 miles from the sea. Barnaby was very excited to see home and couldn't wait to get on his comfy beanbag! At home, Kate did some online research about shoes before we went to get some fruits from Tesco's. Auntie Fiona prepared a delicious dinner of salmon and vegetables which we had when Uncle Richard got home. We finished off the Christmas puddings and watched the second part of The Grand Tour through Namibia.