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Slideshow of Pontcysylite Aqueduct

It was my first morning in Wales — and I was ready to leave the beautiful Royal Oak Hotel in Welshpool and go exploring! I’d already eaten what turned out to be the “standard” British hotel breakfast of fried side bacon, sausages (two kinds, neither of which tickled my taste buds as they say), pork ‘n beans (or that’s what I call them at home), baked tomato halves,

Sitting area at Royal Oak Hotel in Welshpool, Wales

and cold toast with no butter. Well, I guess that’s not really true — there was butter, it just wasn’t on the toast. There was, however, an abundance of little jars of jam, of which blackberry was my favorite.

A scenic bus ride took us an hour away to tour the historic town of Llangollen Its most magnificent attraction is the Pontcysylite Aqueduct, designated a World Heritage site in 2009.

I’m not great with heights — especially when there’s an edge I can look over. However, nothing was keeping me from walking the thousand feet it would take to cross this two hundred year old aqueduct! Built by civil engineer, Thomas Telford, between 1795 and 1805, it’s a true feat of engineering. The stone used was local, with the central ones over the River Dee a full 126 feet from the water to the iron work (no, I didn’t spend much time looking down!).

The aqueduct canal itself runs through an an iron trough that’s 1007 feet long, 11 feet, 10 inches wide, and five feet, three inches deep. As you might imagine, the canal boats that make their way over the aqueduct are quite tiny, as they must fit into the trough. They’re rather like mini-houseboats with all the necessities of life built in.

I walked the tow path, beside the trough — historically, it was the bridle path for the horses that towed the canal boats. Our guide, Donna Goodman (from Turnstone Tours), said she’s taken a canal boat ride with her husband, and spent much of her time on top of the boat reading, or else bicycling on the shore alongside the canals, since the whole canal system can be walked.

While my trip was early spring before the start of canal boat season, I could imagine myself in one of the boats, moving slowly down the canal, not a care in the world…

Enjoy my slideshow of Pontcysylite Aqueduct & the Canal Boats

Date photos taken: Thursday, March 4, 2010.

The Lion King in Las Vegas

Not everyone visiting Las Vegas considers a children’s production when they’re booking shows — but The Lion King is much, much more than just entertainment for the kids!

The Lion King, based on the 1994 Disney animated movie by the same name, was my first Disney production and it was easy to see why it has become the world’s number 1 musical (from the Mandalay Bay website at: http://www.mandalaybay.com/entertainment/lionking.aspx )

The Lion King musical production in Las Vegas - image from displays outside the theater at Mandalay Bay.

Julie Taymor, director and designer of the Las Vegas production, has blended reality with story, creating a production where the music and actors whisked me away to a world beyond my experience. African masks…beating drums…lions…wildebeests…from the first scene to the last, I believed in The Lion King.

Taymor worked with Michael Curry, one of the country’s leading puppet experts, to create the cast of African animals. The masks, rather than covering the faces of the actors, provided an iconic expression for the single puppeteer who’s visible — some of the larger animals required three puppeteers, with two completely covered operating the puppet’s legs and right hand.

The Lion King musical production in Las Vegas - image from displays outside the theater at Mandalay Bay.

As with all live productions, the sets and lighting also contribute to the success of the performance. While the tension mounts through the story, the behind-the-scenes action also gains in momentum. One of the most dramatic scenes was the canvas scroll and series of large rollers that made the wildebeest stampede of thousands  rush right at me, appearing larger and larger until it seemed I’d surely be trampled!

The Lion King musical production in Las Vegas - image from displays outside the theater at Mandalay Bay.

While Las Vegas has many amazing shows, I have to agree with the more than 45 million people around the world who’ve named The Lion King as one of the world’s most spectacular musicals.

For more information see:

http://disney.go.com/theatre/thelionking/lasvegas/#/about/

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