Gelert's Grave

All welsh schoolchildren know the story of Brave Gelert. It is a popular children's picture book and was mentioned in a Victorian anthology of welsh folklore. So I was was somewhat disappointed to find out that it is probably a myth created by a local landlord trying to bring tourists to the area. Well it obviously worked and I was in the area, I was impressed by the atmosphere of the grave even if it is a fake. However the stones do look worn rather similar to the Rollrights, and no one seems to know what they really are or whose grave this actually is?
(If anyone has any clue, let me know)

GELERT'S GRAVE
IN THE 13TH CENTURY, LLYWELYN, PRINCE OF NORTH WALES, HAD A PALACE AT BEDDGELERT. ONE DAY HE WENT HUNTING WITHOUT GELERT "THE FAITHFUL HOUND" WHO WAS UNACCOUNTABLY ABSENT. ON LLYWELYN'S RETURN, THE TRUANT STAINED AND SMEARED WITH BLOOD, JOYFULLY SPRANG TO MEET HIS MASTER. THE PRINCE ALARMED HASTENED TO FIND HIS SON, AND SAW THE INFANT'S COT EMPTY, THE BEDCLOTHES AND FLOOR COVERED WITH BLOOD. THE FRANTIC FATHER PLUNGED THE SWORD INTO THE HOUND'S SIDE THINKING IT HAD KILLED HIS HEIR. THE DOG'S DYING YELL WAS ANSWERED BY A CHILD'S CRY. LLYWELYN SEARCHED AND DISCOVERED HIS BOY UNHARMED BUT NEAR BY LAY THE BODY OF A MIGHTY WOLF WHICH GELERT HAD SLAIN, THE PRINCE FILLED WITH REMORSE IS SAID NEVER TO HAVE SMILED AGAIN. HE BURIED GELERT HERE. THE SPOT IS CALLED BEDDGELERT

Dolbadarn and Dolwyddelan, Snowdonia

I recently made a trip to Snowdonia, where I climbed Mount Snowdon via the pyg track and came down the miners' track. I stayed in the village of Llanberis, and I visited Dolbadarn castle which is basically a turret with remains of the courtyard. However it is a very spectacular site. There is some heather growing at its foot and although there is only one turret left it feels like a site of historic importance. To testify to this there was a party of welsh schoolchildren with their teacher who were obviously learning about their own heritage. The site is overlooking Llanberis lake and some mountains.

We then explored Dolwyddelan castle which has most of the keep still intact, and this was in a very remote location. We met some walkers along the way and followed a path to the top where we had views of mountains and it felt very remote. Like Dolbadarn this is an original castle of the welsh princes, which pre-dates the world heritage site of Edward I's castles, and it is said to be the birth place of Llywelyn the Great.

Lourdes

I went to see one of the world's most haunted places - the Catholic site of pilgrimage known as Lourdes. I arrived in the late afternoon on a rainy a day, but there were still thousands of pilgrims making there way to the holy cave. Before I went there I visited the church at Lourdes, filled my bottle with holy water and touched the stone in the cave. The stone felt very smooth to the touch either because of so many pilgrims polishing it smooth with their touch or because it's a kind of marble. I was very pleased to visit Lourdes as it seems to be the ultimate haunted place.
The film The Song of Bernadette featuring Vincent Price in one of his earliest roles is one of my favourite films so I knew some of the stories pertaining to this area. It was definitely worth a visit.