‘I am not a number; I am a free man! I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered.’

Those among us of a certain age may remember Patrick McGoohan’s words from 1960s cult TV series ‘The Prisoner’. When it came to celebrating someone’s special birthday recently, it didn’t take any pushing to book a weekend at a certain unique Snowdonia destination.

That birthday treat at exquisitely Italianate Portmeirion was also an opportunity for one last MX-5 road trip before, after seven years’ top-down fun, ours went to a new home. The 150-mile drive, via Welshpool (check out the Raven Inn) and Coed-y-Brenin (amazing bacon butties), with MX-5-driving friends reprised our first adventure in the little Stormy Blue coupe.

Pastel-hued alleys

Given our destination, a classic Lotus 7 like McGoohan’s might have been more fitting. But with the rain that blessed our trip through Snowdonia’s misty mountains, we were glad of the Mazda’s cosy cabin. Fun as it might be, an ‘upholstered roller skate’ in a deluge simply wouldn’t have been right for the eve of a birthday girl’s big celebration!

It’s been years since I watched Number 6 evading the bouncing white Rover around Portmeirion’s pastel-hued alleys, manicured lawns and romantic steps. Thank you Clough Williams-Ellis for building your breathtaking ‘home for fallen buildings’ on the Dwyryd Estuary.

Nearly a century after he began his project, the weather improved and the estate, its hotel and two restaurants delivered a weekend that had us asking why we hadn’t been before. It was revelatory! The architect achieved his vision of improving an already beautiful North Wales landscape – and some!

An Italianate village by the sea

The welcome was warm, the ever-changing light and estuary views were magical and the food was delicious – make that ‘sublime’ for the restaurant in the waterside hotel. As hotel guests, it was also nice to explore alone in McGoohan’s footsteps after the day-visitors had left and Portmeirion’s cafes and gift shops closed.

Rain or shine, whether in an iconic convertible or a practical SUV, Snowdonia is always a wonderful destination – just over three hours from Gloucestershire. And then there’s Portmeirion, its Italian-style jewel just outside Porthmadog.

Is someone celebrating a ‘special-number’ birthday? Or do you simply fancy a glorious long-weekend getaway? Where should you be? We recommend Clough Williams-Ellis’s gorgeous Italian village by the sea!