Quick Note to the Readers: We don’t seem to have wireless
internet here in Wales, so the next few chapters were still written on a
nightly basis, then saved in a word document and loaded onto the blog as soon
as we had internet again. Also the pictures of Wales will all appear in one
chapter at the end of our time here… Enjoy
Today marked the start of a new country and a new grand
adventure. We had to wake up early, eat breakfast, make triple sure we had
everything (because I’m notorious for leaving something behind everywhere I
go), and then catch a taxi to Dublin Port for our 8:45 am Ferry Departure.
The ferry ride was much different than expected; it was like
a mini cruise almost. There was a shop, a restaurant, coffee, and some slot
machines. It was a two hour ride over to Wales and went by quickly. We went
through Wales form of customs (there was no bag check, no passport stamp, no
questions really except for what our purpose was in Wales) and then met our
first guide while here, Rob.
Rob and his wife, Irene, run a Welsh Dragon Tour company
that does private tour packages of North or South Wales. We are doing a four
day North Wales tour with them and if every day is as good as today was I
wouldn't have any complaints.
After Rob collected us from the port, we went to the Royal
Walled town of Caernarfon and toured the castle. I cannot put into words how
incredible this experience was. The pictures won’t do it justice, and this blog
surely won’t describe it in all its magnificence. This castle was part of a
ring of castles in Wales and was built in the late 12th century.
It’s the size of a city block and is the location of the current Prince of
Wales’ induction back in 1969. The remains of the castle are such that it is possible
to actually picture what life must have been like back in medieval times. The
entire area can be explored and walked through, the grand halls, the monastery,
the kitchen and well tower, and the guard towers. The view from the guard
towers was breathtaking. I can honestly say that even though Ireland is known
as the Emerald Isle with its 40 shades of green, Wales is more beautiful with
better scenery. Of course this is in my own opinion, but I’d almost go as far
as to say that Wales has the most serene countryside than any other place I’ve
ever been too! While I was up on that guard tower, I thought to myself, now
this is the most amazing place I’ve ever been, but then the tour continued…
We left the Castle of Caernarfon (don’t bother trying to
pronounce the Welsh words, Irene told us that even after living here for 20
years the Welsh will always say your pronouncing them wrong) and had a light
lunch while we waited for Irene to come take over for the remainder of the tour
(Rob had to leave for a tour he was giving in South Wales). I should break here
to interject a few tidbits: 1) I had no IDEA that Wales was also utilizing the
British pound, which is embarrassing to admit but for some reason I thought
only England used that currency. We will now have to exchange all our left over
Euros into British pounds once we get to London. & 2) I have only used my
fake British accent a few dozen times, but it’s getting worse (me using it, not
the accent). I need to stop it soon before someone actually notices that I’m
not from England!
Anyway, back to the tour… Irene met us at a café and after
we finished eating took us back across the Menai Straight via the Britannia
Bridge (I have a coworker that would love that bridge, and not just for the
view… I know the spelling is wrong.). We arrived back on the Island of Anglesey
(where we had arrived via ferry earlier). Here we visited the Railway with the
longest name in the world, and read it carefully because I’m only going to type
it once… Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
I will pay anyone a hundred dollars if they can get a Welsh
to admit they said it correctly. It was a neat area, if just to say I’ve been
there.
Our next stop brought us to Bryn Celli Ddu, North Wales’
very own Stonehenge, except 500 years older than Stonehenge. It was out on a
rural farm, with beautiful countryside views and cattle and sheep (fun fact,
North Wales Sheep outnumber people 10,000 to 1, true story). After a slight
walk we found it, and got to look inside. It’s incredible to think of how much
medieval people went through to make sure their loved ones that had passed were
protected. After a brief explanation we were off, driving through rural North
Wales to the town of Beaumaris, our home for the next two evenings, but I’ll
get to that in a moment.
Beaumaris is home to yet another Castle in the ring of
Castles. This castle was just as grand as the last, with a moat and more
amazing views and areas to tour. The things I’ve learned in history books and
seen in movies such as Braveheart, they all stem from this area and these
castles and the royal families that inhabited them so many years ago. Beaumaris
Castle is another built in the late 12th century which is still
intact so as much as to really see what the lives of those who’d lived here
were really like. After the castle, we
continued on to an Augustinian Priory built in the 13th century and
located in the hills, it’s called Penmon Church. It was a neat area, with the
second biggest dovecot in the world. (A dovecot is a huge birdhouse where they
bread Doves in the olden days… people used to eat them.)
From there we came back to our B&B for two nights, and
if I may be permitted to quote the description from the Magazine article in the
room, “… a wonderful house on the island of Anglesey, with views over the sea
and Snowdonia, believed to originally have been a monks’ hospice. Its very
name, Cleifiog, means ‘house of healing’, and over what was once the main door,
before a Georgian addition was added at the front, is an inscription in Latin,
which translated reads ‘Peace to those who enter, health to those who leave’.
So that’s it so far, we have a beautiful view of the sea and
the mountains of Snowdonia, and are in the heart of medieval history. Wales,
I’m quickly finding out, is a well kept secret. There are very little tourists,
and even less residents. The beauty of the countryside and the castles is
something I will never forget, and I can’t wait to continue my adventures here
tomorrow. Until then…
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