John & Judi                 Richmond, Virginia	Ireland  Germany Scotland  England Wales

	Sunday - April 25, 2004 We were a bit overwhelmed as we drove into Wales today - a touch weary of being strangers in a foreign land - really not knowing what we were doing or where we were - or where we were headed for that matter.  We drove into Llangollen and stopped at the tourist center knowing they would be of great assistance.  Etched into the landscape of Llangollen by glaciers is the Dee Valley - a delicate mosaic of careful management stretching back to the Iron Age - 2-1/2 THOUSAND years ago.  We found many massive slate quarries here and am certain we will see many more.  Llangollen, the gateway to Wales - was experiencing the first summer they had seen since 1994 - and there were literally thousands of motorcyles out on the roads - driving at breakneck speeds - it seemed everyone was out enjoying the beautiful weather.
	Sunday - April 25, 2004 This is the very gorgeous Valle Crucis Abbey located in Llangollen.  The evocative ruins of Valle Crucis Abbey lie in the green fields beneath Llangollen's steep sided mountains.  It was an ideal location for the Cistercians, midieval monks who deliberately sought out wild and lonely places.
	Sunday - April 25, 2004 Their abby, founded in the 13th Century, has fared better than many of its contemporaries against the ravages of time, history and neglect.  Many original features remain, including the glorious West front complete with a richly carved doorway and beautiful rose window.
	Sunday - April 25, 2004 Other well preserved features include the East end of the abby, (which still overlooks the monk's original fish pond) and lovely chapter house with its striking rib vaulted roof.  Valle Crucis, the "Abby of the Cross", is named after Eliseg's Pillar, a nearby 9th Century Christian Memorial Cross.
	Sunday - April 25, 2004 The old Market town of Dolgellau lies in the valley on the Southern part of Snowdonia National Park.  Its location at the head of the magnificent Mawddach Estuary, offers the perfect opportunity to discover the enviable coastline.  Dominated by the beautiful peak of Cader Idirs, it has more to offer than a stunning backdrop of mountains and spectacular scenery, making it an ideal base for exploring the surrounding area.  It is beyond breathtaking here.  We have stopped at the tourist information center once again - to obtain information about a bed and breakfast to stay put in for a few days.  After last night's experience - I would like to choose very carefully!
	Sunday - April 25, 2004 We were directed to the Gwely House owned by Ann and Gareth Roberts.  Gareth is a retired policeman and we could not have been made to feel more welcomed to Wales and to their home.  They served us coffee and homemade scones as soon as we got settled in and Gareth , being quite the chatty sort, spent several hours with us mapping out touring routes for the next few days.  This is more what we have always been accustomed to.  They have a spectacular home at the very tip top of the town with incredible views.  We will happily use this for a home base for the next few days.
	Sunday - April 25, 2004 This is the bathroom in the room we will enjoy while we are in Wales.   It's beautifully appointed!  We have an extremely comfortable kingsized bed -a wet  sink in the bedroom-along with the bathroom - and it's a warm and welcoming home.
	Sunday - April 25, 2004 OH MY GOODNESS - I have never seen one of these in person!  At first I thought it was a fancy sort of urinal - but by golly it's a BIDET!   Am  I going to use it??? Not on your life!  It looks downright DANGEROUS!
	Sunday - April 25, 2004 This is the view from our window in our bedroom - when it got dark I tried to take pictures of the town below with all the lights - but they didn't come out well- but the view is spectacular!
	Sunday - April 25, 2004 This is Gareth's front stone deck - I sat in the library in the dark tonight for quite some time- looking out over the gorgeous lights and listening to a wonderful Welsh Opera singer - it was very very peaceful and a good beginning to our Welsh adventures!
	Monday - April 26, 2004 Today we will tour the Snowdon Mountain area in this beautiful location.  Majestic Snowdon dominates the glorious, ancient landsape of North Wales.  At 3,560 ft. it is a true mountain and a place of legend - said to be the burial place of giant ogre Rhita, vanquished by King Arthur.  Some believe that King Arthur's knights still sleep beneath the mountain.  This is some of the gorgeous scenery on the way up to Snowdon by car.
	Monday - April 26, 2004 When we reach Snowdon we will take the Snowdon Mountain Railway to whichever summit they are going today.  Sometimes it's 3/4's the way up - sometimes to the summit.
	Monday - April 26, 2004 The countryside on the way up to Snowdon is absolutely gorgeous.  There are many differences in Wales in terms of cottage construction  - the cottages are all of much darker stone primarily due to the vast amount of slate available for construction here - so the small towns take on  a bit gloomier look than those of  Scotland and  certainly Ireland do.  However, they definately have their own quaint appeal.
	Monday - April 26, 2004 We have now boarded the train up Mount Snowdon and this is a picture of an old Farm Cottage that is still a working cottage within the perimeters of Mount Snowdon.  This was taken from the train.
	Monday - April 26, 2004 If you'll notice the puff of smoke against the mountain - that is the steam train that also runs up the mountain here.  You can see, to the right, the hiking path.  There are those who actually walk up this mountain and back down  - some take the train up and walk down.  We'd have to walk to the summit today to see it as the train is only going 3/4 of the way up today due to the fact that they haven't had time to do maintenance from heavy snowfall last week.
	Monday - April 26, 2004 We've made it!  I have seen mountains in the USA from the East Coast to the West - but I've never seen mountains such as these.  They inspire a true feeling of wilderness and isolation.  They are overwhelming beautiful.
	Monday - April 26, 2004 Ok Ok I'll sit on the rock for a picture.  =)  Now we need to go DOWN and find the bathrooms!  It was actually quite warm up here today - many people are having picnic lunches from this glorious viewpoint.
	Monday - April 26, 2004 This was the train that brought us up the mountain and will, hopefully, return us. =)  Since 1896 the Snowdon Mountain Railway has been making it easy to claim this mountain peak as one of your lifetime achievements.  In a tremendously ambitious feat of engineering, and uniquely in Britain, a rack and pinion railway was built which rises to within 66 feet of the summit of the highest mountain in England and Wales.
	Monday - April 26, 2004 Looking down from Snowdon Mountain.  The pictures cannot possibly translate the majestic and awesome beauty of this land and this country.  It is well worth a visit.
	Monday - April 26, 2004 There are multitudes of rocky faced cliffs all the way up and down into this area - and as you will see, the climbers here are quite mental!  They must be!  This appeared to be a geological climb in process - we caught them as they were taking a rest. No John, put down that rope!
	Monday - April 26, 2004 HIGH above the geologists we spotted a pair of serious climbers.  You'll see one picture of the rock face from a distance  and John has a great one of them up close - these people have to be nuts!  To the other side of the road, was a climbing school - taking on the smaller, shorter rocks for some practice before they are freed on the sheer rock faces.
	Monday - April 26, 2004 After we left Snowdon Mountain today we decided to go view Swallow Falls near Betws-y-Coed.  (They have VERY strange names up here LOL )  According to the legend of the ardal,a local aristocrat is responsible for the moaning sound of the waterfall.  Sir John Wynn of Castle Gwydir was a land-grabbing scoundrel.  His spirit has been in purgatory beneath the water since 1627, in an attempt to wash away his long list of earthy sins.
	Monday - April 26, 2004 The wonderful cataract of seething white water on the Afon Llugwy is something that all visitors to Betws-y-coed have come here to admire since the mid-19th Century.  At one time, horse-drawn carts waited on the station platform offering to take daytrippers back and forth.  The falls have since time immemorial been associated in Welsh legends with fairies, as it seems like a natural entrance to the Celtic underworld of Annwn with its strange and fascinating characters.  Victorian visitors nicknamed the Falls the "Fairy Glen".
	Monday - April 26, 2004 This is Dolsyddelan Castle in the heart of Snowdonia.  Dolwyddelan, a mountain stronghold of the Welsh princes, stands in a magnificent location deep in Snowdonia.  It was built between about 1210 and 1240 by Llywelyn the Great, ruler of Snowdonia, to control a strategic pass through his mountainous kingdom.  The core of the castle, the rectangular stone tower, was restored in Victorian times.  It can be seen for miles around, standing proud on a ridge against the rugged backdrop of Mel Siabod.  A visit to this solitary sentinel is worth it for the views alone - the sweeping mountain vistas visible from its battlements are truly stunning.
	Monday - April 26, 2004 We took a jog off the beaten path on the way home last night to view a Roman Bridge - we found a few and weren't sure which was  Roman and were QUITE too tired to find out - but in taking a jig off the beaten path we came across the most lovely rock walls and  sheep.  We always wind up doing this when we tour - and often find the most delightful places where we are quite sure no other tourist - much less an American tourist - has gone.
	Monday - April 26, 2004 The rock walls of Wales are primarily what they refer to as "dry wall" (no mortar used) also - just as in Ireland.  They are darker - and obviously quite a bit of slate is used in their construction - they are, however, still quite amazing.  Stone by stone - often up high hills - they weigh TONS - and they are truly magnificent works of art.
	Tuesday - April 27, 2004 Just down the road from where we have been staying as a base point for the past three days is Cymer Abby.  Cymer Abby was founded as a Cistercin House in 1198 by Maredudd ap Cynan.  Its secluded position at the head of the Mawddawh Estuary, is typical of the remote loations chosen by this austere order.  The truncated and rather unusual layout of the surviving remains suggest that the Abby was never finished as planned.  There is something very peaceful and calming about these old Abby ruins.  The one we have in our previous travel adventures in Ireland was still a working Abby and was massive, elaborate and overwhelmingly beautiful - but the ones in ruin give you the feeling that you can still see the nuns walking the courtyards and kneeling in prayer.  They are most touching.
	Tuesday - April 27, 2004 Harlech castle - one of the most formidable and dominant fortresses in Wales.  Like an all-seeing sentinel, spectacularly sited Harlech Castle gazes out across land and sea, keeping a watchful eye over Snowdonia.  The English monarch Edward I built Harlech in the late 13th Century to fulfill this very role.  The rocky outcrop on which it is perched gives the castle immense strength.  Looking seawards, Harlech's battlements are a continuation of a near-vertical cliff-face, while any landward attackers would first have to deal with a massive twin-towered gatehouse.  Unsurprisingly, it is now a World Heritage Site.  The fortress's massive inner walls and towers still stand almost to their full height (the views from its lofty battlements are some of the best in Wales).  Ironically, in 1404 this seat of English power was taken by Welsh leader Owaiin Glyn Dwr who proceeded to hold a parliament there.  A long siege here during the Wars of the Roses inspired the stirring song "Men of Harlech".  In the next picture - you will see the Princess welcoming you to her castle.  =)  (Had to - I just LOVE these doors!) John had disappeared after the door opening ceremony and I was about to send the guards for him when lo and behold - I saw him scaling the castle wall and coming in through the window?????  Sweetie - the winding staircase is easier! John is walking through the very large dining area and wondering where the draperies have gone.  Mighty drafty in here today! Before we retire to the bed chamber, I must have one last look at my Kingdom and what a very fine Kingdom it is! This is our bedroom wing.  His and her's windows - we need to charge up a fire - the castle is very drafty and cold - I'm in need of a long wool coat today!  Could it be because the roof has gone missing???? The last picture is of the castle in the days when it was actually occupied by REAL castle dwellers.  If you have never visited an ancient castle  -  you have no idea how odd it is to imagine that people actually lived in these places.  We've lost count of the steps we've climbed today as we Castle hopped.  The bedrooms, however, are toward the TOP of the castle!  Really BAD time to decide you need a drink of water from the kitchen galley on the first floor. LOL
	Tuesday - April 27, 2004 How would you like to live here?????  We're on our way to another Castle adventure and to Portmeirion, but our host had told us about this small little village that boasts the LONGEST name in all of Wales.  I guess so!  Wouldn't you love to be a gradeschooler learning how to spell - much less pronounce - this name!  And, of course, I had to have a picture of it.  =)
	Tuesday - April 27, 2004 Architect, Clough Williams-Ellis, said of his village Portmeirion, Cherish the Past, Adorn the Present, Construct for the Future.  Clough Williams-Ellis built the village from 1926-1976.  During this period Clough managed to fulfill his boyhood dream of building his own ideal village on some romantic coastal site.  He wanted to show how a naturally beautiful location could be developed without spoiling it.  It is primarily a bontanical garden site built around a small village that is truly inspired by great artworks of Italy.  Many of the ceilings and fronts of the buildings have beautiful murals which, of course, I was quite interested in seeing.  Today the village and gardens are a showcase of responsible development and an example of sustainable tourism.  Beyond the village are the Gwyllr Woodlands with rare and exotic plants.  Close by are miles of sandy beaches.  There are seven shops in Portmeirion plus a Gallery and Castle Deudraeth.  The gardens are extremely pretty.  This is the only small village where we have ever parked our car and paid to get into the village.  But, I think it may have been worth it. You'll see many pictures we took of Portmeirion - the last few being of the gorgeous tulip gardens  in full bloom and finally me waving goodbye to Portmeirion.  What an extremely pleasant visit!
	Tuesday - April 27, 2004 We've now traveled on to Criccieth Castle (pronounced Crick-eth) another of the great castles of the Welsh Princes.  Criccieth Castle, on its commanding headland overlooking Tremadog Bay, is one of those rare castles with a foot firmly in both camps.  Criccieth's history is deeply entwined in the medieval conflict between Whales and England.  Originally a stronghold of the native Welsh princes, it was later annexed and extended by the English Monarch Edward I.  The core of the castle - a powerful twin-towered gatehouse - is Welsh, built by Llywelyn the Great probably between 1230 and 1240.  The castle was taken by Edward's forces in 1283 and extensively refortified.  After withstanding further Welsh attack its fate was finally sealed in 1404 when the Welsh leader Owain Glyn Dwr captured and burnt the castle.  As we toured the castle, John ran into a few gents of the Criccieth Castle Roundtable and stopped for a bit of  ale and a chat.  The next picture is the inside of the castle walls (what remains), followed by a view down into the village from the top of this magnificent castle.  Again, you have the bedroom area of the castle - interestingly enough - most of them from castle to castle are the same.  Finally I instructed John to please bring the cannon inside as it looked as though a huge storm was brewing up and blowing in from sea.  If we want the bloody thing to work when we NEED it - we shouldn't leave it out in the rain!  =)
	Tuesday - April 27, 2004 As we returned to our host's home for the evening- I saw a grove of these wonderful gnarly trees that are all over Wales. I think the wind takes a toll on them here - but they are turned into wonderful works of nature's art by  some form or another - I hope to incorporate this one into either a painting or a mural sometime in the near future.  More tomorrow as we proceed along in our search for the fabulous castles of Wales!
	Wednesday - April 28, 2004 This is me, of course, with Ann and Gareth Roberts, owners of the Gwelafon House in Dolgellau, Wales- Northern Wales. They have been our home base for most of our stay in Wales and they have been so very gracious and warm to us - they will be missed and thought of often.  If you travel in Europe, you will fast discover that your hosts who own your accomodations can make the biggest of all differences in how your experience goes in their country.  Gareth is a delightful historian who is very civic minded and probably has a finger in every activity pot in town. With a twinkle in his eye and a sunny laugh, accompanied by that soft, rhythmic, almost lilting Welsh accent, we have been happy to sit for hours with him in his lovely home as he tells us tales of Dolgellau and of the country he loves so much - Wales.
	Wednesday - April 28, 2004 Castle  Conwy.  They say Conwy's massive military strength springs from the rock on which it stands.  This gritty, dark stoned fortress has the rare ability to evoke an authentic midievil atmosphere.  The first time that visitors catch sight of the castle, commanding a rock above the Conwy Estuary, and demanding as much attention as the dramatic Snowdonia skyline behind it, they know they are in the presence of a historic site which still casts a powerful spell.  Conwy, constructed by the English Monarch, Edward I between 1283 and 1287 as one of the key fortressses in his "iron ring" of castles to contain the Welsh, was built to prompt such a humbling reaction.  Conceived and created in just four years, Conwy Castle remains one of the outstanding achievements of midievil military architecture. There are no concentric "walls within walls" here, because they were not needed.  Soaring curtain walls and eight large, round towers give the castle an intimidating presence undimmed by the passage of time.  The views from the battlements are breathtaking, looking out across the mountains and sea and down to the roofless shell of the castle's 10.15 meters/33 foot great hall.  Conwy's other great glory is its ring of town walls.  Conwy is the classic walled town.  Its circuit of walls, over 1-1/4 kilometers long and guarded by no less than 21 towers and three double towered gateways,is one of the finest in the world.  In some of these pictures you will see me surveying the Kingdom (It's so much fun to pretend one is castle shopping!) and if you'll note the picture of me leaving the castle,you will also note in  that picture a bridge that is supported on one end, by the castle and FAR on the other end by one of the town walls.  And there you have the magnificent Castle Conwy of Northern Wales.
	Wednesday - April 28, 2004 Also in Conwy is the Castle Plas Mawr. Plas Mawr stands as a symbol of a prosperous, buoyant age.  In a town blessed with a wealth of historic houses, Plas Mawr reigns supreme.  Conwy, enclosed within a ring of 13th Century walls and protected by its mighty castle that I have just described, is one of the world's finest midievil towns.  In the narrow streets at its heart stands Plas Mawr, the "Great Hall", built between 1576 and 1585 for the influential Welsh merchant, Robert Wynn.  The tall, lime rendered walls reflect the status of its builder as does its richly decorated interior.  Within, it is rich in ornamentation, as you will see in the pictures.  Plas Mawr is a gem of architecture, the finest surviving town house of the Elizabethan era to be found anywhere in Britain.  Plas Mawr's authentic period atmosphere is further enhanced by furnishings (many original to the house) based on an inventory of the contents in 1665. The first room I photographed was the dining room- this would be the private dining room for family and immediate guests of  the family. The next picture is of the grand fire pit in the dining room.  Next would come the Banquet Hall which was massive and then we were on to the straw floored kitchen.  The pantry with the hanging spoils of the hunt was next and then a quick trip into the courtyard where the well was located and was the only water supply to the castle.  Next was the servant's quarters with clothing across the bed and the more lavish bedroom belonged to the Mistress of the Castle. There were no closets or bathrooms - but the bedroom was quite elaborate - and although the bed was made of horsehair and terribly lumpy, it was at least very pretty! Last, but of course, never least, the bathroom - pretty much an indoor outhouse.  LOL - probably not my cup of tea.   It was really wonderful to see a fully equipped and furnished castle- although the ruins and remains of the defense castles are hauntig and unforgettable.
	Wednesday - April 28, 2004 Beaumairs, the most technically perfect castle in Britain, has few equals.  Beaumaris is the great unfinished masterpiece.  It was built as one of the "iron ring" of Northern Wales castles by the English monarch, Edward I, to stamp his authority on the Welsh.  But it was never finished.  Money and supplies ran out before the fortifications reached their full height.  Beaumaris is nontheless an awesome sight regarded by many as the finest of all the great Edwardian castles in Wales.  AND IT HAS A MOAT!  Begun in 1295, it was also the last.  The King's military architect, the brilliant James of St. George, brought all his experience and inspiration to bear when building this castle, the biggest and most ambitious venture he ever undertook.  In pure architectural terms Beaumaris, the most technically perfect castle in Britain, has few equals.  Its ingenious and perfectly symmetrical concentric "walls within walls" design, involving no less than four successive lines of fortification, was state of the art for the late 13th Century.  The stronghold stands at one end of the castle street, inextricably linked with the history of the town.  This was the "Beau Mareys" (Fair Marsh) that Edward chose for a castle in Garrison Town.  For the outside,  Beau Maris  appears almost handsome.   It does not rare up menacingly like other fortresses but sits amid a scenic setting overlooking the mountains and the sea, partially surrounded by a water filled moat.  The gate next to the sea entrance protected the tidal dock which allowed supply ships to sail right up to the castle.   Beau  Maris  is endlessly fascinating.  There is so much to see and hear - the fourteen separate  major  obstacles  that any  attacker would have to overcome,  the hundreds of cleverly  sited  arrow-slits,  the deadly use of "murder holes" to defend entrances - the outstanding fortress is a world heritage inscribed sight.  All that history aside - I LOVE THIS CASTLE!  This would be my pick out of the dozens we have seen and visited.  I LOVE THE MOAT!  =)
	Wednesday - April 28, 2004 We have seen MORE weird cars here.  Yet another one!  It's about as big as a bread box!  And I have no CLUE what it is!  Looks like it would just about fit in my handbag!  We have already driven to the port - as we are staying on Anglessey Island tonight.  We will set sail back to Ireland tomorrow about 9:00 in the morning - we have decided to return there and spend another 6 days before we fly to Germany - the last leg of our journey.  Wales was a wonderful country - we found many differences between Wales and Scotland and Ireland.  The people of Wales are very warm and lovely folks.  Their country is breathtaking.  Their country is very EXPENSIVE!  LOL  We will be happy to go back to the Euro from the Sterling.  Wales was the only country we have visited where English is not the first language - but the people are almost 100% bilingual.  Many of the signs we needed to understand were not in English.   Nothing here is ever open!  LOL  But we discovered how to GET the antique stores open - and found cubbyholes and wonderful out of the way places for a warm bowl of soup and hot, homemade bread.  They are very proud people - not accustomed to seeing many Amerians - but they welcomed us with open arms.  It was a journey well worth the taking.  We've learned so much and will have memories to last a lifetime.  Thank you Wales - your country and your people are delightful.

Stay tuned for more to come!
 

	Go to Home Page for this trip
	Go to Ireland - April 14 thru April 21, 2001
	Go to Scotland - April 22 thru April 24, 2001
	Go to England - April 24 thru April 25, 2004
	Return to Ireland - April 29 thru May 5, 2004
	Go to Germany - May 5, 2004 thru May 15, 2004

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