Trip Diary - Overview edition

[mothwing]

Greetings from unbelievably hot Wales (= the most beautiful country in the world. You're missing out if you've never been here, really).

09.07.2013 - Travelling to Liverpool

• We started off our holidays by buying Crocky a bike at the local bike shop which is unfortunately closing down because the owning bike sisters feel that they've gotten too old.


• Then, we flew to Manchester and got our rented car, driving on the left is quite the adjustment.


• I forgot to call my gyn from the airport, as I had said I would. Oh well.

10.07.2013 - Liverpool

• I called gyn and the assistant says that "everything is alright". I'm very curious what  "everything is alright" means.


• Liverpool is a pretty city with an impressive RCC Megachurch (the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral) and other places of worship.


• Turns out British people in Liverpool just cross the street whenever they please and cars stop so as to not kill them.


• Turns out that, compared to the locals, I dress as though I'm at least fifty or sixty years old -  at least that's the only people I saw in the kind of shirts I'm usually wearing,. Everybody else is strapless, very short-skirted or very short-trousered to a degree which would make me feel uncomfortable.


• Crocky went to the Beatles museum, I went on the Liverpool Big Wheel and looked at Liverpool from above.


• Drove to Wales, which was not as far as we thought since we're staying in Queensferry, which is right next to Chester.

11.07.2013 - Flint Castle, Rhaeadr Dyserth, Rhuddlan

• We went to Flint Castle, one of Edward I's defence line around the Welsh north, walked around for a while. Beautiful castle, but not a lot left.


• Then, we went to the beach and walked about there.


• We took a detour to look at Rhaeadr Dyserth, which is a pretty little waterfall in a very picturesque village.


• Our original goal was Rhuddlan Castle to see the Shakespeare production, but we didn't end-up going because it'd been on the 10th. The castle was already closed, too. We decided not to jump the fence, were good girls and drove home.

12.07.2013 - Aberystwyth, Dyfi Furnace

• We drove to Aberystwyth.


• Ruthin, which we passed through on the way, has the prettiest school in the world. A boarding school for students between 11 and 18 which was established in the 13th century. Just look at it!


• We passed the Corris Mines on the way there and looked at that for a bit. They have a "very Disney" King Arthur-themed tour underground and a "craft centre", which are  a collection of shops in which you can buy everything with dragon designs, love spoons and celtic crosses.


• On the way back, we looked at Dyfi Furnace and also saw about a thousand baby frogs.


• I didn't really recognise Aberystwyth at all when we arrived. Some places seemed vaguely familiar, but I could not find any of the sights that I remembered fondly, like the two little bookstores with the whistling shopkeeper. We had our first lot of Fish&Chips. Were underwhelmed.

13.07.2013 - Corris Mines, Rhaeadr Pistyll

• The Corris Mines are a Victorian slate mine closed in the seventies. Today, two of the seven levels are flooded, one is used for the Disneyesque Arthur-themed boatride, but some of the others are open to the public and thus can be explored in three different tours. The only one we could book was the one-hour one, which is just a little taster, really, and we were sad we hadn't gone for the two or the four-hour-one, because that mine is fascinating and the chambers we saw were beautiful. One opens to the surface and the grey light that filters in from the surface gives it a magical air. You can actually exit through it if you are into mountaineering, which we aren't, so we didn't.


• Both of us wanted to be friends with the friendly lady at the Tourist Information who was very very nice and also very pretty.


• Looked at Rhaeadr Pistyll, which is a beautiful waterfall with three levels which is 80m high.

14.07.2013 - Segontium, Caernarfon

• We looked at the Roman fort at Segontium and talked to a Celt for almost an hour, learned about different dyes made from lichen and her prowess in weaving. I'm more and more curious and sort of want to be a Celt, too.


• Then we saw a gladiator game, entertaining, especially for the English audience's enthusiasm ("I want jugular! Kill him!").


• Went to Caernarfon castle and purchased our explorer pass! We love the Edwardian castles, and this palace is no exception. Still, the narrow spiral staircases left us wobbly-kneed.

15.07.2013 - Rhuddlan, Conwy, Beaumaris

• Drove to Rhuddlan Castle first and it was open this time. It's a castle owned mostly by pigeons these days, still interesting view of defences and dock as well as earlier, earth mound version. Since we arrived at ten we had the castle for ourselves for almost an hour.


• Then we went to Conwy, which is our favourite, both the castle and the city. The caste itself is very large and impressive, and we spent hours looking. We also filled in a questionnaire for a primary school girl whose Mum comes from Stuttgart who asked us about our stay in Conwy after we'd only just arrived in the car park. Well, we gave the car park a 10/10.


• Next, there was Beaumaris on Anglesey, a beautiful castle with a moat and again a defended dock. It was never finished and is today owned by several brooding pigeons and Seagulls, but still very pretty to look at.


• On the way from the castle we tried to look at a burial chamber but couldn't find it. Having my face sniffed at by three bulls inches from my face made up for it, though.


• Since we were in the area, we also took the obligatory picture of the Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (here is how you say that) station sign. I had imagined that it'd be just a junction with a train station and the sign, but it's actually a rather larger village, and not only because of the giant parking lot next to The Sign. There is also a very big souvenir shop which has everything with The Name on it and dragons.


• Disaster struck when we tried to use our Visa at the petrol station on Anglesey and it didn't work. A friendly employer first directed Crocky to several cash machines and then even went so far as to accompany Crocky to a bank when those didn't work, either. They were successful, but what a nightmare!


• While waiting in the petrol station I also heard quite a lot of Welsh. Everybody who isn't a tourist apparently speaks Welsh as their first language around here. I knew that Welsh is a lot more prevalent than Gaelic in Scotland, at least in South Scotland, but in a year in Scotland I have not heard as much Gaelic as I heard Welsh in this week in Wales.


• We finished off our successful day by almost losing our car key in ASDA basket. None of my credit cards would take at the bank, either.

16.07.2013 - A Walk through Royal Aber

• Took a heritage walk through Aber for 7km at a very slow pace to enjoy the views. This is Wales, though, so you can stop anywhere and it'll be beautiful.


• Was bitten by a pony. Didn't mind, my fault for assuming that it wouldn't mind being patted after sticking its face into mine.


• We also faced the steepest climb downhill ever, not enjoyable for someone suffering from vertigo. Had to look away several times.


• The walk itself gave us some interesting insights into 13th and 14th century Wales, life and agriculture. Not that there were many monuments left, but the natural sights well made up for that


• The Aber falls we saw for example were beautiful.

So now that I have overused the word "beautiful" enough, I'll go to bed. We'll have a look at Llangollen and its ladies tomorrow and I want to be well-rested for that.