Castles, coastlines, cascades and climbs. Safe to say we thoroughly enjoyed our stop in north Wales. Our first stop on the way into the country was Flint Castle, also King Edward I’s first stop on his campaign into Wales.
We could see the larger Conwy castle from the patio of our ground floor apartment, as well as from our long hike up Conwy Mountain. You could walk its walls around the city center without paying admission.
I only wanted to pay to visit Caernarfon, one of the most impressive medieval fortresses both for its size and design, where the Princes of Wales are crowned. Sadly Nathan was sick that day, so I climbed every one of the seven towers for both of us.
We both managed to explore quite a lot on foot. The town of Conwy, the mountain above it, neighboring Llandudno with its Victorian Pier, all could be reached without the car.
The main attraction, though, was the interior - Snowdonia National Park. The first hike we took on its outskirts turned out to be one of my favorites, Aber Falls, really putting those Yorkshire Dales waterfalls to shame. These mountains are home to wild ponies, and I was delighted to come across a couple groups of them!
On another day we explored an old slate quarry, like a big scar on the mountain scenery, but still offering incredible views. Not to mention the view into how these workers lived, with the remains of their barracks and machinery. Oh, and another little castle.
Of course there was the big one, Snowdon itself, the last of the UK’s Three Peaks and the tallest mountain in Wales. I wouldn’t say it was easier than Ben Nevis or Scafell Pike, but definitely much easier to follow the path. Very well marked and very well populated. It deserved its popularity, the whole loop up and down was stunning, and only the very top was clouded over to prevent too glorious of a view. The wind up there made it painful to picnic, but as there is the option to take a train to the top, there is also a station with a full cafe. We just used the coffee and restrooms to thaw out before our descent.
For more coastal scenes, we took a couple drives west. We spent a day on Anglesey Island to see the ruins of a pre-Roman village, a sixth century monastery, and of course, another of Edward I’s projects. We were also there to see puffins, but were unsuccessful.
One of the stranger sights in north Wales is the private, planned village of Portmeirion. Designed by a Welsh architect in Italianate design to fit into its surroundings, it is made up of whimsical pastels and shapes like the concrete ship. Admission is free with a three course lunch or our choice, afternoon tea. Some of the best baked goods I’ve had so far, definitely the best scones!