Beautiful Wales. I was there from 12 to 14 May. A bit too short I think, but I was in between exams then, so I chose not to risk it. The ferry there from Dublin was a steal: ten euros one way. I booked me a decent bed and breakfast at a good price too.
I must say Wales took me by surprise. I spent most of my time on the western side in a village called Caernarfon (pronounced ke-NAR-ven). It's an old village whose main purpose is to look old and entertain tourists. Even so, it kinda held its own charm.
Emblem birdies |
Taverns |
Now defunct club |
Colours in the sun |
Wales has a lot going for it. Firstly, its food. I had presumed that Welsh food would be like English, rather plain and uninspiring. Turns out they have some interesting stuff.
Strange, scone-like cakes |
Well that was the only thing I remembered to take a picture of. The Welsh eat this seaweed they call laver. I had it shredded as a side dish, but they also make it into a bread. It's got an interesting tangy taste. There's lots of sheep in Wales too, to the joy of lamb lovers.
There were a couple of things I wanted to try but didn't: particularly Faggot (liver meatballs) and Rarebit (grilled cheese). If you haven't noticed by now the Welsh have a way with naming things.
The other great thing about Wales would be nature. This is the sea view from Caernarfon:
Pretty blue waters |
Pretty blue skies |
Pretty blue everything |
Of course I hadn't gone all the way to Wales without visiting Snowdonia. I thought since I had so little time there I would go to the essence of essence, the heart of hearts of the national park: Snowdon, of Snowdonia.
It was a long way up. A thousand metres high. Thankfully I didn't walk it. I took a train.
Meet Thomas! |
Rest stop to refuel on the coal |
This is cloud nine |
And that was pretty much all that we got to see. I was very grateful I didn't invest a half a day of hiking to get such a breath-taking view.
Even so, the village at the foot of Snowdon was quite pleasant. It's called Llandberis (say it as if there's only one 'l').
Happy buildings |
Cool mural |
Okay there wasn't a awful lot to do there but it had a few nice shops and cafes. I also think it was the off-peak season when I was there, so maybe not all shops were open. The other hint was the utter lack of individuals less than three times my age. Not that I'm complaining.
Anyway, I've got to say the best thing about Wales has got to be the dragons though. They make great souvenirs.
Okay, I half-kid. I think I enjoyed the village atmosphere in Wales best. People knew each other there. They waved hello and chatted as they passed each other on the street. It was especially cool that all these exchanges happened in Welsh. It's a strange sounding language, but it's nice they keep their heritage language (at least in the west).
I would have liked to be able to drive around to the other villages. Particularly this one that was dedicated to local crafts. Too bad I didn't have enough time, or a driving licence.