After a week in Ireland, it was time to head to Conwy Castle in Wales. Tom and I had been looking forward to Wales for a long time. We only have two days here, but we are supposed to hit the highlights. First we had to get there.
In order to get to Wales we had to board a ferry. We had to be ready to leave the hotel at 6:45, which doesn’t sound that early. Except suitcases had to be out at 6. Which meant I got up at 5 to take my shower and get Tom up at 5:30. Early for us!
Once our bus drove on the Irish Ferry, we got out and checked out the lounges. This ferry was much larger than the one we took to Orkney and there were several different lounges and three restaurants. We could have watched a movie or gambled in the casino. Tom and I, being party animals, went into the quiet lounge, reclined our seats, and took a nap. We had vouchers for breakfast, so we had to be down at the Brasserie before 10 to get them. The hotel had provided a boxed breakfast which we ate before we left. I wasn’t very hungry, but you never pass up included food in Europe.
After our second breakfast, we sat with other people from our tour and chatted. It was a very smooth and pleasant voyage. Our bus drove off the ferry close to 11:30 and we drove through the lovely Welsh countryside for a very quick stop at the town with the longest name. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Nigel can pronounce it, but the only part I can get is the end: go go goch. The town used to have a shorter name, but it lengthened it to get into the record book and attract tourists. It worked! We were only there long enough to snap some pictures and load back on the bus.
Our next stop was a town with a much shorter name, Conwy. Conwy has a huge Norman wall, very impressive, and a large Norman castle ruin. Tom and I wanted to see Castell Conwy, but Tom had a necessary stop to make first. Looking for the restrooms, we discovered the Welsh gift shop which was awesome and full of all kinds of stuff. Tom found a sweatshirt he wanted and I got a Welsh love spoon. I have been collecting spoons all over Europe but this one is the most unique. It is carved from wood with symbols of love on it. Some of the Welsh Love Spoons are very elaborate and some of the ones in the shop were over $100. That is not the one I chose.
Some of my ancestry is Welsh. My maiden name, Clymer, is Welsh. The Welsh word for Wales is Cymru, which is pretty close, although that isn’t where the name comes from. Still, it was exciting to see all the stuff with Cymru on it in the gift shop.
Tom and I headed to the castle in hopes of walking around. We only had an hour in Conwy. By the time we got to the castle, we only had 35 minutes. And it cost 12 pounds per person. To walk very quickly through ruins. Sadly, we decided to walk around the outside of the castle instead. I took lots of pictures from several different angles. Then we walked around the city walls.
We were a little hungry, so we stopped at a bakery. They were selling Welsh cakes. They looked like a sweet biscuit with raisins. It would have been good to try them, but they only came in a package of six. I found a recipe and will try to make them when I get home. Instead we got a donut to share and some coke. Then we sat on the wall and ate our lunch snack. All too soon, it was time to head to the bus.
Our next stop was our destination for the night, Chester, England. Not to worry, we are going back to Wales tomorrow. Chester is just over the border from Wales and has wonderful Roman and Norman walls and a cathedral. Chester had one of the largest Roman forts in England. There are still Roman remains throughout the town, although many of them were built upon during the Norman period.
A mostly intact Norman wall surrounds the city center. Nigel led us on a walking tour of the city center with stops at all four of the gates and at the market cross where the two roads intersected. One of the unique features of Chester are the medieval rows – raised sidewalks and shopping stalls. Because the Roman wall still remained in the middle ages, shops and houses were built on top of them. A raised sidewalk sheltered the richer residents of the city from the muck in the roads below. They could walk along the rows and do their shopping in comfort. The city still has these rows in front of their nicest shops.
We saw a Roman amphitheater close to another gate. Our tour ended at the Chester Cathedral. A church has stood on these grounds since the Romans occupied the site. The oldest part of the current cathedral was built in 1209. Other additions and restorations have contributed to a huge building complex.
Tom and I used our extra time to tour the cathedral. It was spectacular. I love the soaring ceilings, the solidity of the stone pillars, and the intricate and delicate stained glass windows. Each of the congregations in the ancient building works to preserve them and keep them open for the next generation.
The Chester Cathedral had some unique features. There was a beautiful organ and quire. There was some modern stained glass windows as well as carvings and tomb markers from the medieval period. One part of the cathedral that we really enjoyed was the Lego Chester Cathedral. Someone in the congregation had painstakingly recreated the interior and exterior of the cathedral. It was amazing! The details in the model were so faithful to the original. The model was almost as wow as the cathedral itself.
The only bad thing about the cathedral is that I left my water bottle there. It was a DEVA water bottle that I was given when we worked in Death Valley. I have hauled that thing around with me all over the United States and during my three months here in Europe. It is the only water bottle I brought with me and I have carefully washed it every night. I was very attached to it. But not as attached as I should have been.
I set it down somewhere in the cathedral and didn’t pick it up again. We were boarding the bus before I noticed it was missing. I had time to run back and get it – if I could have remembered where I left it. But it could have been anywhere in Chester. I only realized that I left it in the cathedral when Tom showed me a picture later of me holding it when we first went in. I guess that gives me an excuse to pick up a souvenir water bottle.
There is so much history in Great Britain. Tom and I are enjoying learning about it and trying to absorb as much as possible. Seeing remains of things we have only read about helps cement it in our brains.