Advertisement
Published: April 14th 2007
Edit Blog Post
Hi again everyone! Well we have just been away for 5 days or so over the easter break travelling through Wales and returning through Bath and the Cotsolds. The van held up nicely, although there are a few interior renovations to be done to bring it up to scratch for the big trip.
We started out by heading to Conwy, a port town in North Wales. The Conwy Castle is a substantial landmark here, with a position overlooking the town and the port. Definately a well thought out position to thwart early invaders, and to make it easy for tourists to find it.
After checking out the castle, we took a walk around the jetties and the marina, only to find what the sign described as "The smallest house in Great Britian." It was closed for the day so we couldn't properly check it out, but it is safe to say that it left no lasting impression on us.
We continued on further south, passing the lakes and mountains of the Snowdonia region. As we have put in a previous blog we have been to Mount Snowdon already, and found it again to be very peaceful and
Friendly Seagull
As big as a koala! picture-esk. We are going back again next weekend with our housemates to Lake Bala, more photos on that to come!
After that we ended up near the coastal town of Harlech, where we slept at a camping park overlooking the sea. Harlech was a sleepy little town, perched on a high hill looking over sand dunes near the local beach.
The next day we kept on going south, winding up at the Centre for Alternative Technology. It was like a fun-fair for hippies, with plenty of information about sustainable building practises and renewable energy. We found it to be quite interesting with plenty of good ideas to think about!
After the fun-fair we headed off to St. David's in the South-West corner of Wales in Pembrokeshire. The coast line here was quite different to North Wales, with rocky cliff faces and steep drop-offs. We found a caravan park perched on the coast, with good walking tracks winding along the cliffs.
The next day was Easter Sunday, and just to be special we went and checked out the St. David's Cathederal, supposedly the holiest place in Wales. It was a crisp, clear day and we decided to
explore the abbey adjacent to the church, which is in the middle of restoration work.
We took advantage of the walking tracks along the cliffs in the afternoon, stopping to have a picnic in a nook along the way. The scenery along here was spectactular, with we spent periods just sitting and looking out at the ocean. There were people rock climbing, and even some people cliff-jumping- or so it seemed. They would jump into the water off the rocks, swim out then come back in again. They did have protective gear, and an instructor in a blue suit.
We then headed to Bath in the evening, staying at a caravan park near the town. The couple that owned the park were very friendly, showing us around on a golf cart before offering as much information about the area as we could possibly need.
The next day we spent in Bath, explore the Roman Baths and the streets filled with buskers and tourists. It was a great atmosphere in the town, and the baths provided a bit of history as to the roman settlement in the area.
After finishing here we headed in the vague direction of
The smallest House in Britian
It was closed because of the bank holiday, so we couldn't explore. I;m sure it wouldn't have taken long. the Cotswolds/Gloucestershire, with no great intention other than to check out the villages and the countryside. We winded our way through the smallest of towns, many perched on the banks of rivers in the area.
Late in the day we stopped at a pub called the Rose & Crown, to have a break and to find a campsite. The nearest site was pretty far away, so the landlord offered for us to stay in the back paddock, provided the farmer had removed his sheep! The farmer just happened to be at the other end of the bar, and said it was okay to use. We stayed on for a meal and a few drinks, and a chat with the old blokes at the bar. It was a great night, and was a good way to wind up the trip.
The next day we stopped in Cheltenham to do some shopping, before heading back home through the local area (Gloucestershire). Cheltenham seemed to be a very expensive and fashionable town, and didn't hold much interest so it was back to Manchester we went.
Well that rounds it out, i'm sorry it's been such a long entry - I
Conwy
A small little port town, very peaceful. hope most of you are still awake. Thanks for the recent comments, we are praying for rain back home, and for Footscray and the Bombers to have a win!
Till the next one,
Ben and Stace
Advertisement
Tot: 0.289s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 16; qc: 64; dbt: 0.0744s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Sam
non-member comment
didyousee?
--the men of Harlech or is that a different place ?