Leaving our Easter Long Weekend travel plans to the last minute when everywhere else was far too expensive or booked out, we thought , what better way to see the countryside than to hire a car and drive to Wales? Well we saw a lot of nature, in fact 6 hours of nature while we made our way to Snowdonia National Park.
Our AirBnB was incredibly cute in a town called Penmaenpool which backs onto the National Park. There is nothing in this town except a pub and the river, which was oddly popular given the amount of people who actually reside in the town itself.
We joined in the fun and had a pint by the water before realising it was far too cold to be outside and retreated to our home by the fire.
After a big day of driving we followed with a big day of sightseeing. Harlech Castle was first on the list and provided impressive views over the coastline as well as an overview of the interesting Welsh history.
This castle was held as the Royal Court by Owain Lyndwr after the English rule of Edward I was overturned for a 4 year period by the Welsh. UNESCO considers Harlech to be one of “the finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe”, but our travel buddy/tour guide Kate thought the “use of stone was excessive”…….. I think I’ll stick to the pamphlet.
We were able to climb to the tops of the towers and walk around the fortress. Once the wind picked up we decided it was not pleasant nor safe to be up on top of the castle and hurried back inside.
A quick visit to the coastal town of Porthmadog for lunch where fish and chips is the specialty but being too cold for sunbaking, the beach was not a popular place today.
Now to the reason we came to Wales: to climb Mt Snowdon! We started the day early (probably my healthiest Easter yet given the amount of chocolate consumed was outweighed by exercise) and travelled to the start of the trek. The weather was beautiful and clear with not a rain drop in sight so everything was off to a great start.
The scenery was stunning as we commenced our climb up the Miners Track. There are many options, but from Pen-y-Pass where we started, the Miners Track and the PYG track are the most common (and easy!). We decided to combine the two, heading up the Miners track and down the PYG track.
We arrived at the junction of the tracks after a very steep ascent where we were scrambling over rocks to climb the mountain. The view from this point is beautiful, especially when you can see exactly what you have just climbed up! We made an attempt to hike to the peak, but without the proper hiking equipment this was impossible. A large drop of snow has fallen the previous day meaning it was far too icy to trek in our sneakers.
Despite this, we were satisfied with our trek and enjoyed the view from our summit. We descended the mountain and made our way back home for an Easter dinner. My travel buddies are lucky I can make a roast!
After a beautiful weekend escape in Snowdonia, we were back on the road to visit the south of Wales. The scenery is beautiful throughout the country, and there is no getting bored of the windy roads, quaint towns, one way (but really 2 way) streets and interesting Welsh language. After a few dicey passes between vehicles, we quickly learnt that “Araf” means “Slow!”
The coast is boasted about by the Welsh so we thought we would check out their best beaches. Spring, or more accurately described as colder than Australian Winter, is probably not the best time to explore these destinations.
The tides over here are huge, so the beach at Tanby was extremely wide, so extreme that the boats in the marina were just sitting on the sand.
The peninsula gave us a great view of the colourful town, but was a tad windy (see video).
Throughout our trip I was still unsure as to what Welsh food is like. The fish and chips seemed popular on the coast, but after a bit of research, I found that the Welsh actually have a traditional Welsh cake, so I endeavoured to find some. On our last day in Wales I managed to enjoy one with my coffee. It turns out its kind of just like a flat raisin scone…. Delicious none the less, but a little underwhelming.
Driving back to London, we managed to cover a lot of the Welsh countryside. The trip was an adventure, and I really loved the hiking available and the cute towns we visited along the way. I can understand why they are so popular for tourists! I’d love to come back to Snowdonia and the beaches during the Summer to see how it compares.
Some more photos below of our hike up Mt Snowden!
Comments