In September 2019, Debra and I cruised the British Isles for 14 days on the Pacific Princess. We sailed round trip from Dover, with port stops in England, the Republic of Ireland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. Click HERE to read a short introduction about this awesome cruise.
This story, part of a series, is about our day in Holyhead, the fifth port of call.
This story, part of a series, is about our day in Holyhead, the fifth port of call.
“Do you miss Wales?” Tessa inquired.
Will shrugged lightly. “What’s to miss? Sheep and singing,”
he said. “And the ridiculous language. Fe hoffwn i fod mor
feddw, fyddai ddim yn cofio fy enw.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means ‘I wish to get so drunk I no longer remember my own name.’ Quite useful.”
~ Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Prince
Will shrugged lightly. “What’s to miss? Sheep and singing,”
he said. “And the ridiculous language. Fe hoffwn i fod mor
feddw, fyddai ddim yn cofio fy enw.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means ‘I wish to get so drunk I no longer remember my own name.’ Quite useful.”
~ Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Prince
Holyhead, Wales (September 14, 2019) – We sailed overnight from Waterford to the harbor town of Holyhead, located on the eastern shore of the Irish Sea. I was up early to see the sun rise over Holyhead Bay.
Holyhead, the largest town on the island of Anglesey, is a busy ferry port, with crossings to Ireland, Scotland, England, Holland, and France. Dublin is just 99 minutes away on the superfast ferry – an easy day trip. The town boasts a maritime museum, and nearby are historic and prehistoric sites, including Barclodiad y Gawres, a Neolithic burial chamber. This Welsh name, by the way, translates to “The Giantess' Apronful,” which comes from an ancient legend about a giant woman.
The weather was absolutely beautiful. The temperature was in the upper 50s when we arrived early morning, warmed to the low 60s by midafternoon, and there was plenty of sunshine throughout the day.
The weather was absolutely beautiful. The temperature was in the upper 50s when we arrived early morning, warmed to the low 60s by midafternoon, and there was plenty of sunshine throughout the day.
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Debra and I joined fellow passengers on an all-day, 120-mile sightseeing tour of North Wales with BusyBus Tours (www.busybus.co.uk). Gerald, our tour guide, met us at the pier at 8:30, and quickly loaded us on a coach bus to start our tour. With only 29 people on this bus, there was plenty of room to spread out.
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At day’s end, we were pleased with our tour. The itinerary was great – quaint towns, mighty castles, huge vistas, and more. Gerald was personable and knowledgeable, which meant we were entertained and well-informed about the country and sights we saw. And the price was very reasonable – just 49 pounds per person (about $62), making this one of our least expensive tours.
As we drove east across the island of Anglesey, we had our first glimpse of the agriculturally rich countryside, passing one farm after another.
As we drove east across the island of Anglesey, we had our first glimpse of the agriculturally rich countryside, passing one farm after another.
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A Castle Town
On the eastern side of Anglesey, we crossed the Menai Strait on the Britannia Bridge, and then headed southwest to the castle town of Caernarfon The Romans built a fort on the outskirts of present-day Caernarfon near the end of the 1st century, which gave rise to the town’s name: In Welsh, “Caer” denotes a fortress, “n” means in, and “Arfon” was an administrative district. The Romans occupied the "Fortress of Arfon" for 300 years.
Mighty Caernarfon is possibly the most famous of Wales’s castles.
Its sheer scale and commanding presence easily set it apart from
the rest, and to this day, still trumpet in no uncertain terms the
intention of its builder, Edward I.
~ Croeso.com
Its sheer scale and commanding presence easily set it apart from
the rest, and to this day, still trumpet in no uncertain terms the
intention of its builder, Edward I.
~ Croeso.com
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Completed in 1330, Caernarfon Castle was a royal fortress-palace built on the banks of Afon Seiont (Afon is the Welsh word for “River”). Its architecture included thick stone walls, tall octagonal towers, grand turrets, and lofty battlements. UNESCO added Caernarfon Castle, together with royal castles at Conwy, Beaumaris, and Harlech, to its list of World Heritage Sites in 1968.
Here’s a bit of British trivia for history buffs: Edward II, son of Edward I, was born in Caernarfon Castle in 1284 (although the castle was just a tower then), and since that time, the heir to the British throne – the “crown prince” – has been invested with the title “Prince of Wales.” Charles, the current Prince of Wales, received his title there in July 1969. |
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We had an hour of free time in this medieval town. Rather than tour the castle, Debra and I explored the narrow streets of Caernarfon, with its beautiful stone buildings and remains of the wall that once surrounded it.
On Palace Street we found a canopy of suspended umbrellas – over 170 “brollies” in eight colors – reminiscent of a display I saw earlier this year when I visited Dublin with our daughter.
On Palace Street we found a canopy of suspended umbrellas – over 170 “brollies” in eight colors – reminiscent of a display I saw earlier this year when I visited Dublin with our daughter.
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Debra and I stepped into Llechi a Phethau (Welsh, for “Slate and Things”), a shop on High Street that showcased local artists. We had a pleasant conversation with the proprietor, who told us that slate mining was once a major industry in northwestern Wales. We purchased a plaque made of slate with a sculptural relief of a red dragon, one of three national symbols of Wales. (The other two were the leek and the daffodil.)
The castle was breathtaking, the town was quaint. We were off to a great start on our tour of North Wales!
The castle was breathtaking, the town was quaint. We were off to a great start on our tour of North Wales!
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Largest National Park in Wales
We traveled 45 minutes east to Snowdonia, a region in North Wales with mountains, natural lakes, rivers, and picturesque villages...and the oldest and largest of three national parks in Wales. |
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Snowdonia National Park, which was carved by glaciers over several ice ages, covers 823 square miles – somewhat smaller than the state of Rhode Island. More than 26,000 people live within the park, and over half speak Welsh.
The park’s namesake peak is Snowdon (photo above), or Yr Wyddfa in Welsh. At almost 3,600 feet in height, Snowdon’s summit is the highest point in Wales and England. It’s hard to imagine that this mountain, and others in Snowdonia, were once part of a vast seafloor!
Our driver parked at Ogwen Cottage, an outdoor center (hostel, café, and visitor’s information) at the foothill of two mountain ranges, the Carneddau and Glyderau, where we had magnificent views of the towering mountains and verdant valley.
Our driver parked at Ogwen Cottage, an outdoor center (hostel, café, and visitor’s information) at the foothill of two mountain ranges, the Carneddau and Glyderau, where we had magnificent views of the towering mountains and verdant valley.
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Debra and I followed a trailhead near the café – an uneven stone path up a slight incline. About a quarter mile or so up the trail, we came to a small foot bridge straddling a stream that flowed from the mountains. There we stopped to enjoy a gentle waterfall as the stream washed over a series of large boulders. The sound of the water as it fell over the rocks was sooooo soothing!
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As we drove from Ogwen Cottage, we passed Llyn Ogwen (Llyn is the Welsh word for “Lake”), which, according to legend, was the final resting place for the famous sword Excalibur, cast into this lake by Bedwyr Bedrynant, a knight of King Arthur. Unfortunately, I had to leave the discovery of Excalibur to another “knight,” as there was no time in our schedule for me to search for this mystical sword!
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Prayer House in the Wood
Fifteen minutes further east, we stopped at Betws-y-Coed, a picturesque village surrounded by the heavily treed hills of Gwydir Forest Park. Its Welsh name, pronounced BET-oos-uh-coyd, means “Prayer-House-in-the-Wood.” |
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Gerald led our group on a short walk past the Conwy Valley Railway station to St. Michael’s Church, THE prayer house in the woods. Named for the Archangel, the church, which was built from stone, dated to the 14th century. Inside was a plain chapel with white-washed plaster walls and arched wooden beams. The chapel was lovely in its simplicity.
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We left the church and followed a path to the Sappers Suspension Bridge, built across the River Conwy in the 1930s. The original name of the river was spelled ‘Cynwy,’ which combined two Welsh words – ‘cyn’ (chief) and ‘gwy’ (water). The “Chief Water,” which flows 27 miles north from the mountains to Conwy Bay, may run fast as it falls from the mountains, but it was slow-moving and tranquil near Betws-y-Coed.
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There was some “play” to this bridge – it bounced and moved as Debra and I made our way to the halfway point. Gerald shared the lore about this “wobbly bridge”: Make a wish while on it, and the wish will come true. As the saying goes, “nothing ventured, nothing gained.” Our wish? Read on!
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We drove north from Betws-y-Coed. Near the town of Llanrwst, we crossed Pont Fawr (“Great Bridge”), a beautiful stone bridge that spanned the Afon Conwy. The middle of the three spans was the largest in Wales when completed in 1636. Gerald told us that the bridge vibrates if the parapet above the central arch is struck. Fortunately, our driver steered clear of the parapet, and the Shaking Bridge, as it is also known, was motionless as we drove across!
A Medieval Town
We soon arrived at the medieval town of Conwy, located on the northern coast of Wales. The town is home to Conwy Castle, built by Edward I during his conquest of Wales in the late 13th century and part of a World Heritage Site.
We soon arrived at the medieval town of Conwy, located on the northern coast of Wales. The town is home to Conwy Castle, built by Edward I during his conquest of Wales in the late 13th century and part of a World Heritage Site.
There were plenty of castles to tour on our trip, so we were happy to take a few photos of this one and spend our free time exploring the town, which, by the way, was once named “one of the most beautiful places in Europe.”
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From the castle we followed Rose Hill Street, a larger thoroughfare that skirts the center of town (left hand photo above). Soon we turned onto High Street (right hand photo above), which was perhaps the most charming street in Conwy. Rick Steves described High Street as “an enjoyable slice-of-Welsh-life scene: tearooms, a bakery, butcher, newsstand, and old timers.” And it was. We loved the mix of brick, stone, and half-timbered houses and buildings and a display of colorful Welsh flags and banners. Along the way, we stopped in a shop or two – at one, I purchased a Wales ballcap emblazoned with a red dragon – a nice addition to my collection of caps from places we have visited.
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It was early afternoon and we were famished, so we stopped for a “traditional” Welsh lunch (year, right!) near the castle – pizza and a beer at Johnny Dough’s at The Bridge. Perhaps we missed out by not having Welsh stew and cakes, but the pizza sure hit the spot! We found our bus where Gerald said it would be – near the castle, a short walk from Johnny Dough’s.
As we drove west towards our final stop, past green rolling hills and farms, the driver pulled to the side of the road near the Menai Straits, which separates the mainland of Wales from the island of Anglesey. This was a photo op of the Borth Suspension Bridge (in the center background of this photo), which was completed in 1826. With a total length of 1,368 feet, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time. Today? It wouldn’t even crack the “top-100!”
The Name of This Town is a Mouthful
Our last stop was in a tiny village with a REALLY BIG NAME! In fact, it is the longest place name in United Kingdom and one of the longest in the world. Ready?
Our last stop was in a tiny village with a REALLY BIG NAME! In fact, it is the longest place name in United Kingdom and one of the longest in the world. Ready?
Llanfairpwllgwyngyullgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
This Welsh name, created in the 1880s as a publicity stunt to make the village an attraction, has 19 syllables comprised of 58 letters.
The English translation is:
“The church of Mary in the hollow of the white hazel near the
fierce whirlpool and the church of Tysilio by the red cave.”
fierce whirlpool and the church of Tysilio by the red cave.”
Whether in Welsh or English, the village’s name is a mouthful, to be sure!
BusyBus promised a tour “designed to give us a snapshot overview of this beautiful and lesser known part of the United Kingdom.” They delivered: Mighty castles. Quaint towns. Beautiful countryside. Debra and I loved our North Wales Adventure!
BusyBus promised a tour “designed to give us a snapshot overview of this beautiful and lesser known part of the United Kingdom.” They delivered: Mighty castles. Quaint towns. Beautiful countryside. Debra and I loved our North Wales Adventure!
On Board the Pacific Princess
Tonight was “formal night” in the dining room, an opportunity to dress for dinner – a gown for Debra and a tie and jacket for me. Blech! No, not for us – at least not on this cruise, as we were all about comfort. Slacks and a top for both of us, and a relaxing dinner in the Panorama Buffet. Afterwards, we stepped on deck to enjoy yet another beautiful sunset.
Tonight was “formal night” in the dining room, an opportunity to dress for dinner – a gown for Debra and a tie and jacket for me. Blech! No, not for us – at least not on this cruise, as we were all about comfort. Slacks and a top for both of us, and a relaxing dinner in the Panorama Buffet. Afterwards, we stepped on deck to enjoy yet another beautiful sunset.
We will be in Dublin tomorrow, where we have a half-day tour that includes a castle and seaside town. I look forward to sharing our day with you in a future post.