(Self-portrait beside Lake Bala)
Snowdonia
For my fortnight in Wales I was based at the incredible, Plas Penaeldroch in the heart of Snowdonia. Mike and Carrie are excellent hosts and the house manages both to feel enveloped in nature, and be a mere 10 minute drive south-west of Betws-y-Coed. Snowdonia National Park is full of beauty, especially in late August when I visited. There are walks suitable to every grade of walker, from the valley rambler to the serious climber. I used this book for a lot of my walks in the National Park and found my comfort zone was in the 'moderate' level walks, I left the 'hard' paths to the more adventurous!
(Plas Penaeldroch)
In addition to hill-walking in Snowdonia I also really enjoyed some gentler rambles including around Llyn Tegid. This is Wales' largest natural lake, there are lots of watersports available on the lake, and I spent a lot of time thinking about Mary Jones. Mary walked 26 miles to a church on the banks of this lake just to buy a bible in Welsh! The other bonus of valley walks, such as that between The Ugly House and Betws, is the proliferation of coffee shops at either end. Coffee and cake is never far away, even at the base of the slightly more ambitious walk about Llyn Idwal.
(Cwm Idwal)
A note on transport: It is possible to do Snowdonia by public transport but when I was there the buses were not running to timetable and there were significant delays (of upwards of 1 hour!). Whilst the towns and famous walking routes were quite busy it was always possible to find a quiet route and free places to park if you go 500m beyond the tourist hotspots. If you are visiting the parks in peak season do arrive early (before 9am) as they quickly fill up. Do also be aware that Snowdonia is famous for its hills, the roads can be narrow and steep.
(Gorgeous Snowdonia)
Anglesey
I know plenty of family and friends who really rate Anglesey but I had never visited until this Summer. When it was raining in Snowdonia you could almost bet that it would be sunny on the island so I made a couple of trips across the Menai Strait. I was guided by my walking book to both Puffin Island and Newborough Beach. As with Snowdonia it pays to arrive early - getting out of Newborough by 11.30am was really challenging. Saying this, the sights are worth it in both cases. Sandy shores, glimmering water, and the mountains in the distance. These landscapes are steeped in peace and also offer plenty of historic interest. Although I only made a couple of trips to the island, I would like to return to explore it properly.
(Puffin Island)
(The mainland from Puffin Island)
(Newborough)
Northern towns and their castles
Following the prompting of my walking book I explored a number of towns on the coast and their attendant castles. Here I will touch on just three: Caernarfon, Harlech and Portmeirion.
An afternoon with the royal town of Caernarfon pairs well with a trip to Anglesey on the basis of location. They have a very nice thirteenth-century castle there, and you can pretend you are at the investiture of the Prince of Wales whilst you are there. When I visited there was a lot of construction work happening within the grounds of the castle which, in addition to COVID restrictions did limit the experience a bit but I'd still say it was a nice way to spend an hour or so. The rest of Caernarfon seemed dwarfed by the castle and I didn't find that much more to do there.
(Caernarfon Castle)
The same could not be said for Harlech. I don't think I would even have considered visiting Harlech without the walking book but I am so glad I did. This location does come with the warning that one of its roads was in the Guiness Book of Records for being the steepest road in the world! But Harlech has plenty to recommend it including but not limited to: castle, golfing range, incredible sand dunes, and WILDERNESS, which houses both a cafe and a wool shop - this is close to perfection for me! Needless to say I emerged from the shop with both cheese on toast and a couple of balls of wall. If cheese on toast isn't your thing Harlech has lots of coffee shops to find your fix. I concluded my visit to Harlech by doing a 7 mile walking route which took in the town, surrounding fields (I got so lost!), and a final stroll along the bay. Its a strong recommend from me.
(Harlech, really very steep, and very beautiful)
And finally, Portmeirion. I had a vague recollection that Portmeirion was famous for making pottery but I had no idea about the resort. Portmeirion was designed and built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis over a 50 year period in the twentieth century and is inspired by villages in the Mediterranean. It is a slightly surreal experience where you know you are in Wales but the architecture doesn't match the context. I have never been to Disneyland, but I suspect its a bit like Disneyland. I had a perfectly nice morning in Portmeirion, but felt I had 'done it all' over 2 hours or so.
(Portmeirion)
Well, that my friends was my experience of North Wales, honourable mentions to the towns of Bangor (perfectly pleasant but a bit beige), Porthmadog (nice indy ceramic shop!) and Towyn (so, so damp when I visited). Next time: The South West; Gloucestershire, Dorset and the New Forest.
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