Hwyl Dublin, Croesi I Gymru!

Goodbye Dublin, Welcome to Wales!  We boarded the Stena Line fast ferry at Dun Laoghaire for Port Holyhead.

The ferry equipped with shopping, Burger King, an arcade, a Curious George play area for kids, and numerous other restaurants was very comfortable. We arrived on the Isle of Angelesey about 1 ½ hours later and met our guide Janet. Our first stop in Wales was at a train station in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwlllantysiliogogogoch. It is the town with the longest name in Europe. Good luck trying to pronounce it. The English translation is “The Church of Mary in the Hollow of the White Hazel near the Fierce Whirlpool and the Church of Tysalio by the Red Cave”.

Driving on the dual carriageway, we enjoyed views of the coastline, the Snowdonia Mountains (minus the peaks of them), and the beautiful green countryside covered with a purple heather. Conway, a medieval seaside town, was our next stop. We drove through the medieval walls which the coach barely fit through. We stopped by the seaside to see the fishing village and the smallest house in all of Great Britain.

We caught partial glimpses of Conway Castle which we will return to visit tomorrow. We followed the coastline to Llandudno. It is a charming seaside holiday site with a beautiful promenade overlooking the Irish Sea. Kelly wanted to dip her feet in the Irish Sea but luckily we persuaded her not too.

The gardens and Victorian architecture are absolutely gorgeous. We loved the feel of this village and wished we could have stayed longer. Jenny was jealous of the Hydrangeas and wondered why hers don’t resemble them. Maybe the fact that the temperature rarely gets above 70 degrees in Llandudno might explain it. One similarity to Lake Isabella is the wind……it never ends in this seaside village either.

Back on the dual carriageway, we drove for 20 minutes to our overnight retreat, Bodelwyddan Castle Hotel. Tonight my Mother said “Goodnight my Princesses” and we couldn’t help but laugh. Honestly, the hotel is nothing fancy, the beds are pretty lousy, and the meals are buffet style. What about that is royal treatment?