Snowdonia, Wales

June 21 - June 25, 2010

There's a catch to renting a farmhouse cottage, dating back to the 1600s, tucked away in the countryside of Wales. Yes, there are gorgeous views from hilltop of the surrounding luscious, green landscapes, but what the booking website won't inform you of are the chickens who will invade your quiet abode if the front door is left open with intention to simply let in a fresh morning breeze. May I introduce to you, Bets-y-coed.

Four days in Snowdonia were spent without any phone reception or Internet connection and an incredibly limited variation of television channels. So with as much optimism as I could perk myself up with, I kept with the family flow, waiting to see what we would get up to. On some days, I was impressed with what we discovered, that is, if you find history and landscapes appealing.

Within the immediate area of Bets-y-coed, we discovered Conwy Castle as well as Bodnant Garden. Situated on Conwy River, Conwy Castle dates back to the 1200s to the time of King Edward I. Its crumbling interior foundations still remain inside its first set of castle walls which stand proudly, along with its second set, the gateway into its surrounding town. In addition, the castle's bridge, spanning across the river, is definitely a work of art. If you're looking for an afternoon escape, Bodnant Garden makes a great visit; a large variety of exotic, international plant species can be found sprawled out over 80 acres of land.

Just like Conwy, we found that Gwynedd had a few gems to offer as well. Caernarfon Castle is situated high on the coastline, up the river from Conwy Castle, and was erected by King Edward I himself. An impressive sight worth seeing, its initial intention as a seat of power still lingers in its atmosphere. Definitely not to forget, especially for those creative hearts like myself, is Portmeirion. This small and architecturally-vivid town was created by a Welsh man, Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, in the Early 1900s. His aim in constructing this village was to show that architectural designs from other cultures could be successfully incorporated into the Welsh landscape. And is it charming!

The Llechwedd Slate Caverns, active since 1836 and found in Blaenau Ffestiniog (thank goodness this isn't a video blog, I wouldn't be able to pronounce some of these names to save my life), provided an informative tour one afternoon through two different slate mines. Northwest Wales is very well known for their abundance in slate which is imported all over the globe.

As if we hadn't done enough already, we also took a ride up the Snowdon Mountain Railway in Llanberis. Unsurprisingly, we were greeted with nothing more than clouds at the very top, but still managed to snap a few breathtaking scenes of the rolling landscape mid-way up and down on the rack-railway.

Four days was more than enough time required to inhale the ambiance of Wales (as well as feeling incredibly deprived from any connection with the outside world).

Welsh Flag

Top of Mt. Snowdon

Portmeirion

Bets-y-coed

Bodnant Garden

Conwy Castle