Monday, April 19, 2010

The Spring Break Rewind- North Wales Day 4 pt. 1

Whoa, it's almost been a month since all this happened and I'm just now getting it posted, what a crazy last few weeks it's been! Lets see if I can remember what happened. It was one of our most packed days, I may take it in parts.

After another wonderful home cooked meal at the B&B (it was funny, the guy who ran the place quickly learned I didn't drink coffee or tea, and that I was pretty content with just loads of toast for breakfast), we headed out to Conwy (yep no a in there) Castle. I've noticed that I try to hybridize castle and castell, the Welsh word, in previous posts, I think I'm permanently broken on it. Conwy was our first castle where we actually had a tour guide, ours who gives the tour to Colgaters every year, was incredible. Neil carried a sweet walking stick, which he liked to use to demonstrate things like how deep into the walls fortifications went etc. He really gave us a new perspective on everything, it's crazy how many little (or not) details you miss when you just wander around a ruin by yourself. Conwy was one of the most heavily fortified castles built by the English (to hold out the Welsh) and was never taken. After the tour Neil gave, I can see why. They also had a very deep well (but the water had to be boiled, and was looking particularly rank), and a chapel that was mostly intact.
The sole entrance into the castle via land ramp thingy, there are 7 layers of defence in this one archway. Can you spot them? We sure couldn't.

Neil then led us out onto the Telford suspension bridge. This was build back in 1826, and Telford tore down a chunk of the castle to anchor the bridge right into the side of it. It looks cool, but destroyed some neat bits of the structure and would not fly today. He also altered some of the city walls which are as old as the castle. It became pretty much obsolete in the '50's as it wasn't wide enough to let any real amount of car traffic across, and now sits as a tourist attraction between the railway bridge and the modern highway bridge. Neil then led us through a cool graveyard for a rushed lunch in his favorite pub.
Telford Bridge #1 with the other 2 bridges

Back on the bus we went (after buying a mind blowing pastry in one of the nearby bakeries). A short ride later and we were at the Menai Straits which run between Conwy and the Isle of Anglesey. Anglesey is sort of Wales' breadbasket, so it needed a bridge. Good old Telford built another one there. We went to his centre, and donned safety vests to be walked across the bridge. It was incredibly windy up there, so it was almost impossible to hear our enthusiastic guides (but really how excited can one get about a bridge?). It was a pretty view though. We recrossed, and they then decided to lead us down on a walk so we could then look up at the bridge. Again, it was bridgey. Chilly and underwhelmed we got back onto the bus.
Telford Bridge #2

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home