Wales 24 Sept

Having been asked to purchase something special for Amy we headed to Wales on our first day post Owen. To get in the spirit I put BBC Cymru on the MH radio. Unfortunately BBC Cymru is in Welsh and we couldn’t understand a word! This took us back to our last holiday in the UK when Ron became frustrated because the only TV channels available in parts of Wales were in Welsh. Not deterred I suggested that Ron and I sing along anyway. Not sure if the lack of response from Ron was due to industrial deafness, I didn’t pursue it.

Our destination today was the quaint village of Llangollen whose claim to fame is its beautiful setting in a valley with a steam railway. It was obviously a popular destination for tourists as there were plenty of Welsh trinket shops. The village shopping precinct also had butchers, greengrocers and bakeries with the most wonderful food displays. Our experiences of Wales have always been happy ones and this village didn’t let us down.

Making our way across a quaint bridge covered with pots of brightly blooming flowers, again we boarded a carriage for a steam train ride. This time the ride took us up the River Dee valley past small villages with names like Berwyn, Deeside, Glyndyfrdwy and Carrog. The real thrill for Ron was being able to speak with the train drivers at length. Thankfully Ron wasn’t required to speak in Welsh!Late afternoon was spent exploring the imposing Chirk Castle. This was a place that we missed on our 2005 tour of the UK which is a pity because it was wonderful and had a dungeon for Owen to explore. The castle, its rooms and gardens were glorious. Our caravan park for the night was just next door so we didn’t have far to drives.