3×5 Adventures

Up next on our adventure through the British Isles was a stop in Holyhead, Wales. Wales borders England to the west and sits south of Northern Ireland and Scotland. Holyhead is the largest town on the island of Anglesey with a population of just over 15,000.

This port was special to my dad, since our surname Davis is of Welsh descent. Davis is a common patronymic surname meaning “son of David,” a given name that means “beloved.”

To learn more about this history of Wales and explore Snowdonia National Park we booked a tour with John from Boutique Tours of North Wales.

Our first stop was in the town with the longest name in the world, Llanfairpwllgyngyllgogerychwyrndrobllllantysiliogogogoch. On the signage around town it was spelled out phonetically (LLAN – FAIR – PWLL – GWYN – GYLL – GO – GER – YCH – WYRN – DROB – WLL – LLAN – TY – SILIO – GO – GO – GOCH) but I still had no chance.

Next up was a quick photo opportunity of the Menai Bridge. Built January 1826 it was at the time the largest suspension bridge in the world.

We then made our way up to Gwynedd and Caernarfon Castle. This medieval castle is recognized as one of the greatest buildings of the Middle Ages. Situated on the banks of the River Seiont, the castle and town established by King Edward l acted as the administrative center. John gave us a thorough history of the castle including what maybe the birth of carpet as we know it. In the chapel the women said it was always cold so a priest took a tapestry off the wall and laid it down on the floor to help keep the ladies warm. In 1911, Caernarfon was used for the investiture of the Prince of Wales for the first time. He later became King Edward V111. In 1969 the precedent was repeated with the investiture of Charles, Prince of Wales. We climbed several of the castle’s towers (think lots of small winding stairs) and the views did not disappoint.

Next up was a lunch at Pant Du Vineyard and Orchard located on the slopes of Nantlle Valley, Snowdonia. We love to eat and drink like the locals and this didn’t disappoint. We did a flight sample of the wine and ciders then had traditional Welsh Rarebit. Welsh Rarebit is a dish of hot cheese sauce which often includes ale, Worcestershire sauce and mayo served on toast. It was delicious!

Now with full bellies we headed up to Snowdonia National Park which features the highest mountain in Wales, Mount Snowdon. As we made through the park we got to see the importance slate has been to the community. We stopped in the tiny village of Beddgelert to take a walk along the creek and try some delicious gelato. The park provided spectacular views and we learned that quite a few movies have shot scenes in the park, including a couple James Bond movies. We saw so many people hiking and camping which left us wanting to plan our next outdoor adventure.

So far I’d say Holyhead has been our favorite stop so far. John provided us an incredible day mixing the history of the area with the beauty of Snowdonia. We’d highly recommend taking a tour with Boutique Tours if you are ever in the area.

Our next stop takes us to Dublin, Ireland, where we learn about the Book of Kells, hit up a pub or two, drink some Guinness and sample some Irish whiskey.