Suffice to say that we made it out alive. Liverpool is a large city with myriad streets and endless possibilities for getting lost. It almost ate us alive, but some creative navigation by Lou and dumb luck got us into Wales. Then, more madness. We chose a route that ran along the north coast, hoping for Icelandic views of the ocean, only to see endless town after British sea-side town: holiday parks ( trailer parks in North America ), sea-links ( golf courses ), sea-side resorts (downtown Port Dover x 10 to the power of 6 ), oil refineries, car parks, shopping arcades ( shopping malls ), etc. Underwhelming is the word, and what looked like a short jaunt took more than 3 agonizing hours with the weekend traffic.
Then, our luck finally changed. We made it to Conwy. The castle is something out
of Robin Hood, and the walled tow
n, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is pure British postcard quaintness. We had a truly wonderful day wandering the castle site and through the town to the sea-front. A delicious dinner of Welsh lamb ( for me ) and a small sample of Welsh whisky ( for me ) ensued. I'm not sure what Lou enjoyed, but she seemed content.Conwy Castle is part of a 13th century strategy of Edward I of England to surround rebellious Welsh subjects who had risen up against him. Ultimately, his strategy worke
d and Wales was subjugated by England. Interestingly, inside Conwy's walled town, the old Welsh flag ( 4 corners, red and gold squares and lions ) flew. Our B and B host, the restaurant staff and denizens in an afternoon pub were all English or Scottish. We encountered no Welsh today. Most of the tourists are English: so were the restaurant diners. We were told that we could wander freely inside the town's walls, but to be on the alert if we were to venture outside the walls. Noone was smiling when this was said. Edward I seems to have been completely victorious, at least in this town.
d and Wales was subjugated by England. Interestingly, inside Conwy's walled town, the old Welsh flag ( 4 corners, red and gold squares and lions ) flew. Our B and B host, the restaurant staff and denizens in an afternoon pub were all English or Scottish. We encountered no Welsh today. Most of the tourists are English: so were the restaurant diners. We were told that we could wander freely inside the town's walls, but to be on the alert if we were to venture outside the walls. Noone was smiling when this was said. Edward I seems to have been completely victorious, at least in this town.One thing that has been unbelievably good for us has been the weather. No rain so far, and, since yesterday, warmth and sunshine. Also, the car performed well despite the unnecessary extra miles from trying to regain our route. And, we're still healthy and speaking to each other, but we're mystified by our apparent ineptitude for getting a route right the first time. Our driving resume is undoubtedly impressive: all of Canada, including the Dempster Highway all the way to Inuvik: half of Australia: all of Scotland: all of Iceland: a good chunk of the USA: much of southern England. Why has this started so poorly? Does age have anything to do with it ? Or should I have sacrificed a goat before the trip to appease the mystical dragon of this land?
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