The walk around Caernarfon brought us inside the largest and most impressive of the Welsh castles. I was insta
ntly transported back to 1969 and the Investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales, the ceremony of which was held in the castle interior. I remember watching it on TV, marvelling at the ceremony. When I looked at the castle's exhibit, I once again saw the prince as a young man, single, immensely popular, just starting to shed the gawkiness of his boyhood, long before the scandals and failed marriage, and the rather dowdy figure he has now become. Such promise in that young man, with so many possibilities ahead of him: what went wrong? He has, like his future kingdom, lost something.
ntly transported back to 1969 and the Investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales, the ceremony of which was held in the castle interior. I remember watching it on TV, marvelling at the ceremony. When I looked at the castle's exhibit, I once again saw the prince as a young man, single, immensely popular, just starting to shed the gawkiness of his boyhood, long before the scandals and failed marriage, and the rather dowdy figure he has now become. Such promise in that young man, with so many possibilities ahead of him: what went wrong? He has, like his future kingdom, lost something.We tried to do the driving loop in cool, mixed precipitation. It actually hailed at one point. Then, a nice chance conversation when we pulled into a lay-by to take off our wet jackets,
with a nice English couple who are planning a train trip to Canada. The sun came out, our clothes dried, our spirits lifted, and off we drove into some of the most wondrous mountain, valley, lake and village scenery we have so far seen. Then, lost again, but this time only temporarily. We found our route quickly down from Snowdonia to the wide sweep of Cardigan Bay to the medieval town of Harlech. The streets here were the most narrow and challenging, but we managed. The castle was small and rather disappointing. Perhaps we are castled out. The wind was fearsome, too, blowing like an invading force from the bay, seemingly penetrating the stern castle walls. We left the battlements, enjoyed a spot of tea and drove the short distance to our first farm B and B at Dolgellau, another small town with insane narrow streets: at least here they're on a one-way loop which we orbitted at least three times looking for parking.
with a nice English couple who are planning a train trip to Canada. The sun came out, our clothes dried, our spirits lifted, and off we drove into some of the most wondrous mountain, valley, lake and village scenery we have so far seen. Then, lost again, but this time only temporarily. We found our route quickly down from Snowdonia to the wide sweep of Cardigan Bay to the medieval town of Harlech. The streets here were the most narrow and challenging, but we managed. The castle was small and rather disappointing. Perhaps we are castled out. The wind was fearsome, too, blowing like an invading force from the bay, seemingly penetrating the stern castle walls. We left the battlements, enjoyed a spot of tea and drove the short distance to our first farm B and B at Dolgellau, another small town with insane narrow streets: at least here they're on a one-way loop which we orbitted at least three times looking for parking.
After settling in and watching the farm's cat kill and devour a mouse, we relaxed and chatted with a couple from Birmingham. We noted shared opinions and experiences about many things and agreed that the modern world, Britain and Canada alike, was going to hell in a handbasket. Our best meal of the trip was at the Royal Ship Hotel: then, the heavens opened up for the most intense rain of the trip, enclosing us in our warm cocoon of a B and B, strangely content and satisfied that we'd done well, and hoping to get back on target with our trip tomorrow.
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