Today was to be castle day but we discovered that most of the beautiful castles in Wales are ruins and not very pleasant in the rain. We headed for the wonderful home of Penrhyn Castle. The home was built to resemble a castle for the Pennant family who made their money in slate mining and sugar plantations in the Caribbean. I let the photos speak for themselves.
After Penrhyn we spent the day driving through the Snowdonia countryside. Even in the rain the landscape is charming, though difficult to photograph. We receive inspiration from the locals who don't seem to let the rain curtail any of their plans.
As we approached our little mining village of Tan y Grisiau we happen to stop by an ancient castle dating back to the time Welsh king Llewellyn. Castle Dolwyddelan is a simple tower castle used as a secure place to retreat and defend your self from the English Kings as they attempted successfully to control the area. If your having difficulty sounding out these Welsh words I have to admit I can't pronounce any of them. If I get separated from my GPS I am totally lost!
During our visit to an information tourist center we asked if we could find a Male Choir concert, that the Welsh are famous for. They answer was no but the guide told us that one mile from our village the most famous choir in Wales practiced every Thursday evening. What a find. We dropped off our groceries and headed for the school where they practice. What an enjoyable evening we had listening to this wonderful choir and chatting with the few locals who also attended. Everyone was so please to have visitors from America that they ended their practice with a little mini-concert.
Here is a video of the choir singing Angels Watching over me, in Welsh. What better way to sign off and head for bed so we can seize the predicted sunshine tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment