Grand Tour of Wales: Day 7
We used Conwy as our home-base for a few days, and on Day 7 of our big
adventure we set out on a day trip to Mount Snowdon and the nearby town
of Caerfanon.
The day did not go as planned, but in a delightfully
unexpected way.
There are many trails leading to the summit of Snowdon, which at 3,560 feet is one of the highest peak in Britain.
Considering we had little ones in tow, we opted to take the historic mountain railway to the top. The railway was established in 1896, and over the course of one hour, crawls up five miles and 3,000 feet.
Like most attractions in Wales, Snowdon is a striking blend of sharp beauty and gentle picturesqueness.
It is also a trip through the ages--the Roman Empire, the Middle Ages, the Industrial Age. Remains of Roman stone fences and medieval huts still dot the landscape of Snowdonia, next to 19th-century railroad tracks and grazing sheep.
Doug joked, wondering what the ex-pat package looked like for the Roman soldier sent to man the most eastern outpost of the Roman Empire. "Seriously?" he must have thought. "You're sending me where?"
It was a gorgeous, crisp fall day. In the valleys, the mountains cut shadows across large swaths of sun.
The clouds, however, clung to the summit and, briefly, we enjoyed the misty and mystical character of Snowdon. For, once the Romans departed in the 10th century, the legends of King Arthur firmly take root, especially at Snowdon where it is believed Arthur made his home.
It also said that the Celtic king, Gwrtheyrn, tried to build a fortress here to protect himself from the Saxons, but the masonry kept slipping into the earth. Merlin, the wizard, believed this was because two dragons slept and fought underground--a white one and a red one, symbolizing the endless battle between the Red Dragon of Wales and the White Dragon of the Saxons.
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| The Welsh name for Snowdon is Yr Wyddfa, meaning "The Burial Place." |
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Caernarfon Castle is the mightiest of the Iron Ring strongholds.
Edward I incorporated Roman design elements (limestone and sandstone banding, polygonal towers) (partly) in an attempt to ingratiate himself with the people of Caernarfon, who had long associated their town with the eastern capital of the Roman empire.
Yet the imposing and symbolic nature of the castle, was also a decisive display of English dominance over Wales.
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| Check out the scale: Reese and Caernarfon Castle. |
Before heading to the castle, we stopped for lunch on the bay, just in front of the King's Gate of Caernarfon Castle.
Some boys from Manchester, in town during the school break, were catch-and-release fishing over the wall near the restaurant. Abby took immediate interest, and these boys (and their moms) were kind enough to oblige.
Abby even caught a crab!
"This day is flying by," Reese announced. And indeed, it was.
I confess that I love to sight-see, and it poses problems on my vacations. I want to see it ALL.
But, I also like downtime. When I got married, it was really good motivation to indulge both sides of my personality. And with kids, it's mandatory to build in downtime.
I carefully planned our trip to Wales so as not to over-do it. We've had low-key days, and even during sight-seeing days, I've limited it to one outing. We haven't felt taxed.
Today, however, we didn't plan on the diversion.
As the afternoon progressed, I double-checked the closing time of the castle; Doug worried I'd feel disappointed if we didn't do it ALL.
In the end, we followed the lead of our children, of our heart.
I've learned to temper my quest to "learn." Learning comes to us in many different formats, not just through school, museums and formal outlets.
Crabbing for an afternoon in north Wales with our two children is an education, of the mind and of the heart.
The "iron ring" of vacation planning gave way to going-with-the-flow.
And we still got to see a little of the castle!!
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| The Red Dragon. |
