Sunday, May 14, 2023 - Holyhead, Wales

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Sunday, May 14, 2023 – Holyhead, Wales 

We are docked at a very long and narrow dock this morning. That means that passengers are not permitted to walk on the pier. There will be a shuttle bus provided by the port to deliver passengers that are traveling independently to the nearby village. Tour busses are able to drive along the pier and are waiting for us when we exit the ship for our tours. 

We elected an optional excursion for today. A drive across the countryside, then a ride on an old narrow-gauge railway that used to service the slate mines, lunch in a quaint village, and returning to the ship via the Snowdonia National Park. Our friends the Banes and the Buddresses are also on this tour. We meet in the Star Theatre and ensure we are all in the same group. There are 3 busses on this tour this morning totaling about 100 people.

We head east for about an hour before reaching the train station. We have time for a potty break and for a cup of coffee before boarding the train. Indeed, the train is quite narrow. 1 seat on one side, 2 person benches on the other side. Small tables for every two rows (facing). It has large windows, so the sightseeing should be excellent. 

We ride the train for a bit more than an hour and thoroughly enjoy the experience. Beautiful vistas of the surrounding country. Wild rhododendron, bluebells, azaleas, the gorse is in bloom, trees are leafed out, but still the light green of spring. The bracken is just beginning to come out. And slate. The left-hand side of the train (where we sat) is often right up against the side of the hill or a wall. Fences are constructed from slate. 

Remember these photos were taken from inside the train so many will have window reflections and distortions.

This isn't our engine, but ours is the same design

As we pulled out of the station the views were great. All that yellow is gorse.

Swans along the river bank

An interesting old cemetery

A handsome fellow. 

BIG!

Typical architecture. Note the slate roof.

Typical slate fences are everywhere.

Amazing countryside.

A pretty little lake.

Ancient slate fences demark the fields

A pretty gushing waterfall

A train viaduct

 

A lovely wysteria at the entrance of the restaurant serving us lunch.

We reach the terminus of the train and transfer to the waiting busses for a short ride to our lunch stop. A lovely restaurant that is waiting for us. We are given a chicken dinner that is quite good and huge portions. Fresh strawberries and cream for dessert. We’ve got about 1 ½ hours on our own so we wander through the village. Lots of little shops and restaurants. Although we tried, we didn’t find anything to take home. 

The afternoon consists of driving back to the ship by driving through the Snowdonia National Park. The mountains are quite rugged, and the valley is obviously formed from moving glaciers. There’s not a lot of vegetation, but the gorse is prevalent and we observe fields of bluebells. All very dramatic. Everywhere we’ve been today, we see sheep, lots and lots of sheep. 

Stunning landscape.

A field of bluebells

Caernarfon Castle.  A medieval castle where both Prince Phillip and Prince Charles were invested as Prince of Wales.

This was the sign on the building at the dock.

Our guide for the day also felt it important that she try to teach us her language.

Ha!

Back at the ship in the late afternoon after a most enjoyable day.