Wales - Part 1

 

We set off for Wales pretty early so we arrived at a better time than we expected. We decided to stop at the nearest decent sized coastal town to stretch our legs and brush off the cobwebs of hours in the car. LLandudno. What a place. If I had to describe it to you…. I’d say a mixture between a Spanish tourist town and Whitby. Gloriously cheesy shops along the promenade and cafes shaded by palm trees. All with the mountains in the background. Honestly, as ‘tacky’ (and I genuinely use that word in a good way) as it was, the atmosphere started us off on a great note in Wales.

 
 

After a wander we jumped back in the car and started driving south in the vague direction of our Airbnb. I never usually plan these road trips too much, and just tend to stop when we see something that looks interesting. I’ve found some of the best places this way.

Our next stop was Conwy, where we wandered around the quay and the castle and even stumbled upon the smallest house in Britain. I’d read about it before, but couldn’t get a photo as the light was in the exact wrong place. Some things are just not meant to be photographed.

 
 

After a dramatic first night with some AirBnB problems (read about it here) we spent the next morning at the Betws Y Coed railway station, and I can safely say it was one of my favourite moments of the trip. I was sat in a cafe on the platform, having one of the best breakfasts of my life, the sun shining, watching the trains and the miniature railway. It was one of the moments where you think to yourself ‘I’m having a cracking time’.

So far, so good.

 

A Welsh Cottage

 
 

We’ve had some terrible luck with AirBnB’s recently, and even our first one in Wales was a bad experience. We got there early evening as arranged with the host, and turned up to an empty property and an airbnb that hadn’t been cleaned since the last people staying there. Wine bottles, dirty bed and all sorts. The owner wasn’t answering her phone so we had to leave and find a local hotel and pay twice the price for a room. We did eventually get an apology and a refund but it could have left us stranded in the middle of nowhere in Wales! Thank god for local little hotels that also do cracking evening dinners to sort you out after a drama.

Anyways, our next stop was this thatched cottage a little more south of Snowdonia. It was probably the most aesthetically pleasing place we have ever stayed. Every nook was full of character and original features. We sat every night with the fire on, just reading or playing board games and exploring during the day. It’s also a lock box check-in which is honestly a huge selling point for an introvert like myself. There’s nothing worse than hours and hours of being in the car and then having to introduce yourself to somebody new and be shown around when you’re knackered.

I usually get quite a few people asking about these nice airbnb’s so here’s the link if you’d like to book. The only thing I’d recommend is booking another place further north before or after your stay here. There’s a lot more to see in the Snowdonia area of Wales in my opinion. But overall, it’s exactly what I needed after a busy year. Our last proper holiday was easter last year, so this week off was well overdue.

 
 

Wild Ponies

 

We’ve just come back from a few days exploring Wales. We drove through Snowdonia, along the coast and through the Brecon Beacons. One of the most memorable moments was driving through these huge, bright open moors. There was absolutely nothing around and it was deathly silent, until we spotted a pull over spot surrounded by little wild ponies.

There was already a car in the spot, and a young girl coaxing the ponies over with bread and carrots. I honestly have never been so excited to find a turning spot and get back to park the car and get out with the camera. I was so panicked that the ponies would be scared off and I’d miss my chance to get close.