Holiday plans - Wales, I'm coming!

[wiseheart]

Or so I hope. We went to the tourist office with Mum today to pay the first half of our package holidays. Well, almost half of the price, which means we'll be broke for the next, oh, six months or so, but what a way to go!

In any case, it'll be an 11-day-trip by bus right at the beginning of August, and aside from such places as Dover, Canterbury, Oxford, Stratford, and of course, London, it will take us to Wales as well. I'll post the programme later, but let's just say that many of the places, both in England and Wales, ring very familiar, due to the Cadfael books. Shrewbury itself isn't in it, but Stonehenge is, so the whole thing is made of the win.

The only place I could live without is Liverpool (I'm so not interested in the Beatles), but every package holiday contains one programme that I would rather forget, so it's not such a big deal. Now, let's hope that Mum will stay as strong and healthy as she is now, and that nothing happens to me, either, and it will be an unforgettable trip.

On a different note, I've got new, shiny Merlin iconsssesss, yesss, Precious, I doesss!

Comments

[ooxc.livejournal.com]

Wheee! August isn't the best time for Wales - weather tends to be wetter than in spring and autumn - but the days are longer, and I've got a free bus pass - just say where and when!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

That would be fantastic! I'll PM you the hotels and a mobile number and stuff as soon as I get them, and we'll see if we can organize a get-together. I'd absolutely love that!

[ooxc.livejournal.com]

Excellent! i wonder if we might get to Pen Y Bryn together?

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

I don't think we'll get quite that far north. Within Wales, the programme lists Chirk Castle, the Bridge of the River Dee, Llangollen, Swallow Falls, Caernarfon Castle, Conwy, Llandudno and Bodnant Garden - and all this in a mere two days! I don't know yet where we'll stay for the night of August 16, after we've been to Caernarfon, but apparently, they'll tell us before we start, so I might be able to PM you the address and the phone number of the hotel just in time.

Liverpool will be the only place where we spend two nights, on August 17 and 18, if I've counted it right. I'll be tell you for sure when they send us the final programme.

[ooxc.livejournal.com]

You 'll pass the foot of the Pen Y Bryn (bryn means hill) as you travel from Caernarfon to Conwy
Even by local bus service, it's only about an hour from Caernarfon to Pen Y Bryn on the Conwy/Llandudno route - but you'll have to watch very atttentivly to catch a glimpse of it from a speedy touring coach!
if you watch for the Abergwyngregyn church, Pen Y Bryn comes immediately into view, a little higher than the village - but difficult to see in August, because the trees round it will be very leafy.
(Beaumaris castle faces it - for obvious and deliberate reasons - but the trouble is that, if you watch for the castle, you'll miss the palace as you turn your head!)

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Well, that's a shame, really. But we can't have everything, right? At least knowing that I'll be walking the same ground as Cadfael & Co will be wonderful. We're going to Lichfield, too, and to Chester, both of which are repeatedly mentioned in the Cadfael books. Alas, Shrewsbury isn't in it, but as I said above, you cannot have everything.

[ooxc.livejournal.com]

Is there any chance that your one night would be in Caernarfon or Llandudno? If so, even if there isn't time to catch a local bus service, I might be able to organize something, just for the three of us - find someone to drive us
Did Cadfael go to Aber ? i know that his author went to Pen Y Bryn - her work was hugely helpful in persuading the University to authenticate the house, when Katherine was fighting a lone battle

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Yes, Cadfael did go to Aber. He and Brother Mark spent a few days in Owain's court before continuing their way to Bangor, to visit the Bishop there.

We don't know yet where exactly the accommodations will be. The travel agency give us the addresses a week or so before the trip.