Weekend in Wales

Recently, sensing that I needed a getaway my husband planned a mini break for us to the coast of Wales. Headed for Aberystwyth which boasts a beautiful coast line, and the remains of an ancient castle to explore we headed out. I have to pause momentarily and tell you that our drive from our home in Swindon to our final destination was probably the most spectacular of my life. We drove through some of the most amazing vistas that I have ever experienced. I know that I have spoken repeatedly of the views I have enjoyed since coming to this country, and I don't want to take away from them, they have all been amazing in their own way. In the three plus hours that we drove through almost exclusively new areas though, I was so taken with the beauty that I was seeing that I was almost moved to tears. Sometimes in life we get the privilege of seeing or experiencing something that we know will forever alter us, that is how I felt. It is possible that I was simply just in the right frame of mind or that I, in that moment, had something to learn. I do feel like I changed somehow. I wish that it was practical to film the whole journey and post it for you all to see but then, I imagine it may not have the same effect on you.  For me it was amazing.

 

Aberystwyth itself was a cute seaside community that offered us the hours of things to explore that we were hoping for. These ocean shots were taken literally twenty feet from the steps of our hotel which was the perfect location for me to stay. Running along the waters edge just past the sand was a paved walk way that we could follow all the way to the castle ruins and beyond. 

We spent a long time walking around the dilapidated building, although the intense wind that these pictures can't convey made it's hillside location a bit precarious. My son alleges that the wind actually blew him off his feet but it is possible that he was just done with exploring and wanted to return to less windy lower ground.

One of the great things about so many cities over here is that they are so walkable, it is often possible to get everywhere you would need to go on foot. Such was the case here and we quickly found ourselves in their downtown shopping area once we left the castle remains. We spent some time wandering through the streets of Aberystwyth now sheltered from the high winds by structures that were built to withstand all kinds of weather. We stopped for dinner before a last walk along the water as we headed back to our hotel. The next morning we enjoyed a very quiet breakfast in the hotel, we wondered if we were in fact the only guests there that day. Before leaving the area we decided to take the steam engine train from Aberystwyth to Devils Bridge.

Once we reached the destination we were given an hour to explore the small town and if you desired a hike to a nearby waterfall. We opted out of the 45 minute hike to the falls so as not to take too long and be stuck in the area with nothing to do until the next train that would head back down several hours later. Instead we walked through the store selling souvenirs and sat in the cafe enjoying a mug of hot chocolate before hopping back onto the train back to our car. The ride took an hour in each direction and by the time we made it back it was time to head for home.

That didn't stop us from taking a meandering route home however, in which we tried to keep the ocean in view as long as possible. The much appreciated getaway was exactly what I needed and I once again fell in love with this beautiful place. In fact as we crossed the bridge out of Wales we were greeted by a large sign welcoming us to England that even after all these months filled me with wonder that I get to live here.