Leaving the Cotswolds we head northwest to Betws-y-Coed. Our ultimate destination tomorrow is Holyhead where we will catch the ferry across the Irish Sea to Dublin. As disconnected as we have been( and still somehow the world kept turning), the threat of now tropical storm Lorenzo has us attending a little to the weather). We spent nearly 6 week’s debating whether we go to Liverpool or to Wales. With a hurricane warning and an uncertainty with dropping the rental car and catching the ferry… we land on Wales. It will bring us closer to Holyhead for the morning commute, fewer moving parts.
As we ride along the motorway we wonder if we will recognize when we cross into Wales… no worries… signage in the Welch language clearly alerts us to our arrival.
Wales is stunning-absolutely, and completely stunning… the landscape is rugged and harsh in a beautiful way. The storm warnings are overblown and the pelting rain we feared gives way to peaks of sun and clouds that are not so threatening. We decide to cut across the countryside rather than go further on M 40 and take the route across Wales. It brought us to Betws-y-Coed. We arrive with no clue how to pronounce the town we are looking for… but at least it has a vowel or two… some of the towns have none! ( apologies to Welch speakers… it is a mystery to mere mortals from the USA).
The beautiful honey- gold stone of the Cotswolds has been replaced with variations on grey stone with slate roofs. We arrive in a small yet bustling town. We have pre-booked tickets on the forest coaster.. the forest coaster at Zipworld, is amazing. There are flying squirrels and other zip line opportunities set within the wooded area. We listened to the do’s and don’t s,get in line and take our turn on the forest coaster.
We each strap into a sled and head up on the rails. The handles along the side control the acceleration/ brake. As are still climbing uphill, as a sled zooms off zigging back and forth down below us, back down to start. The rider has that look of fear and joy. The ride is both thrilling and beautiful. While it does not drop like an amusement park coaster, it does provide a rush of adrenaline. Sitting in an open sled zooming around banked corners through a beautiful forest was really exciting. Families and daredevils alike were having fun here.
We hike back into the woods to see the waterfall. With the recent rains it is running quite fast. We spot a beautiful heron who is poised on the bank and then flies off when she senses we are approaching.
The air is chilly and damp. The mist gives a mystical appearance over the mountain tops which are vascilating between visibility and invisibility.
We had a great meal at a restaurant that served tapas of traditional Welsh food… yes, that does sound as odd as it seems. There was a positive buzz in the restaurant. While other restaurants had a few guests, Olif’s was full. The tapas were delicious, from the butter beans in a spicy stew to the Anglesey eggs to the croquettes -yum!
We were leaving in the morning to take the ferry to Dublin, but before we left we walked down to the the bridge and climbed down to watch the rushing water.
Lo and behold our friend the heron was back. This time she was intently watching for a fish. Her patience watching and waiting was intriguing. We watched for the a long time and then it happened, she dipped her head in quickly caught a fish.
She held it in her beak as it flapped and then she slurped it down whole. It was fascinating. Camera buffs all hidden on the bridge and behind trees hoped to catch a moment….in a moment of patience and persistence.. we caught it on video... fully alive with the sense of victory. We load into the car and head out for Holyhead, hoping the gale force winds of last night have calmed and our passage will be smooth.
The ride from Betws-y-coed to Holyhead is beautiful. The road runs through the mountains. The stark stone of the mountains occasionally flashed with the color of climbers scaling the rock face, or hikers walking the ridge, the giving way to patches of rust colored brush and curry colored bushes. Small patches of greens, pale and watery to deep and gray. The clouds are shades of grey like the stone of the buildings in Betws-y-coed.
Our last UK adventure is dropping off the rental car. While we have not had any problems, there is always an anxious moment as they examine the car… no worries ( but glad when we walk away and board the ferry).
P.S….ferry from Holyhead to Dublin is very pleasant and convenient.
Maureen and David’s Travel Blog 