Visiting Wales

We're from Western Washington State in the US, where we have two seasons: summer (July 5th to the first weekend of September) and not summer, which is rain. Sometimes warmer rain, sometimes colder rain, rarely frozen rain. So Wales sounds like home. Our highest peak is 14k feet, but our home is 200 feet above sea level. So we have lots of hills.

But since our oldest cities are barely 150 years old, being in centuries old towns is a bit of a mind blower for us. Thousand year old ruined castles? Kaboom!

We're staying four nights in Bath, three near Newquay, three in London, two in Cumbria, two in York, two in Dublin, and two in Wales. Aside from seeing Tintern Abbey and making sure I sample some Brains (a buddy wants me to clone Brains Smooth), Wales is a blank slate. We're wanting to stay the night in small villages as long as they have a pub. And then see the sights in between.

Best looking sheep in the UK.

BlackIsland said:

We're from Western Washington State in the US, where we have two seasons: summer (July 5th to the first weekend of September) and not summer, which is rain. Sometimes warmer rain, sometimes colder rain, rarely frozen rain. So Wales sounds like home. Our highest peak is 14k feet, but our home is 200 feet above sea level. So we have lots of hills.

But since our oldest cities are barely 150 years old, being in centuries old towns is a bit of a mind blower for us. Thousand year old ruined castles? Kaboom!

We're staying four nights in Bath, three near Newquay, three in London, two in Cumbria, two in York, two in Dublin, and two in Wales. Aside from seeing Tintern Abbey and making sure I sample some Brains (a buddy wants me to clone Brains Smooth), Wales is a blank slate. We're wanting to stay the night in small villages as long as they have a pub. And then see the sights in between.

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So much to see in only 2 days. I guess you are travelling by car? public transport in Wales in non existent. If you are staying in bath the night before that will save you about of time. brains have pubs all over the country so a trip into Cardiff isn'
necessary. you could head down to Pembrokeshire, plenty of beaches and castles and then make your way up to mid Wales the next day. spend the evening in mid Wales and travel to north Wales on your way up to Cumbria

pm me if you want more information

There's absolutely nothing the matter with Wales! Superb views, some great old castles and towns to visit and an industrial history that is worth researching. I suggest that a quick look at this site ...

http://www.visitwales.com

... should be enough to spark anyone's imagination.:thumb:Now let me tell you about my favourite Welshman, "Dismal Dick".

I worked with Dick on a Refinery here in England and a typical conversation with him went something like:

• "Morning Dick. How's life?"
• "You haven't heard about the dog then?"
• "No. What happened?"
• "The burglar shot it."
• "Shot it? You're house has been burgled?"
• "Yes. The dog was only protecting the wife."
• "Your house was burgled, the burglar attacked your wife and then shot your dog?"
• "Yes. That was how the house got burned down. ......" and so it went on, a litany of despair.

I exaggerate of course but believe me, one conversation with Dismal Dick and you felt like slitting your own wrists in sympathy!:headbang:I know that Dick wasn't typical of his race; but my advice is that when you visit Wales, please bear in mind that some of the locals may be very dour!

2 days to `do' Wales. Oh boy.
Well there's plenty of castles - forget about cardiff castle, but head north a few miles and there's castell coch which is a rebuilt fantasy type effort, but really well done, a few miles away is caerphilly castle which is awesome. Pembrokeshire is the county with most castles plus a national park coastline. If you're there visit Tafarn Sinc in Rosebush in the Preseli hills. Fantastic community owned pub (got shares myself).
Just bear in mind that North Wales is only about 150 miles from the south coast - but it's a four hour drive.
And forget about Brains - mass produced commercial swill.
Wales has something like 200 microbreweries...

Cwrw666 said:

2 days to `do' Wales. Oh boy.
Well there's plenty of castles - forget about cardiff castle, but head north a few miles and there's castell coch which is a rebuilt fantasy type effort, but really well done, a few miles away is caerphilly castle which is awesome. Pembrokeshire is the county with most castles plus a national park coastline. If you're there visit Tafarn Sinc in Rosebush in the Preseli hills. Fantastic community owned pub (got shares myself).
Just bear in mind that North Wales is only about 150 miles from the south coast - but it's a four hour drive.
And forget about Brains - mass produced commercial swill.
Wales has something like 200 microbreweries...

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agree with the brains part. even their craft stuff is meh

There so much to do in Wales

If you head west away from Cardiff you have some of the best beaches in the world with Rhosilli.

If you travel North up the A470 u have Castell Coch a fantastic site. A stone throw away you enter the Welsh valleys where the industrial revolution took place with coal mines and iron work. All which have gone but Cyfartha park in Merthyr is a good stop.

Further along the A470 you enter the Brecon beacons and if you fancy a nice walk and weather is fine try walking Penyfan the views up there are outstanding.

There a theme here Carry on the A470 to rhyader. There a fantastic working hydro dam there and if you like bird of prey you are in prime red kite territory.

As you go further up north you could take a tour over to the Snowdonia mountain range and visit a place called Portmeirion. An Italian village in middle of Wales.

You can then travel along the A55 along the north Wales coast line.

Should keep you busy for a few days. Google some of the locations to see if they are any good to you. If not o got plenty of other places to go and see.

On a side note

An American photographer on vacation was inside Westminster Abbey taking photographs when he noticed a golden telephone mounted on the wall with a sign that read "£10,000 per call".
The American, being intrigued, asked a priest who was strolling by what the telephone was used for. The priest replied that it was a direct line to heaven & that for £10,000 you could talk to God.
The American thanked the priest & went along his way.
Next stop was in Lincoln. There, at the cathedral, he saw the same golden telephone with the same sign under it.
He wondered if this was the same kind of telephone he saw in London & he asked a nearby nun what its purpose was. She told him that it was a direct line to heaven & that for £10,000 he could talk to God.
"O.K., thank you," said the American.
He then travelled to York, Durham & Liverpool
In every Cathedral he saw the same golden telephone with the same "£10,000 per call" sign under it.
The American, then decided to travel to West Wales to see if the Welsh had the same phone.
He arrived in the smallest city in the UK, St David's, & again, as he entered the magnificent cathedral, there was the same golden telephone, but this time the sign under it read "50p per call".
The American was surprised so he asked the vicar about the sign. "Reverend, I've travelled all over England & I've seen this same golden telephone in many churches. I'm told that it is a direct line to heaven, but in England the price was £10,000 per call. Why is it only 50 pence here?"

The holy man smiled & answered, "You're in Wales now, son ... it's a local call."

If you are proud to be Welsh pass this on!! ♥♥

If you’re in South Wales and want some decent beer, seek out the Tiny Rebel brewery. It’s on an industrial estate near Cwmbran/Newport somewhere, but is supposed to have a really nice bar and restaurant.

For scenery, head for the Pembrokeshire coast - it’s stunning.

And I’d second Castell Coch - well worth a visit and not far from Cardiff.

Leon103 said:

agree with the brains part. even their craft stuff is meh

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Lifted this picture off the net - says all you need to know about Brains:

britton said:

The best view in Wales is the sign telling you your leaving for England...

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BULL LOL

This is the link to the Tiny Rebel Brewery Bar;

https://www.tinyrebel.co.uk/bars/brewery-bar

Tiny Rebel Brewing, Wern Industrial Estate, Newport, NP10 9FQ.

There's also a TR bar in Cardiff but you obviously don't get the full brewery experience with that. The menu looks reasonable too.

If you get as far as sunny north Wales look at Conwy on the coast. The town was built to house the English troops during the 1100's (or there abouts!)while the nearby castle was built. The castle is well worth a look with most places in it accessible and the chapel where the king prayed for salvation under siege from the Welsh has been restored. Conwy has a few good pubs serving some great beers plus loads of old buildings and junk shops..across the estuary is a great hotel,the Quay, in a place called Deganwy . Go further up the coast to Llandudno a victorian seaside town where you will find the headland called the Great Orm,named by the viking raiders and means great (w)Orm or serpent as it rises from the sea. On the Orm are prehistoric copper mines. A few miles along the A55 coast road brings you to the island of Anglesey,strong hold of the Druids...back in the day! You can get the ferry from Holyhead to Ireland from here. Also north Wales is a short distance to Chester the walled Roman city..

You've had the tale of the Welsh Telephone so I may as well tell you about Chesterfield's Crooked Spire and hope you visit the place as you do your tour of the UK.

The parish church in Chesterfield has a spire that has to be seen to be believed. It happened shortly after the church was built in 1360 under rather unusual circumstances.

Legend has it that the Devil was sat on top of the spire when a virgin bride entered the church below to be married. The Devil swooped down on the maid and carried her to the top of the tower where he attempted to seduce her; and got more and more angry as the girl refused all of his blandishments, pleadings and threats.

I the end, the Devil was so angry that he put the lass down on the ground and flew away. However, in his rage he forgot to unwind his tail from the steeple and as he flew away he twisted and bent the spire into the shape it has today.

The crooked spire has been that way for over 650 years, but before leaving the Devil promised to return and straighten it out the next time that a virgin stood in the church waiting to get married.:wave:

http://www.visitchesterfield.info/thedms.aspx?dms=3&venue=6012303