We visit a couple of Welsh castles

Today we set off in search of a couple of castles near here and, as usual, it was raining. But we really didn't care since we hoped to be "inside" much of the day. Wonder of wonders, by the time we arrived at Caernarfon, the location of the first castle on our list, the sun had begun to pop out of the cloud banks and stay that way for whole minutes at a time. We could definitely get spoiled if this keeps up.

The castle at Caernarfon was built by King Edward the 1st in the early 1200s and his son, the first English Prince of Wales, was born at the castle in 1284. So, we're talking old here. The photo on the left is the Welsh flag with its emblazoned red dragon flying atop the castle gate structure. Most of this castle is taken up with museums devoted to the history of Welshmen in various battles throughout history, including our own war of independence. The displays are wonderfully done and interesting. But when we got bored with military topics, we headed into the town of Caernarfon and did some sightseeing. The town (see photo lower right) is very colorful and contains a multitude of tea shops and cafes arranged along narrow streets and alleys. We finally chose one called Molly's and bipped in for a sandwich and cup of tea.

I decided on the tuna sandwich and asked the waitress if I could have a few pickles on it please.

She said, "you want what?"

"Pickles," I said. "You know, they make them from cucumbers. I always have them on tuna sandwiches."

She shook her head and looked completely mystified.

"You must have seen them," I said, "they have sweet ones and dill ones. I personally like the dill ones on tuna."

When the waitress still looked blank, I told her not to worry, I'd do without this time. Who would have thought that a pickle would mystify the Brits.

For those of you who are reading this blog just to find out about the food here, I actually tried one of their favorite breakfast dishes this morning -- beans on toast. Yes, you heard right. They serve that dish here at our Clanberis B&B and I decided that if I didn't try it here, I might have to actually pay to try it elsewhere. So, try it I did. Let me just say that it was everything I expected it to be and I don't think it will become a favorite of mine any time soon.

We sought out our second castle of the day because Concetta wanted to visit one that wasn't devoted to military history. I thought that might be a tall order since most castles were constructed for decidedly military reasons. However we found a wonderful example just down the road in the village of Bangor. Though not strictly a castle, it certainly looks like a castle (see photo at left of the "small" end of the building). No, this castle, called Penrhyn, was actually a sort of "retreat" for the wealthy Pennant family who used the huge house mainly in the fall when family members wanted to go hunting. This place was so large, it had 60 bedrooms, hundreds of fireplaces, and it's own train station. It took something over 70 staff to keep things shipshape. I lost track of just how many floors it had because they had us going up and down constantly on our tour.

I heard one of the guides say that originally the house sat on over 4,000 acres of beautiful hills and valleys. I don't know how much of this land is left, but I can tell you that it took us ten minutes just to drive up the driveway.

Concetta and I were so enthralled with the place the staff literally had to kick us out at five o'clock. Each room we entered had a National Trust docent to answer your questions and make you feel at home. These folks were extremely knowledgeable and seemed to actually delight if you asked questions. One chap, an ex-history professor from the university here spent at least twenty minutes just answering questions about the Davis name in Wales. Another docent kept seeking us out whenever he wasn't busy to see if we had dreamed up any more questions. They truly did an outstanding job. Like Concetta, you may not be into the usual castle scene, but do give Penrhyn a try if you are in the area. It's a lovely and wonderous place.