A Few Days in Wales

A Weekend in Wales

After endless lockdowns, the freedom of the open road has never had more pulling power and few destinations lift the spirits as much as Snowdonia, in North Wales, an area of breathtaking beauty. I think North Wales is very pretty, and most of the villages still speak Welsh which is an impossible language to master, and many of the names are difficult to pronounce. The main thing you will notice, is that most of the inhabitants are either named Jones, Davis, Evans, or Griffiths.

When you see a sign on the road “Croeso i Cymru – Welcome to Wales” you know you have crossed the border.

Try getting your tongue around the longest name in the world. A village near Anglesey. Llanfairpwillgwyngyllgogerychwyndrobwylliantysiliogogogoch, which means “St.Mary’s church by the white aspens over the whirlpool and St, Tysilio’s church by the red cave”. We don’t even try, we say Llanfair p.g.

I remember hearing people say Jones the baker, Jones the Butcher, or Jones the Vicar since there was so many with the same surname, and not related. You put the profession after the name so you could identify them.

I had friends in Liverpool, just across the border, and we went there regularly since it’s a great hiking destination, with the wild moors, and mountains interspersed with country houses, cozy pub pit stops and the occasional cream tea. Here is our favorite route.

Day 1. Machynlleth to Ynyshir.

Start your trip in Machynlleth, a historic market town turned unlikely eco icon. Home to the Centre for Alternative Technology, whose gardens and displays help visitors imagine a zero carbon world, its also where you will find the Living Room Treehouse experience, a glamping site hidden in ancient woodland. Stay the night in one of the magical treehouses designed by craftspeople from the Dyfi Valley. It’s a perfect place to enjoy red kits wheeling overhead and starry night skies. In the morning, head north through the Dyfi Forest to the pretty grey stone town of Dolgellau, with its coaching inns, and charming cafes. Quirkiest of the lot is Y Sospan, a 17th century jail turned lavishly beaming bistro, which serves local fish, and meat with exquisite simplicity.

After lunch, go south to Aberdyfi, where the shifting sands of the Dyfi Estuary give way to a vast dune flanked beach. In all the years of going there, I don’t ever remember getting my feet wet. A coastal walk sharpens your appetite for a feast at acclaimed restaurant with rooms – Ynyshir, which winged its way to No. 4 in the Good Food Guide 2020. Here, chef Gareth Ward works with local ingredients such as fresh lobster. If you can, stay overnight in one of the country manor chic rooms

Day 2.. Ynyshir to Caaernarfon

After breakfast, drive through Coed Y Brenin Forest, particularly popular with mountain bikers. As the clouds part, promising better weather, peaks begin to show, and the Lyn Trawstynydd reservoir glints in the sunshine. The drive is too lovely to rush so we stop to enjoy the morning in the lovely village of Beddgelert on the River Colwyn and at Llyn Dinas, a lake in the Snowdon foothills. Snowdonia’s circuitous single track roads can make even proficient drivers break into a sweat. Hairpin bends keep you alert, and the landscape is dramatic, no matter what the weather.

Wales’s highest peak can be enjoyed by train, but nothing beats trekking up to Snowdonia’s summit. Take the Watkin Path, an old mule track that skirts woodland and waterfalls. The view across gold green crags to the outline of Scotland and Ireland is magical. Post hike, we drive to Caernarfon, beautiful with its intact town walls and hulking fortress, the jewel in the crown of Welsh castles. The medieval town has a clutch of great restaurants, delis and pubs, including the Black Boy Inn, where weary travelers have received rest and refreshment under low beams since the 16th century.

Back at the wheel, its just a five mile hop south to Plas Dinas. This country manor hotel is a class act, with antique filled rooms, wonderful grounds and the elegant Gunroom Restaurant.

At the helm is chef Daniel ap Geraaint who allows the area’s seasonal dishes such as roast loin and crispy rib of Welsh lamb with burnt leek and wild garlic.

Day 3. Caernarfon to Bala

A bright morning dawns as we drive along the A5. If you love an adrenaline rush, Snowdonia is on an adventure sports par with the likes of New Zealand. At Bethesda, what was once the world’s biggest slate quarry has been reborn as Zip World, where the” Velocity 2” zip line quickens pulses as it reaches speeds of up to 100 mph.

A cream tea at the old fashioned Ugly House fuels a walk to Swallow Falls, which cascade gracefully through the Gwydir Forest. Nearby Betws-y-Coed is a photogenic dream with the three rivers converge.

Our final stop is Pale Hall, in lovely grounds near Bala and Llyn Tegid. Churchill and Queen Victoria once stayed at this magnificent mansion which now has regal rooms with its own hydroelectric plant and its restaurant was recently awarded a Michelin Green Star. A dinner of venison with celeriac and blackberry with Jerusalem artichoke will round off your road trip on a Snowdon-like high.

Not many overseas visitors take the time to explore Wales. I remember spending many weekends hiking around this area and can recommend it highly.

Maureen Jones

All Horizons Travel/Frosch

825 Santa Cruz Ave

Menlo Park, CA 94025

650-961-2340 direct

www.froschvacations.com