Caernarvon

Today we drove into the town of Caernarvon, about 15 miles or half an hour north of us on the water that separates the mainland from the island of Anglesey (where Holyroad, the traditional ferry port for Ireland is located). It has a well-preserved castle from the 13th century, built by King Edward I on the site of a much earlier Roman fort. As we left the hotel, we saw numerous cars parked along the road nearby. As we got to the pass just above us, we realized why:  this is a major hiking area and the lot there was full. For several miles we passed cars parked in tiny laybys at the side of the road. Some of the hikers probably had to walk a couple of miles just to get to the trail. On the trail above the road, we could see what seemed like streams of people walking. The weather was not very nice; the clouds were heavy and low. The temperature was in the mid-teens C (upper 50s F). The two-lane road was quite windy, often with rock walls on both sides. By the time we returned in mid-afternoon it was raining lightly but steadily.

Our GPS led us right to the center of town, to the car park just below the castle.

My guidebook (thank you, Rick Steves) said that Saturday is market day in the square. It was spitting rain and most of the booths were already closed. But this produce seller was still there. We didn't get any of the good-looking vegetables, but did pick up some fruit for our planned light supper.

The England National Trust pass we purchased at Tintagel has come in handy -- it gets us in at half price in Wales and Scotland. This is a huge castle with multiple towers. We walked through most of it, climbing up narrow circular staircases and walking along the battlements where we could. One of the towers had a good film about the history of the place (Lucy, take note!!). This picture is looking down from the top into the large enclosed area.

Another view looking back the other way. The slate circle on the ground was installed for Prince Charles's investiture as the Prince of Wales in 1969. The area was filled with viewing stands and it must have been quite a spectacle.

This view is looking out across the water to the scenery in the distance.

After leaving the castle, we walked down along the water. Looking back, you can see the castle on the right and some of the old wall of the town.

A nearby building had a statue of Queen Victoria on the top. I don't think the seagull is permanent.

We walked around the narrow streets of the town and looked into a few shops. We had tea at a very small eatery. We shared a scone with jam and cream. Yum!

When we got back to the car, I took one more photo of the castle. This balcony on the end is where Prince Philip appeared with his parents after the investiture. The ceremony was broadcast live and in color so there is a tape playing on endless loop in one of the display areas.