Chipping Campden, United Kingdom

Today the weather was glorious, and it looks pretty good for the rest of the week with the forecasters predicting a ‘heat-wave’. Mmm wonder what that is like? Our travels today were to leave Wales passing through the scenic towns (according to Rick Steves) of Ruthin and Llangollen. The route would take us through the Welsh country side in a south east direction, giving us even more of Wales – or more precisely the top 2/3 – to view.

Before setting off we parked in town just outside the walls so we could buy our vase/jug and walk the town walls a bit. Fortunately the hospice shop was open and our treasure was still there, we also found an unusual retro fur necklace so that popped in the bag too. We then went to do a wall walk which was free and Vern pointed us in the direction of the highest corner of town. The walls here in Conwy are the most compete set of medieval town walls in Britain. They were started in 1283, in conjunction with the building of the castle and were completed four years later. Turrets are positioned about every 50 yards, connected by ramparts, and each one had a drawbridge that could be raised to bottle up any breach.

I am usually ok on these wall walks so long as I don’t have to go to high up turrets or on too narrow a ledge. Once up on Conwys walls I found them to be a tad narrow and then Vernon insisted I follow him up the highest – crumbling – turret. It is hollow in the middle and some of the steps are broken and missing some supports underneath. Vern says they have been there hundreds of years and will be fine, I say maybe now is when they are giving up like the other pieces that are clearly missing. I did go up, under lively protest and kind of enjoyed the views. There is a problem when trying to take photos though as you can not hang onto the rail and steady a camera at the same time. I do not like releasing my grip of the rail – it helps me balance in the thin air up there. My feet begin to burn as I will them to morph into octopus like features with sucker pads on the soles – increasing my grip on the uneven rocky surface I slide and shuffle along (one does not want to lift ones foot too high and release the grip).

As I descended very gingerly with my shaking legs I was questioning why I do this to myself. Yes mission and fear conquered but it was scary to the point I did feel a little sick and then fight or flight syndrome – off to the bathroom as soon as I got to the bottom…. ah well some consolation in that it must burn some of those holiday calories up!

Ruthin was about 20 minutes down the line and hardly worth slowing down for but the scenery improved inbetween there and Llangollen with some higher green hills, a high pass with a slate mine (lots of slate laying down the side) and gorgeous views of a valley before coming into Llangollen. At the top of the pass we saw a whole lot of bikers at a pub and then a group of people letting off a whole lot of foil balloons. I think it was a funeral or memorial – sad but pretty to see them float away like a letting go.

Llangollen is very small but pretty with a river running through it and a canal for canal boats on one side. Two extra bonus’ we saw and were not aware of is the historic train station there which was expecting a couple of steam trains in, and signs for the Pontcysyllte Aquaduct. The later is also coincidentally made by my friend Thomas Telford (hadn’t heard of the man till I came over and began to admire his work) and is something we saw when we were looking at a canal book at home. Pontcysyllte Aquaduct is made for canal boats to cross the river Dee. It is 307m long and 38m high with 18 spans. He designed it in 1805, and it remains the longest and highest aquaduct in Britain.

We parked the car and chose a place to eat, enjoying a nice but slightly over-cooked Italian bistro lunch of gammon steak with grilled fresh pineapple, and pork loin with honey mustard cream sauce for a very reasonable £9 each. It was really a dinner portion, but we were up for it. After our re-fuel we walked over the bridge to the train station where we were treated to a Welsh Mans Choir singing. Up on the station board it said a steam train was due in about 40 minutes so we continued up the hill to the narrow canal where if you choose you can take a ride in a horse drawn canal boat which looks cute. We opted for a little walk before returning to the train station where we hoped to catch a view of a steam train due in about 10 minutes. When we were just about there we heard it coming. What a rush of excitement it causes as people of all description race excitedly to view the grand locomotive.

It was great to see not one, but two in action as a second one followed not long after. The whole town was like a step back in time experience with its heritage buildings and station, canal and steam trains and Welsh singing that we felt we were treated to a special unexpected bonus. Certainly a lovely memory of Wales.

It took us a bit to find the Aquaduct, went round in circles a bit before we found it closer than we thought an easy 5 minutes down the road – must have gone around it 3 times LOL. This also was a thrill as it was unique, free, you got to walk on it (don’t look down) and as you know by now I do like bridges and similar.

We would have liked to linger longer there but we still had a two hour drive to the Cotswolds and we had to check in by a certain time – which we were running short on. The trip was good, and a fair bit on Motorway – once we got off the arterial roads and hundreds of roundabouts that is. You really cannot understand it till you experience them. They are crazy and it is not unusual to have them every 500m, 1km, etc. Really!

Checking into our accommodation at the ‘Cherry Tree’ was bliss as its modern with a super king room with a super dooper big bathroom down a wee hall in your private wing – inclusive of double spa bath and a shower with spa jets up the rails. Oh yeah, now we are talking. Pity its only two nights.

After check in we drove the short distance to town and ate at a popular Greek restaurant. We shared a mezze entree which was huge – and probably a meal in itself. It was nice, but not perfect with the greens not having olive oil and just lemon on them which was a bit sharp and they were undercooked, the calamari was overcooked, the humus bland, however the Taramasalata was excellent. For a main we shared a lamb kebab which I sent back as it was tough and at £17 I expect better. The second offering was a bit better but it had a funny taste and was coarser than our lamb in NZ. It was not sweet and had not been marinated and all I could taste was sheep shed flavour. The owner came over and checked on us and we had a wee chat about lamb and he said it was new season local lamb leg they boned out and trimmed. That it may be, but it was still rubbish …. Ah well you take the good with the bad eh?