Helo Wales! 2: Conwy

Our first destination in Wales was Conwy, a small town on the north coast to see Conwy Castle. The castle was built by Edward I as a fortification during his conquest of Wales between 1283 and 1289. It was a part of his "iron ring" of mighty fortresses (others are Beaumaris, Caernarfon, and Harlech) in the North Wales. The iron ring is recognized as the finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe, being listed on UNESCO's World Heritage.

We climbed up to the top of a couple of towers and enjoyed the beautiful view of the castle and the coast. The most interesting thing for me was to find a Japanese tourist group in the castle. I mean, not in London, Cotswolds, or the Lake district, but in a small town in Wales. I wondered from where they came and to where they would go... After visiting the castle, we visited Plas Mawr, the finest Elizabethan townhouse dating from the 16th century to be found anywhere in Britain. It was located just a couple of streets behind the castle. The house was interesting indeed.

At the center of the town, there was a statue of Llywelyn the Great (1173-1240), a King of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually ruler of all Wales.

We had a nice tea time at a tea room near the status. At the end of the long day, a cream tea was all I needed. I don't remember the name of the place, though.

To be continued...