(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Caernarfon was an excellent base for the second part of our Welsh adventure. After our scenic rail trip to Blaeunau Ffestiniog, we went on a very different rail excursion…to the top of Mount Snowdon!

Mount Snowdon (Welsh name: Yr Wyddfa) is the highest point in the British Isles…outside of the Scottish Highlands, that is. At 1085 metres above sea level, it isn’t astonishingly high, but it is does offer a unique mountain experience with great views of Wales.

As you might expect, it can get rather crowded at the very top. Everybody wants to go to the summit, which also looks like it has been artificially enhanced by a few metres! But it is still worth braving the crowds (and swarming midges) to gaze out over Snowdonia National Park.

If we had more time on a future visit, I think we would try to ascend Mount Snowdon ourselves. It can be climbed in 4-7 hours, according to online sources. But that wasn’t in the cards on this trip. We had a very ambitious itinerary, including trips to Llandudno and Conwy.

Conwy is a regional centre on the north shore of Wales. It is probably best known for its famous castle, which was built between 1283 and 1287 as part of Edward I’s conquest of Wales. While it is definitely a ruined castle, it remains a very imposing structure. As you can see from the pictures, we spent a few fun hours climbing in and around the ruins.

In keeping with the breakneck pace of many of our earlier trips, Conwy Castle wasn’t our only destination in Conwy. We spent some time on the waterfront, and also escaped the heat by visiting Aberconwy House.

Unlike Conwy Castle, which is very exposed to the elements, Aberconwy House is entirely indoors (and would even be habitable). It is a restored merchant’s house from the early 15th century that now functions as a museum. Throughout the various rooms, you can get an idea of what it was like to live in a relatively prosperous home from that area. It’s quite close to the castle and it is very easy to combine the two sites on a day trip.

Going back through these old Welsh photographs has been very interesting. As I didn’t have a digital camera at the time, I never knew if my photographs would turn out. (And many didn’t – you can see some disasters in this recent collection of bad photos.) Sadly, my pictures of Aberconwy House and the appealing coastal resort town of Llandudno just don’t pass muster. Their absence from this blog is a reflection of my photographic limitations in 2005, rather than a comment on the appeal of those sites.

Coming up soon: my long-awaited Swiss ski trip!