We were sad to leave our comfortable 5 star accommodation at Maelgywn House in Harlech. A stay at the lovely home of Derek and Bridget is highly recommended. The home is stately and well appointed; the hospitality is extraordinary; the views are breath taking. We were served a delicious Welsh breakfast perfectly prepared by Bridget and served on Wedgwood china by kilted Derek from Dundee. We had a cheerful conversation with a couple of UK fellows in town for a wedding, who happily shared advice about what to see and do in Wales and in London.
Much of North Wales uses Welsh as the first language, which is often what children learn in their early years, not mastering English until well into their school years. Most signs are bilingual. Below is the single lane traffic sign which we encountered many times today on our journey. We really think this a brilliant way to handle road reconstruction delays.
The next sign is probably the one most used, painted on the road surface and or posted as a signpost on the roadsides in this country. It is seen for every curve, every narrow bridge, every small village. ARAF SLOW! Araf translated means slow. We get that but in the UK it would seem "slow" means something entirely different.
I mentioned earlier the beauty of the land. Words are not enough to describe it, nor are photos snapped while driving. Better photos could have been taken but there are no scenic viewpoints, not even pullouts but a few to make way on the narrow bits. Along the way there were rolling hills dotted with hedgerows and the ever present sheep. The hills sloped gently to dales, which shelter ancient stone farmhouses. Mountains and valleys, not quite the immensity of ours, but none the less majestic make up the national park called Snowdonia. Miles of sandy beaches, acres of marshlands, swirling rivers, meandering streams all beckon to those who love the outdoors. Camping is popular although here it happens in caravans rather than trailers. Hikers and walkers spend countless hours enjoying nature: they are known as "ramblers".
Connecting it all are the roads referred to on maps and signs with a letter and a number. M means freeway, A means two lanes like our Cordova Bay Road, to give a sense of the curves, but are traveled at 60mph, B means narrow, winding, always keep alert with a speed of 40mph; finally, according to the GPS, 'road', which means there is no name and travelers beware! I liken it to the gravel lane which led to Grandpa's farm in Duncan during the 50s, except these are paved, sort of, and often go for miles. We traveled all these types of roads today through more hamlets, villages, towns and cities than we could possibly count. Only Harlech offered a bypass route and we missed half of that. Every other route went right through the middle of town with a only brief warning on approach to ARAF! I have included a couple of photos which may help readers to understand that travel here is somewhat 'squishy' at times.
Swansea was our final destination today, but this is an ancestral
,journey, which meant a stop at a tiny seaside hamlet in South Wales, called Ferryside. The traditional name is St. Ishmael and it was the birthplace of my 3rd great grandfather, Thomas R. Evans, born here in 1800 and my 2nd great grandmother, Mary, born here in 1830. Thomas became a carpenter but many people of that era made a living from the sea harvesting cockles and mussels, "alive, alive O!" The fisher people are honoured in the town square.
Just across the bay, in a small town called Laugharne, my 3rd great grandmother, Jane Margaret Richard, was born in 1806, to the day 140 years before me. To reach Laugharne and Ferryside in one day required more rural, frenetic driving than we were prepared to do, especially since there are no relics remaining from that era in these tiny villages. If visiting Laugharne today a more recent historic event would be showcased. It is the town where Dylan Thomas, the bard of Wales, spent most of his adult life. He is much revered.
We opted instead for our own goose bump experience by taking the coastal route from Ferryside to Kidwelly for it was along this road where we found the lovely 13th century church where Thomas Evans and Jane Richard were married about 1825. Thomas and his eldest daughter, my great, great grandmother, Mary, may have been baptised in this ancient church. I am still looking for those records. Some 5 years later the family left this community to live and work in Merthyr Tydfil. In 1854 they Wales forever to make a new life in North America. Here I was today walking the same ground where my forebears joined their lives together almost 200 hundred years ago and created a family to which I belong. Both of us were moved with emotion to think of the journey begun so long ago. "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step". In this case two people taking a step down the aisle of this church.
The church is tucked peacefully on a hillside overlooking the ocean and stands guard over an ancient graveyard, which is still used for interments to this day. Perhaps some of Thomas' family found their final resting place in the sacred ground, once a refuge for people making a pilgrimage to St. David's, many miles to the north.
My patient husband carefully maneuvered, without complaint, the coastal road, which the locals had warned was narrow and treacherous. That is was but fortunately only about 8 miles, seemed like 16. We kept eyes alert for oncoming cars and carefully positioned pullouts. It was dicey but we made it, only needing to reverse into pullouts twice.
With respectful homage given to the ancestors we carried on the journey to Swansea and the Beachcomber Hotel. It is located on a busy street but the view from our room takes in an expansive sandy beach on Swansea Bay. Devon can be seen on the distance on a clear day. The hotel is comfortable enough but a tad shabby. It will suffice for a couple of tired road warriors. Within walking distance we found a popular restaurant and enjoyed a meal of the UK's new national dish, Indian fare. It was delicious complete with cobra beer; more than we could eat for only 21 quid. It is Saturday night and the place was packed with people of all ages.
Tomorrow is a day to explore a bit and relax a lot and perhaps along walk on the beach above.
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