North Wales and the English Lake District

Our ferry landed at Holyhead on the island of Anglesey in North Wales, and we set off across the island to stamp our passports in the town with the longest name in the world.  After lunch we traveled through County Gwynedd to the town of Caernarfon to tour Caernarfon Castle where Prince Charles was invested as Prince of Wales in 1969.  This is one of the most impressive castles in all of Wales, and it was intended as a seat of power for Edward I in his conquest of Wales.  His son, Edward II, was born here and thus began the tradition for the first-in-line male heir to the English throne to be invested as “Prince of Wales.”

Photos of this part of our tour of the UK can be accessed by clicking on the Main Gallery tab above and then selecting Destinations/North Wales & England’s Lake District-2011  at my Main Gallery page or by simply clicking on the link.

From here we made our way north through England’s beautiful Lake District, passing through Windemere and Ambleside, and then stopping at Grasmere for lunch and some exploring.  This charming village is actually the only place in the Lake District that bus tours are allowed to park the bus, but because of this restriction there are lots of attractions within walking distance of the parking facility.

The village provided ample opportunities for exercise and shopping before lunch and more shopping and exploring after eating.  Some of us walked the short distance to William Wordsworth’s inspirational home, Dove Cottage.  The walk alone was inspirational, as were the beautiful flowers in the gardens and the lovely thistles in the pastureland along the way.