The border of Wales is actually only about a 40 minute drive from me, cruising southwest on the M56, past Chester. A roadside sign and the sudden presence of red dragons everywhere let me know I was in a different country. I was surprised that every single sign was in both English and Welsh. I knew that Welsh was still spoken, of course, but I guess I didn't realize that the northern part of Wales is fully bilingual with Welsh being the first language of choice for locals.
The drive was lovely. The day was overcast, and there were occasional drizzles, but stormy weather tends to make coastal areas and mountains even more beautiful, I think. At one point, I decided to slow way down behind a lorry to snap a photo of something that made me laugh. This first sign was an accident (tapped too early), but I saved it, because it was relevant. Yes, it really was an Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty! (remember you can click on the photo to see it full-size)
Badgers! There must be a ton of badgers in Wales, because I noticed at least 4 of these road signs. The Welsh word for badgers is ‘moch daear’, which translates to 'earth pig'. Although I saw the signs, I did not actually see any live moch daear, unfortunately.
Arriving in Caernarfon (about an hour and 45 minutes drive, total), I parked and made my way into the castle, catching up with 3 Meetup companions. I knew Andrew, who runs the Meetup, but the other two people were new to me. Seemed very nice. My English Heritage membership is worth 50% off the price of admission for CADW sites, so that continues to pay for itself. :-)
Caernarfon Castle is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site identified as Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd, which are four well-preserved fortresses all built by King Edward I after he conquered Wales in 1282–84. We started with a short guided tour that was very interesting. The guide gave us some history and pointed out some features that I would not have known about or noticed without him.
King Edward I (House of Plantagenet) reigned from 1272–1307 and was known as "Edward Longshanks", because he was so tall -- 6'2", which was a giant for that era. Prior to his conquest, Wales was ruled by the Prince of Wales, who at that time was a fellow named Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, who now has the unfortunate moniker of "Llywelyn the Last", since he was the last sovereign prince and king of Wales. He was killed in a skirmish with English soldiers, and Edward Longshanks took over, in time investing his own son, Edward II, as Prince Of Wales, a practice which has continued since 1301 until today (I'm looking at you, HRH The Prince Charles).
Caernarfon Castle was never actually finished. The guide pointed out features that made the castle look like a ruin, but they were actually areas where future walls and floors had been intended to be built. Some of those features can be seen in the photo below.
What happened? Why wasn't the castle finished? Well, King Edward I ran out of time and money. In addition to being called "Longshanks", Edward I is also famously known as the "Hammer Of The Scots". Edward got tied up fighting the Scots, in particular suppressing the rebellion of William Wallace and later trying to tackle Robert The Bruce. Yup, we're talking about this bad guy -
who captured and executed this good guy -
Only my history-buff companions as well as the tour guide assured me that the "history" shown in the movie Braveheart is 95% bunk except for some of the names. The English remember Edward I as one of their greatest kings, but I'm pretty sure the Welsh and the Scots wouldn't agree.
We explored and climbed up to the top of the Eagle Tower, which is where King Edward II (the first English Prince of Wales) was born.
Inside the Tower, there was a cool display of medieval kings set up like a chess board. It immediately brought to mind the giant Wizards Chess game in Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone. The size of the figures was relative to their importance/impact on Caernarfon.
Also on display was the throne that Queen Elizabeth II sat upon and the stool that Prince Charles knelt upon when he was invested as Prince of Wales on the Caernarfon Castle green in 1969.
On the second floor, there was a lovely display interpreting the life of Queen Eleanor of Castile (Spain), the beloved wife of Edward I and mother of Edward II. There was soft medieval music playing in the background, and it was really well-done.
When Queen Eleanor died in 1290, history says that Edward Longshanks was heart-broken. They had had an arranged marriage and married very young, but had ended up falling in love with each other. The King ordered that crosses be erected at each site where her funeral procession stopped overnight, as her remains were transported back to London. Twelve crosses were built, intended to remind passers by to say a prayer for the soul of the Queen (you can read the full story at this link). Today, only three remain, as the passing of time, the Reformation and Civil War destroyed the others. A Victorian replica stands today at Charing Cross railway station in London, Eleanor's last stop before Westminster Abbey.
The view from the top of the Eagle Tower wasn't too bad, either.
Walking around ancient castles with uneven floors and steps can be hazardous, so you do have to be mindful.
After we finished exploring the castle, we walked into town to eat lunch. One of our group (Lynne) had stayed over Saturday night and recommended the inn she had stayed at, The Black Boy. Excellent choice. The food was outstanding. I had a seafood crumble, which was a casserole of mixed fish pieces, prawns and cockles, cooked in a creamy sauce with vegetables, breadcrumbs and cheese topping. It was really, really good. Lynne said it was a nice inn, too, so when I go back for a full weekend some time (which I must do), I know I can stay at The Black Boy and be very happy.
It was really a nice day. It was cool to hear Welsh spoken and to hear English with a thick Welsh accent (although now I have another accent I have to learn how to understand, and it's a hard one). I am definitely looking forward to spending more time in Wales and seeing more of the castles and natural beauty there.
The only remaining excitement was on the drive home along the coast. Driving down, you go through some tunnels cut into hills/cliffs along the water. Driving back, you drive on the outside of those tunnels, right on the edge of the cliff with nothing but water beyond. When I realized that, I got a little freaked out, but it sure made for an impressive view.
For anyone who hasn't seen enough photos, all of the photos that I took today are posted here: https://goo.gl/photos/ErrVRqaDkkc7qYV36
No comments:
Post a Comment