Today, drive through Anglesey to cross
the Menai Straits and head along the coast road, past
the seaside town of Conwy with its majestic Castle.
Pause for Photographs. Continue inland towards the Snowdonia
National Park. Pass through the lovely Betwys y Coed;
renowned for its popularity with hill walkers and adventure
seekers! Drive still further into the very heart of
Snowdonia and the magnificent Snowdonia mountain range.
Take the incredible Llanberis Pass that skirts the base
of Snowdon, the highest peak in Britain south of the
Scottish highlands at 3560 feet high. If the weather
is fine there will be opportunities to photograph the
fabulous scenery.
Arrive in Caernarfon where lunch will be served at
a local hotel (probably the Celtic Royal Hotel). Enjoy
live, traditional welsh music during and after your
meal to give you a taste of the heavenly music for which
this part of the world is so famous. After a delicious
lunch and display of Welsh culture, visit Caernarfon
with its famous castle dating back to 1283. It was here
that the heir to the British thrown, Prince Charles,
was crowned Prince of Wales in 1969. Pause to photograph
the once impregnable castle.
Afterwards, drive along the coast road and to Penrhyn
Castle. This fabulous fairy tale style castle is a more
recent example of how a lived-in castle would have appeared.
Completed in 1837 the present castle was built over
existing buildings, and therefore incorporates the castle
completed only fifty years earlier along with the medieval
manor house. The style is richly gothic with a distinctly
Moorish flavour. A large collection of old masters was
brought to the house in the nineteenth century, adding
to the already extensive collection of family portraits.
The collection is the finest in Wales outside the National
Museum.
Tour the castle at your leisure, visiting its many
rooms that conjure up the atmosphere of a bygone era.
Stewards are positioned throughout the house to share
their extensive knowledge with you. The gardens are
also well worth a visit. Afterwards re-board your coach
and return to the ship in Holyhead.
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