A series of essays….
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SNOWDON AND LLYN LLYAW ON A BLISSFUL SEPTEMBER DAY |
….as seen through my eyes!
By: Jacqueline E Hughes
Wales consists of a myriad of small paved roads, but mostly even narrower lanes that we might call ‘two tracks’ composed of two dirt tracks carved by the tires that utilize them, day-in and day-out, and the natural grass that grows between them.
The main, paved roads, will eventually get you through small towns, as well as draw one into populated areas such as Cardiff in the south or Anglesey to the north. Some of the main roads meander across the mountain ridges with an open expanse of land and sky that can blow your mind with its natural beauty and soften the heart by placing humans in their proper perspective with the planet we inhabit.
I believe we drove on nearly each and every road and lane that spoked-out from our cozy little stone cottage in Llansilin along the Wales and English border. We learned quickly that it was necessary to recalculate our way of thinking when it came to travel time from any given place to another. In the States, we generally calculate driving time at approximately one minute per mile, or highway travel at sixty miles per hour. Mostly due to the narrow lanes, constant twists and turns, and, literally, squeezing by other vehicles along the way, we had to mentally prepare ourselves for the reality of traveling in Wales.
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THE SMALL ‘TWO TRACKS’ ROADS OF WALES |
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SAMPLES OF ROADS AS WE NAVIGATED WALES |
If we were to plan a trip, let’s say, from Kalamazoo to South Haven, we would assume travel time to be around a thirty minute drive. Navigating Wales, this same trip would take nearly five times as long; in essence, a thirty minute drive has now become close to two and a half hours. This is no exaggeration and I can’t even imagine if we had to deal with major downpours or(heaven forbid) snow!
Dan and I have always opted to rent a car and navigate our destinations ourselves via maps and/or GPS. It’s been our desire to feel close to the local people by being able to go and stop wherever and whenever we want to. It has, usually, worked very well for us in other places throughout the years, including the narrow roads of Ireland and Scotland.
The topography of Wales, which includes the arrangement of its natural and artificial physical features, lends itself beautifully to this curvaceous rhythm and pattern which includes mountain ranges, waterfalls, rock formations, stone bridges, ancient stone farmhouses (never to be relocated), and churches that help to denote populated settlements from hundreds of years before.
Navigating Wales includes knowing that there is no straight route to anywhere or anything. Nothing is flat. Even the roads along the coastline coming up from the sea have you climbing up to the heavens, and looking back, the view from there is nothing less than spectacular! Our day trip along the coastline heading down to St. Davids and Pembrokeshire was time consuming (but, with spectacular views of the sea, mountains, and rolling green landscapes—who really cares?). Stopping in small, coastal villages to eat and take a walk to stretch tightened muscles and weary bones was always a memorable reprieve from car travel.
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ABERARTH ALONG ST. GEORGE’S CHANNEL |
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ST. DAVIDS CATHEDRAL |
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ALONG PEMBROKESHIRE NATIONAL PARK |
In order to fully enjoy the beauty of Wales and her people, I would highly recommend to adjust your visit accordingly. Our allotted week should have stretched to at least two or three in order to justify exploring all of Wales. Or, if one week is all you have, may I suggest dividing Wales into two sections and exploring one half on your initial visit and the second half at another time. The whole of Wales may be small in size (8024 square miles and slightly smaller than the state of New Jersey), but her natural beauty packs such a powerful and everlasting punch that you will want to return again and again.
One of our favorite days was finding the road leading to the mountains of Snowdonia in the county of Gwynedd, Wales. How does one lose an entire mountain in the first place, you might ask. Having a husband/fellow traveler with a creative sense of humor often leads to unique scenarios.
Snowdonia National Park covers most of Gwynedd County and consists of mountains comprised of old hard rock cut by Ice Age glaciers. The park takes its name from Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa in Welsh), a peak with an elevation of 3,560 feet, and the highest point in England and Wales. Snowdon lies in the middle of this ancient mountain range and can be difficult to pinpoint due to its central location, as well as the lack of signage along the roads leading up to it. A rack-and-pinion railway (opened in 1896), similar to the clink-clank of a climbing roller coaster, runs from the village of Llanberis to the summit and down to the base on the other side of Snowdon. It has easily become the pride and joy of Snowdonia.
Leaving our little stone cottage on our way to Snowdonia National Park to the west, Dan decided, since we’d been driving near and around the park for several days, not to use GPS or maps or his navigator wife to guide him. The small lanes we navigated twisted, turned, followed open mountain ridges with meandering sheep our trusty companions, and sunk low into green valleys where tall hedges running along each side of our car often blocked our views of the Welsh landscape. As tourists attempting to capture the beauty of Wales as much as possible, these hedges (purposed by the farmers of the region to secure privacy for themselves) were very unsettling. The roads, already tunnel-like, now seemed sunken and gave us an eerie claustrophobic feeling as the colors green and sky blue totally encased us.
Making it over to where I perceived Snowdon to be, Dan would say, There it is! Let’s get out and take some pictures! After a third stop for pictures and much skepticism and questioning on my part, his grin flashed a mile wide. Was he really trying to avoid visiting Snowdon and trying to pass off so many different mountains as the famed Snowdon with its scenic railroad route?
Following the A5 west and with a brief stop at the very touristy village of Betws-y-Coed, I purchased a paperback novel at the local bookstore and a bottle of water for the road. We swung left onto the A4086 at Capel Curig and I thought, Now we’re getting somewhere! Again, not many signs (if any at all) directing us to the beloved Snowden.
Thinking back on it now, maybe that was the point in the first place. Maybe if our hearts and minds were in the right place, we didn’t need anyone directing us to this stunning, iconic mountain nestled in the middle of some of the most dynamic Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) that Wales has to offer.
Turning south onto the A498 and following others looking up in awe at the sheer height and shadowed beauty of Snowdon, we parked along a short rock wall that separated us from the base of the mountain and Llyn Llydaw, the lake that gently curves and hugs its base along the southeast side and is said to be one of the possible locations associated with Excalibur’s Lady of the Lake fame.
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PICTURES OF THE WANING GIBBOUS MOON |
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SEPTEMBER 1, 2023 TRAVELING HOME FROM SNOWDON |
Taking pictures of the natural beauty that surrounded us was a privilege. The sun showered its golden light down upon Snowdon and the impressive lake, creating multi-colored shadows on the side of the mountain and sparkling lights on the lake’s surface as if it was a spectacular holiday light show! And the people, including Dan and myself, couldn’t speak as we tried to capture this moment in time and hold it deep within us….for a lifetime.
It took us at least ten minutes to formulate real words after leaving Snowdon and I’m not often speechless. So, why were you playing games with me earlier about the correct location of the mountain?, I asked, as Dan navigated us back down to pickup the A5 and head home. Was it just your attempt at being funny and trying to mess with me?
Well, I figured that by navigating all of those small roads and crossing over narrow bridges and being off of the beaten track would be the best way to see more of Wales in its true light, he said, as he maneuvered onto a narrow lane with another car heading directly toward us. Dan slowly came to a complete stop with our car tipping slightly sideways up the green bank, directly into the shadow of the tall, grassy hedges.
After the other car passed, with a cursory wave from its driver, we turned towards one another and began laughing until the tears obstructed our vision. Catching our breath, Dan finally said, Let’s get back home. We’re only ten miles away but, according to my calculations—it’s going to take us about an hour to get there. And, he was absolutely right!
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THE RED DRAGON OF WALES |
FIGHTING SPIRIT AND RESILIENCE
Copyright © 2023 by Jacqueline E Hughes
All rights reserved
Photos Copyright © 2023 by Jacqueline E Hughes
All rights reserved
