Mountains and Vales of Wales

For many of us students at Harlaxton, the thrill of being in England and having all of Europe at our fingertips is sometimes an overwhelming experience. Before coming to the manor this semester, I was resolute on seeing countries all over the continent and jetting off to foreign and exotic places. My sister, however gave me the advice to take the school trip that was running to North Wales. Being that I have serious youngest child syndrome, I didn't heed her advice as well as I should have in the beginning. The deadline approached for registering for the trip and, on a whim, I decided to go. I went with a few people I had not traveled with before (another fun experience I would recommend). As the trip approached, I found myself in a state that I wouldn't particularly call excitement. A lot of my friends at Harlaxton would be travelling elsewhere or having a rare weekend at the manor. In a fit of FOMO, I almost wanted to back out of the trip. However, once I was on the bus to Wales at the wee hour of 8 in the morning, the excitement finally hit me.


Figure 1: The second most photographed clock
(in commemoration of Queen Victoria) and a
man drawing an exquisite sketch of it.

Our first stop was in Chester (while still in England) so that we could see England's SECOND most
photographed clock and have a look around after eating our sack lunches. First of all, Chester was beautiful and if you're looking for some killer shopping, a miniature train running through a park, an iron bridge, or a riverboat called "Mark Twain", Chester's got you, bruh. There's even a Disney store chock full of children in light up sneakers screaming "Let it go," just in case you were wanting something to remind you of home. Once we were all loaded onto the bus again, we began the drive to Llandudno, a small Welsh coastal town. What was so satisfactory about this little town was the respite it offers from the bustling cities that we all usually visit. However, I would heavily encourage going off the beaten path and finding a small town in Wales by the sea. First off, everything in Wales is SO CHEAP, YA'LL. I literally almost cried tears of happiness when the meal we got for dinner was only 6 pounds and was huge and delicious. I feel I should mention that this was the first trip I took after going to Ireland, where everything was so expensive, I had to consider selling some of my blood in order to survive the rest of the weekend. We stayed at a

hotel called "The Ambassador" that really knew how to give you free breakfast. Every morning, we would come down to a tablecloth dining room and have cereal and juice. Then, a waiter would come around and ask what you would like on your plate (choices include bacon, sausage, 3 types of eggs, tomatoes, toast, beans, and hash browns). And the best part was...It was included in our hotel fee! Our first big day in Wales, the school bused us to see Caernarfon Castle, which, as we all know from British Studies, was one of the largest and most important castles built by Edward I. The castle was amazing and so was the gelato I had right after we left. Dinner in the evenings were almost always cheap, comfortable, and delicious. The next day, however, was really one of the best experiences I think I've ever had. We went to a small town in the region of Snowdonia. The hike we went on was the perfect example of the amazing sights you're supposed to see when you study abroad.

If you look at the picture above, though, you can see an obvious example of how windy it is. There's even a little mini steam engine that takes you around the lake so you can see all the sights. The next day, we went to Swallow Falls before we journeyed home. I'm not sure if the waterfall or the scenic drive there was more beautiful. We saw amazingly large boulders, mountains, rivers, lakes, and valleys. All in all, Wales was absolutely amazing in its scenery and hospitality. While it's a place that can be sometimes overlooked in the excitement of booking larger ticket trips, it should by no means be considered insignificant.

Written by: Sarah Spalding