Mold, Wales
And Conwy Castle
It was February 2017. We'd only been living in Britain not even a year at this point. Duncan landed a job that provided him with a company car so we were able to drive to different places.
The only reason we went to this part of the UK was based purely on the name, Mold. I mean, mould is a problem most of us are aware of, so I just couldn't resist the idea of staying somewhere with that connotation. However, as it turned out, our excursion was far from mouldy, but really cosy, with good food, few pints of guinness and lovely, comfortable accommodation in a converted barn in the middle of the Welsh countryside. Getting there was a challenge too, cause all the road signs suddenly change language once you leave the English border don't they? So all sign posts are now in Welsh. Luckily our car was equipped with a GPS so we were able to find our way to accommodation. And it was worth the effort.
Converted Farmhouse
This was our accommodation. There was only a couple of rooms in the entire building with a lovely lounge room or living space downstairs and bedrooms upstairs. Run by a charming gay couple too, we were made to feel very welcomed.
Cosy Cottage in the Welsh Countryside
This was the main guest communal area, the lounge. It was the middle of winter so nothing beats a warm fire, a few drinks, comfy sofas and armchairs and a good chat with our hosts. It was just delightful. This was one of our first trips to a random place in the middle of nowhere in a country we'd never been to or seen before. That's the way to see a country.
A delicious full English breakfast was served the following morning along with a choice selection of items for a continental as well. The bed was a bit too small for us, being just a double but it was very comfortable and cozy.
Conwy Castle
800 years ago...
It was purely by chance that we discovered Conwy Castle. It came up on our map as we were leaving our accommodation in Mold. So we thought, why not.
I had no idea that what we'd find is a fortress and walled town of Conwy, built by Edward I during his short reign over Wales, in the late 13th century.
The design, the architecture, the quantity of stone and the amount of work that went into this massive structure is simply mesmerising. And the fact it remains largely intact all this time. What a feat of engineering.
We managed to walk all through the castle remains from the lower levels of the great halls up to the very top of the turrets with views overlooking the town and out to sea.
And I just think to myself, "how....how on earth did they design and build something like this 800 years ago?" Amazing.
The day we visited, not only was it blowing a gale but the temperature was freezing and it was pouring with rain. One has to ask how on earth did they build such a structure in those types of weather conditions...all those centuries ago.
