Caernarfon - A Medieval Castle

Despite the miserable weather today, we braved getting in and out of the car in order to visit the Caernarfon Castle, perhaps 30 minutes from our rental property. The town was fairly empty except for a few locals doing what locals need to do and a handful of tourists visiting the castle. It's safe to say it's definitely not tourist season here! The wind is so fierce that it's even difficult to walk out in the open. It rained off and on all afternoon and the castle was drafty (to say the least) but it was absolutely incredible and we definitely made a memory!

We even managed to climb to the very top of the highest tower (Eagle Tower) where I was able to capture some incredible views! The tower held a l-o-n-g and winding stairway with worn steps and a rope to hold on to. In some places it was almost dark but we took our time and Ronnie held my camera so I could concentrate on not falling! The entire time I was climbing I was really dreading the descent, but thankfully it wasn't as scary as I thought.

It would take at least a couple of days to do the place real justice, reading about each display and seeing all the photographs, paintings and memorabilia. But after a couple of hours, we decided we had done all we could given the wind and the rain so we ended up in a coffee shop nearby where we had snacks and a nice conversation with a retired Welsh schoolteacher. All in all, we've found most of the people we've come across to be very friendly.

Did I mention that Ronnie's biker friend Graham and his wife had us over for dinner before we left? We hope to extend the hospitality to them should they ever make their way to Texas!

few visitors braved the cold and wind

 For more about Caernarfon Castle, click here.

looking back in opposite direction

Ronnie's brother Dickie would have loved this place!

entrance into a large gathering hall

Caernarfon Castle - a World Heritage Site

a bird's eye view of Caernarfon

view of river, town and mountains beyond from Eagle Tower

looking from one of many doors toward courtyard

figurines of battle reenactment

Croes Naid

There are so many interesting exhibits inside the castle. Above is a photo of the Holy Cross "as depicted on a roof boss in St George's Castle, Windsor Castle. This relic, gilded and set with precious stones, had long be revered in Wales as a fragment of the true Cross of Christ. It was given to Edward I in 1283, who later offered it before the high altar in Westminster Abbey and took it with him wherever he traveled thereafter."

Coronet of Charles, Prince of Wales took place here - 1969

Prince Charles, age 18

Regimental Goat, gift of the Queen

I shot this last one through the car window just to give you an idea of what the roads are like here. As in the Cotswolds, roads are narrow and people drive too fast on them. In the Cotswolds the roads are flanked with hedgerows or brushy growth, here they often have stone fences on both sides, and in some cases telephone poles mere inches from the pavement. Throw a little rain and darkness into it, and you will understand why we will both breathe a big sigh of relief when we turn the keys back in to Avis!