Daytripping: Conwy and Llandudno. . .

Whew - it's been a busy two weeks hosting my friends from Canada but we had a lot of fun exploring Liverpool and the environs, as well as having a Yorkshire weekend taking in Saltaire, Haworth, Leeds and York. 

 

One of the best places for a simple day trip out of Liverpool though has to be Conwy in North Wales, and this was one of the first places we took them.  I blogged here about the gorgeous walking in the hills just behind the town  but you can easily spend a day exploring the streets contained within its walkable walls.  It's an extremely pretty town sandwiched between the mountains and the sea. 

 

First up, you definitely must visit the castle. Built by Edward I in the late 13th century, it is absolutely magnificant.  Usually all that remains of most castles is the shell of the outer wall, and perhaps a tower or two. But when you are walking around this one, you really can get a sense of the dimensions and layout of the inner rooms. As ever, I'm always amazed at how much has lasted for so many centuries on this island.

You can also climb several of the towers - be careful if you suffer from vertigo - and the views in every direction are just fantastic.

 

The jackdaws seem to like the view too. There were several perched on the battlements.

 

And where modern meets medieval: I loved this huge sculpture of Edward I entitled The King's Head by Gideon Peterson. 

In complete contrast, Conwy also hosts The Smallest House in Great Britain.  I love the traditional Welsh fabric used as a curtain.  It hasn't been lived in for over a hundred years, but still has all the essentials, and is quite fun to quickly peep into.

There are lots of good fish and chip shops in Conwy along with delicious ice cream parlours and quirky independent shops. Walking along the quayside looking at all the boats can't help inducing a holiday mood. Fortified by a good lunch, we then drove a few miles to the seaside resort of Llandudno which claims to be not only where Alice Liddell went for childhood holidays before inspiring her namesake in Wonderland, but also Bill Bryson's favourite seaside resort. To get the best view, we took the tramway up the Great Orme.  You can also go up by cable car.

Here's the view at the top looking roughly south east.

And roughly southwest.  We didn't have time to play, but isn't this a fabulous mini-golf course?  Or crazy golf as they call it in the U.K.

Llandudno also has the longest pier in Wales. The arcade was sadly shut by the time we arrived, but it was still fun to stroll along the planks.

And here's two beautiful views of the town from the pier.

For geographical and historical impact, these two towns certainly gave my guests the wow factor and put us all in the holiday mood!