Thursday 23rd August – I couldn’t resist!

You may remember that in an earlier post I said that I was going to leave the Isle of Anglesey to another holiday – well I didn’t!

I’ve only scratched the surface though and will definitely return.

I was up early (I had to set an alarm!) to make sure I got to my first stop on time and left the campsite just before 9.30am.

I drove over the Britannia Bridge to get there, which covers the Menai Strait, the waters that have fed and protected this island and challenged the greatest of engineering minds. It is also said to be one of the most difficult navigation channels in the world. The bridge was rebuilt in the 1970s following a fire, whereas the original was built after the arrival of the railway on Anglesey in 1850 by Robert Stephenson and William Fairburn.

As soon as I had turned off the bridge and was headed towards my first stop, I had to pull over to take some photos of the Britannia Bridge and the one facing it – the Menai Suspension Bridge – opened in 1826 and built by Thomas Telford to create a vital link on the A5 between London and Holyhead. A fabulous sight to behold as soon as you enter the island.

I was headed towards Beaumaris to catch a boat! A beautiful coastal town that faces onto the mainland of Wales and as I arrived, there was a little bit of sun to welcome me.

I had pre booked my tickets, but I had to go and pick up a boarding pass, so after doing this, I had a quick 15 minute stroll through the town before I was due to embark. The views were very pretty, as was the town but it was very breezy! I was beginning to worry my boat trip might be a little bumpy.

(It’s really great to see all of the signs in Wales in English and Welsh (like the sign post in the photos). You could pick up some of the language very quickly this way).

At 10:50am I joined the queue on the pier to get on the boat, handed over my boarding pass and stepped gingerly onto a rather small boat. I made sure I sat in the middle, near a life buoy, as many of my friends and family will tell you – I am not a big fan of boats and even once felt a little sea sick on a canal boat! Why did I book a boat trip I hear you ask? Well, I wanted to see the seals and Puffin Island!

On the way to the island we passed a few points of interest (thanks to the Seacoast Safaris for this information).

The Beaumaris Castle – Dating to 1295 buily by Edward I, it was never completed. One of the fortifications known as the ‘Iron Ring’ of North Wales.

Saunders Roe – This site in Llanfaes used to house Catalina flying boats during WW!!, they were serviced, maintained and modified here.

Pemon Priory – Established 6^th century by St Seriol, who later moved to a hermitage on Puffin Island.

Penmon Lighthouse – Dating to 1838, built after the Rothsay Castle disaster. The lighthouse has a white light and a bell and was manned until 1922.

As we approached Puffin Island, we were treated to a lot of wildlife, from different types of gulls, to Shag’s, cormorant, Oyster catcher, but sadly no Puffins. You have to come between April and the start of August to see those, so I will certainly come back to do that one day.

What we did see was Seals! If you look carefully (ok, I have ringed them for you!) you will see little seal heads popping up to say hello! A lovely sight.

I did wish a one point that I had bought me ‘proper’ camera with me, but I feel I am being more authentic using my iphone as it’s what most people use to record memories nowadays, so I apologise that the photos aren’t great, but I saw it with my own eyes and that good for me. You’ll just have to go and see for yourself!

After a lovely hour and a half cruise with Seacoast Safaris (only £10.95 for an adult) I was back on dryland and had another lovely wander around the town before settling down to eat my lunch on the seafront. The boat trip had been pretty choppy, but I coped!

That lasted about 3 minutes because as soon as I got my sandwiches out, I was dive-bombed by a seagull! So I retreated to my car which was luckily parked with the same view.

Next stop was another National Trust property – Plas Newydd.

This building has a varied history, from holiday haunt, to Naval collage, to family home. It also has ties to the Battle of Waterloo  as Henry William, our 1st Marquess, played a key part.

His bravery and leadership on the day won him great renown; he lost his leg and was the first to receive a fully articulated wooden leg. There is a very interesting museum all about this all pieced together by the family who found documents and wooden legs in the buildings cellars and began to research the stories!

The 5th Marquess of Anglesey was born Henry Cyril Paget, in 1875, the only son of the 4th Marquess, he inherited the title in 1898. A very exuberant fellow, who loved the theatre. He bankrupted the family holding ‘the Great Anglesey Sales’ (40 days of sales with more than 40,000 lots) to recoup some of his debts.

In the 1920s and 1930s Plas Newydd was a busy place with a vast servants’ area and bustling kitchens. Changes in the 1950s mean that those areas look very different today, so sadly no photos or rooms to look around. Members of the family still live in the house today. Some lovely rooms to look around though.

An artist Rex Whistler was commissioned to paint a mural in the Dining Room – it was spectacular. The photo below that looks like a coat of arms carved in wood, is in fact a painting – amazing.

Drove to Benllech next and the beach was gorgeous. Unfortunately it had been drizzling all day, so not beach weather at all, but some of us British were on there trying to enjoy themselves! I sat for a while before I got nervous I’d get a parking ticket and headed back to my car. I parked and didn’t pay because the only option was £4.50 for up to 3 hours – no other choice! I only wanted an hour max!

It was time to head for home now, but before that I headed to a beach a little closer to home and had a lovely half hour walk to clear my head and enjoy my surroundings.

Of course, a girl’s go to eat, so I went back to the site via the local chippie I saw yesterday!

Quickly ate my dinner and then decided that I’d better take my awning down while it was dry (the sun came out as soon as I got back to the campsite!). The problem was it was once again, very windy. I was honestly worried it would blow away so very slowly removed each peg, leaving two in the ground until the last minute. The awning was flying all over the place and I was honestly beginning to worry that I wouldn’t be able to stop it flying off when I unattached it from my caravan when a lovely lady from the pitch next door came and offered to help. How kind! We managed it together and she left me after we had literally stuffed the awning in its bag, to go and have a go at her husband who didn’t bother to come and help, just looked at us out of their caravan window!

I tidied away as much as I could as I’m off to a new site tomorrow and settled down to write this post.

Reflection of the day

As you all know, the trigger for this trip was being made redundant a few weeks back and the opportunity that presented to me. Throughout the trip I’ve been thinking things through and at times felt a little overwhelmed with everything that’s happened recently and what might happen in the future.

Today I found some clarity while, of all the places, I went through a tunnel underneath the Welsh hills.

I was listening to the radio, trying to stop myself overthinking and hoping that music would help, humming along to the tune. I saw the tunnel up ahead and as I approached the entrance the signal to my radio and my navigation system started to break up and eventually all I could hear was static and all I could see was this long tunnel head of me, with no real direction of which way I needed to go.

‘How annoying’ I thought, ‘though I’ll get out of the tunnel soon and all will be ok again’.

Sure enough, as I continued my journey and approached the end of the tunnel, the radio gradually began to become clearer and my navigation and directions to my route started up again – clarity once more.

If that isn’t a metaphor/analogy of my life right now, I’m not sure what else is! Morale of the story for myself and for anyone else reading this and going through anything tough – the noise (static) in your head will clear and your journey through life will continue onwards and most probably upwards. You just need to get through that tunnel.

Quick note- Thank you to a very special friend, who after talking with me last night, made me realise that sometimes you need to feel really bad before you can begin the process to feeling better. You know who you are xx

Moving on tomorrow to meet some of my Family for the long weekend in Derbyshire and I’m looking forward to seeing them. Does mean I have to drive tomorrow, but my lovely Dad has checked the route for me and sent it over, so hopefully all will be good. You will find out tomorrow!