Wales- Castles, Coast & Steam Trains with Isobel & Gary

                    Wales-Castles, Coast & Steam Trains                                          

   

What incredible views we had on our journey to Wales. We couldn't wait to explore the local area and  get stuck into the activities we had planned.  

        

     

We had a fantastic day at Ludlow Castle, one of the finest medieval ruins in England. Walking through the beautiful castle grounds we saw the ancient houses of the Kings, Queens, Princes and Judges that all used to live here. It gave us a real insight into their lives and the lifestyle of medieval society's. 

    

We explored the old ruins, climbed through the castle walls and pretended to be Knights, fighting off our enemies.

                           

        

We travelled on the Monmouth and Brecon Canal a historical waterway, a fantastic fleet of engineering, built before roads and railways. We went through the canal lock and under some incredible stone bridges, enjoying the wonderful scenery and we tried our best to spot all the different wildlife as we cruised along. Refreshments were provided on board which made it even easier to feel super relaxed in the warm sun.

                               

A fabulous morning was spent at the Magic of Life Butterfly House in the stunning Rheidol Valley. We were greeted by lots of free-flying tropical butterflies of all beautiful shapes and colours and an array of rare and exotic plants. The owner Neil Gale, who is a tropical botanist came and spoke to us and shared lots of information. He was surprised to see one of the largest butterflies sit on our hands and enjoying a short rest on Richards hat! 

    

Today we heading to the National Showcaves Centre. We visited the Cathedral Cave with its colossal cave passageway decorated with thousands of delicate stalactites and beautiful waterfalls, cascading into underground lakes. This cave has unusual formations and a beautiful cavern which is known as "The Dome of St Pauls". We weaved our way through the deep dark tunnels making it out the other side!

     

  We became dinosaur hunters as we walked around the park viewing the huge model dinosaurs. We couldn’t believe the size of them! 

      

All aboard the small train which took us to the Shire Horse Centre & Mr Morgan's Victorian Farm. On arrival we were greeted by the sheep, alpacas and llamas who were quite happily grazing in the field. We were interested to see and learn how farming families lived and worked by the fabulous displays and workshops which had been carefully set up. 

We met the miniature steam railway and enjoyed a journey from Fairbourne Station passing the long sandy beaches, Estuary Halt and Barmouth Ferry Station, admiring the beautiful scenery along the way.

                                             

  

We couldn't visit the seaside without having a tasty ice cream! 

When we weren't out and about, we loved relaxing in the warm, bubbly hot tub that we were lucky enough to enjoy at our cottage.