Long-term readers of TheWriting Greyhound may remember my travelogue of last summer's holiday, where my partner and I did a tour of mid and south Wales. We started in Aberystwyth and over the course of the week, worked our way down along the Pembrokeshire coast before heading back up through the Brecon Beacons.
Since we both enjoyed last year's week in Wales so much, we decided to complete our Welsh adventure this year by touring the north of the country. From the rugged coastline of North Wales to the island of Anglesey and the dizzying heights of Snowdonia, this is the story of our second week in Wales.
Although so much has changed in the last year, it simultaneously felt like both everything and nothing had changed as we set off on our holiday. We both liked visiting Aberystwyth last year and wanted our journey to come full circle, as it were, so naturally, our first stop was the seaside resort of Aber.
Thankfully free from the symptoms of glandular fever, this year I vowed to make it all the way up Constitution Hill (on foot, of course) rather than having to abandon my attempt halfway up again. Accompanied by warm sunshine and rather regretting my outfit choice of jeans, I successfully clawed my way to the top before promptly collapsing down for a rest in the shade. Having witnessed first-hand how steep Constitution Hill actually is, I don't blame the people who choose to ascend it via the funicular railway!
After catching our breath and taking plenty of photos of the impressive views, we ventured back down the hill (far easier than going up it!) and headed into the town in search of sustenance. Last year, we had fish and chips from the hut on the promenade but had to wolf them down before the seagulls could get to them, so this year, we avoided the traditional seaside favourite and instead, opted for a pizza.
We decided to brave the possibility of seagulls and took our pizza up to the ruins of Aberystwyth Castle to enjoy on a bench overlooking the sea. The castle was one of our favourite parts of last year's visit to Aber, so we couldn't resist squeezing in another visit! As we munched on our pizza to the soundtrack of seagulls and a man on the next bench gently strumming an acoustic guitar, we found ourselves full of anticipation for what our holiday would have in store for us.
The apartment we had stayed at last year was sadly fully booked, so instead, we found our bed for the night at the Glyn Garth Guest House - conveniently located close to the seafront on the doorstep of the castle.
Our room was clean and tidy and the ensuite bathroom was wood-panelled, reminding me of the interior of a canal boat! The manager was very friendly - right from check-in and throughout our stay, he went out of his way to chat with us and help us out. Breakfast was served in the basement - we both enjoyed cooked breakfasts and a pot of tea. In fact, the only negative during our stay was the fact that neither of us seemed to be able to coax hot water out of the shower so it was cold showers all around. Certainly one way to wake up in the morning!
The second part of Another Week in Wales will be coming soon to The Writing Greyhound. Keep checking back to ensure you don't miss it!
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