Day 10, Monday, April 24, Holyhead, Wales

This morning, we docked in Holyhead, Wales, the chief import/export hub for Ireland and Great Britain. We started out off Holy Island to the mainland (I think) and to Bodnant Garden. As with yesterday, the flowers were six to eight weeks ahead of Maine. The rhododendrons, magnolias and such were gorgeous. This was again a rich family which imported trees and plants from all over the world. In this case, they had made their money in slate. Apparently if you see a slate roof anywhere, it is likely from Wales. We had a wonderful time going through the garden, and here are some of the results.

The house is still private property while the grounds are supported by the National Trust. The laburnum arch will be quite spectacular later in the year. A gardener explained some of the work that goes into it.

Note that the flower above is a peony, which are not expected until June in our neck of the woods. We had a lovely walk around and after tea and scones, got back on the bus. We drove through the Snowdonia National Park on the way back. It still has snow on some of the mountaintops, and looks like a popular place with Welsh and English people. We learned from our guide about the languages spoken, Welsh, English and Wenglish. The kids learn in Welsh in primary school and are mostly entirely bilingual. The little house is known as the “ugly house”.

By the time we got back from this excursion, it was too late to get lunch and go out on an additional scenic tour. We later went into Holyhead town to have a look around. With Brexit, this is an international port which makes coming and going difficult. Below you will see the church of St. Cybi (pronounced Cubby), a monument to Boy Scouting, and a dragon at the terminal.