Easter - It snowed!!

It snowed, snowed!! Very excited! Have seen plenty of snow in the past, but always missed an actual snowfall. On Easter Sat, whilst out shopping in Windsor, it snowed. I was hugely fascinated & excited! It snowed again on Easter Sun & Mon, tho it wasnt cold enough for the snow to remain on the road, it pretty much melted straight away. Its spring & its snowing - crazy weather!!

It was great to have a long w/e, relaxing at home, catching up on DVD's. Church was packed for Easter & then we went to a fantastic little Italian brassiere opposite the castle for lunch! It was a chilly day!

Good news for Kimi winning the Malaysian F1!

W/E 15 & 16

A very packed w/e! We went to Stratford-upon-Avon on Sat for the day. Last time I was there, I didn't visit all the houses (attached to the Shakespearen trust), so went to check out Anne Hathaway's house. The gardens are beautiful & the house quaint with the traditional thatched roof. For those who aren't aware of the scandal - Shakespeare was 18 & Ann 26 when they "hooked up" & had to have a "quiet" marriage ceremony as she was in the family way!! Deliciously scandalous for the 1500's & it reminded me how sometimes we are more prudish today than in days past!!
It's a great place to visit (ambience much like Windsor), with lots of boutiques, cafes, & of course all things Shakespearen. Haven't seen a play in "The Globe", so that's on my list of things to do!!

Saw the movie, Vantage point, I thought was reasonably good. David & I had a philosophical debate about the ending!!

What an exciting start to the F1 season!! Love the fact that there is no traction control & the drivers have to race the old fashion way!! With 6 cars only finishing, racing was definitely spectacular & well done to Hamilton. Stayed out of trouble, for a well deserved win.

Bad weather!

Weather hasn't been the most pleasant over here - we've had Atlantic storms, snow, heavy rain, thunder, hail and even the occasional dry and bright day! Also, had an earthquake (4.8) largest in the last decade.
The winds, rain & frost doesnt make the early mornings very pleasant at all!!
Here's hoping for nicer weather!
Looking forward to the F1 season which starts next week - should be an interesting yr ahead!

Croeso (Welcome) to Wales!

A week in Wales seeing castles - we loved it! We covered North Wales, seeing the "Iron Ring", the 4 castles of Edward I & then South East Wales, Cardiff, the castles that the 3rd Marquis of Bute restored magnificently!

In Caernaforn, for David's birthday, we stayed in an actual castle (Bryn Bras) in the Flag tower. It had a spiral staircase to the living room which was incredibly beautiful & then up to a huge bedroom. Quite an experience!

In Cardiff we stayed at St.Davids Hotel & Spa (St.David patron saint of Wales), so my David felt extremely at home. He loved Wales, as when we were in a pub watching England play Italy in rugby, he joined the Welsh in cheering when England fumbled (England did eventually win!), though I cheered on cute Johnny!! :)

Ok, onto the castles -

North Wales - Edward I "Iron Ring" - conquerer of Wales. Married Eleanor at 14 (love of his life) & father of Joan of Arc (one of his children)

Conwy castle

Built between 1283-87, Master James of St George's design at Conwy is one of the most outstanding achievements of medieval military architecture. It has a distinctive elongated shape, with 2 barbicans, 8 massive towers and a great bow-shaped hall, & perched on the narrow rocky outcrop on which the castle stands.

Beaumaris castle (think my favourite of the 4)

Begun in 1295, the unfinished castle is the last and largest of King Edward I's Welsh fortifications. Designed by the king's mason-architect, Master James of St George, it is a perfect example of a concentrically planned castle. The defences are formidable & surrounded by a partly restored moat. This castle still had a feeling/sense to it!!

Caernarfon castle

King Edward intended this castle to be a royal residence and seat of government for north Wales. The castle's symbolic status was emphasized when Edward made sure that his son, the first English Prince of Wales, was born here in 1284. In 1969, the castle gained worldwide fame as the setting for the investiture of HRH Prince Charles as Prince of Wales.

Harlech castle (best atmosphere)

Built between 1283 and 1289 by Master James of St George for King Edward I. The castle is designed on a concentric plan with a small but powerful inner ward dominated by an impressive twin-towered gatehouse and four round corner towers. We walked up one of the surviving gatehouses & that was amazing! The effect was greater as it was a rainy windy day & after climbing a few hundred tight spiral stairs, got to the top & literally had to hang on, in fear of being blown away.

South East Wales - Cardiff - 3rd Marquis of Bute, scholar & restorer of the castles we visited.

Cardiff castle

Contained within its mighty walls is a history spanning nearly 2,000 years, dating from the coming of the Romans in the first century AD. After the Norman Conquest, the Castle's Keep was built and a number of Medieval fortifications and dwellings followed. The Castle fell into the possession of many noble families, until, in 1766, it passed by marriage to the Bute family. The 2nd Marquis of Bute was responsible for turning Cardiff into the world's greatest coal exporting port. The Castle and the Bute fortune passed to his son John, the 3rd Marquis, who by the 1860's was reputed to be the richest man in the world. From 1866 the 3rd Marquess employed the genius architect William Burges to transform the Castle lodgings. Within gothic towers he created lavish and opulent interiors, rich with murals, stained glass, marble, gilding and elaborate wood carvings. Each breathtaking room has its own special theme, including Mediterranean gardens and Italian and Arabian decoration. Unfortunately we couldnt take any photos of the interior but they were spectacular.
Castell Coch (I loved it - wanted to move in straight away!)

Late C19th 'fairytale'-style castle, built on medieval remains, designed for his wife by the 3rd Marquis of Bute by William Burges. Lavishly decorated and furnished in the Victorian Gothic style; a Romantic vision of the Middle Ages. The detail of carvings, paintings on the walls & ceilings were amazing. The Bute loved animals, nature & plants & the paintings were intricate & beautiful. I would absolutely love just one room that looked this castle -here's to dreaming!
Caerphilly castle

One of the largest medieval fortresses in Britain, begun in 1268 by the Anglo-Norman marcher lord, Gilbert de Clare. Concentrically planned, the rings of stone and water defences are formidable even today. Famous for its 'leaning tower' (probably from subsidence). Impressive great hall.

Well we highly recommend all the castles, as well as the places we stayed. I also loved discovering the history of Wales & the wars between England & Wales.