Wander-full Wales Weekend

Wales in winter?  Yes.  The UK is great all year round – and our weekend in Wales in February lays proof to that.  Chilly, yes, and a risk of rain and wind, but look at the picture above.  As one of my friends that lives near here said when she saw the photo, it could have been Peru or Chile for its beauty.  We are so lucky to have such varied scenery to explore just a few hours from home, and even luckier to have friends that live in the area and can take us to all the best places!  We’ve spent many weekends in Anglesey and Snowdonia so it was refreshing to explore some new parts on our latest visit!

First stop – the beach!  Proof that it is perfectly possible to spend a day at the beach in the winter and enjoy a picnic too.  Wrapped up in thermals and multiple layers of merino we headed off to Aberffraw.  In case you didn’t know, this is the location of the first settlement in Wales and was once Wales’ first city before Cardiff came along (so quite a long time ago).  Its on a gorgeous stretch of Anglesey coastline just moments away from the estate where Kate and William made home, so you’ll be in good company in this area.  The childs beach tent is a good addition to a winter trip to the beach as it blocks the wind!As we know, I love the sea – it was glorious to be on the beach in the sunshine.  In fact it was such a glorious day that we all got a little sunburnt!

I love watching the sea in constant motion and the waves break on the shore. I also love paddling in my wellies!  Thankfully we don’t have a capture of when I went too deep and got drenched up my back!  Some people never learn!  But the sun’s warmth dried me out quickly!

For our walk we parked in Aberffraw and walked down the west bank of the little river to the coast.  You will find the first settlement at the end of the river, marked by a circle of stones.  We then walked along the coast west either on footpaths or directly on the beach until we reached Cywfan Church.  The church is on an island – you can walk across at low tide, it must be a stunning place for a wedding.  It was then a short walk along some quiet roads back to the village.  A charming walk and ok for 4-year olds too!

Menai Bridge is where our friends live and we explored it a little too.  The main road (the A5) is on the newer Britannia Bridge but the older prettier bridge is Menai Bridge – gorgeous views from here up the straits to Beaumaris on the left and Bangor on the right.  I always love the view from Anglesey, looking back across to Snowdonia – particularly gorgeous on this visit with the snow-dusting on the mountains!

There’s another Church Island in the Menai straits – easy to reach from Waitrose in fact (good for picnics).  There’s a bridge across and the view from the top of the graveyard is stunning.  The little church is gorgeous – unfortunately it was shut but I loved the door.   We left Wales along the A5 to enjoy the mountains. We stopped near Capel Curig and the view back west looks at Tryfan and the surrounding mountains.  Gorgeous.  Looking at Tryfan now it is obvious how I got stuck on this north face a few years ago!  Thankfully we were climbing with friends who had a rope and a harness which dealt nicely with my jelly legs!

Menai Bridge is jam-packed with pubs, but its culinary highlight is definitely Dylan’s which is run by a family that live locally.  It’s a big place and yet it was heaving when we were there in mid-February.  A chilled vibe, with great views (in the daylight) and friendly staff.  A good wine list and a lengthy menu, there is certainly something for everyone.

For our weekend in Wales we stayed at the Bangor Premier Inn, which is located next to the Britannia Bridge that connects Anglesey to the mainland.  This was a bargain at £130 for 2 nights.  As we know I love my luxury hotels, however the Premier Inn formula gets the basics right (better than some big-chained high-cost alternatives I might add).  Good comfortable bed, good shower, plenty of space and a quiet location – anywhere that gets that right is good.  Perhaps it doesn’t have the charm of a more up-market option but the staff are friendly, there’s free Wifi and parking and a pub onsite.  Not much more is needed really, especially if you don’t have plans to spend much time there.  I’m glad we stayed with Premier Inn, it reminded me its good and practical.

You’ll note the picture of Burger King… It had to be done on our drive north, there wasn’t really anything else at the service station we stopped at and I hadn’t packed a picnic either.  But can I just say – £15 for this and it’s the exact opposite of ‘fast’ food… Quite ridiculous. When somebody opens the equivalent for food as a Premier Inn is to cheap nights away, then they’ll be millionaires in rapid time!

Awesome weekend with friends, gorgeous views and places and 2 very good nights sleep.  We’ll be back soon!