April 20th

We spent a good portion of the sunny Easter Day out at South Stack Lighthouse on the northwest coast of Anglesey. It was built in 1809 to warn ships of treacherous rocks below.

Parking was at a premium due to it being Easter Sunday. We had lunch at picnic tables on the grass looking out to the Irish Sea. Then we walked the many steps down to the Lighthouse. It was spectacular.

Afterwards, we walked the trails above the Lighthouse, then descended down to the road ending up at the Ty Mawr Ancient Hut Circles. Remnants of 20 huts can be observed. At its heyday, there was likely a village of 50 huts, likely inhabited by Iron Age peoples as far back as 500 B.C. (https://www.anglesey-history.co.uk/places/prehistoric-monuments/ty-mawr-hut-circles/). The site was absolutely fascinating and interesting to imagine living there a couple of thousand years ago.

After an hour or so, we drove down to Trearddur Bay, a seaside village nearby, had a cuppa followed by a walk along the promenade. The day was capped off with dinner out at a restaurant in Red Wharf Bay. A perfect Easter Day with great friends.

April 21st.

In the morning, we visited the fantasy village of Portmeirion. Described as a “folly tourist village”, it was built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, in the Baroque Style and took 50 years to complete between 1925 and 1975. What was the motivation to build this architectural masterpiece? His vision for this place was likely inspired by his time in Portofino on the Italian Riviera. (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portmeirion)

Luckily we missed the Easter weekend crowds. The site is a very popular tourist draw. I’m happy we went as it is a photographer’s dream. Again, I’ll let the photos do the talking.

After a great few hours at Portmeirion, we visited Harlech Castle, the 3d castle of the 4 built by Edward the 1st.

April 22

We packed up and left our campsite in Red Wharf Bay on Anglesey for the last time this morning. We were relocating to a campsite closer to the ferry at a Holyhead for the next day’s crossing to Dublin.

We visited the last of Edward the 1st’s castles and the most intact one, Caernarfon Castle. Unlike the others, much of the roofs of the castle were still intact preserving the structure below. We ventured up the towers with rooms and hallways on each level to wander. Guy went up to the turrets on his own.

After the castle, we went for nachos at a pub, and then had a nice walk along the promenade back to the van.

Back in Anglesey, we did laundry. Then we had a visit with Karen in Llangefni before heading out to the campsite. We visited Oriel Mons together, an interesting museum about the history of Anglesea.

Wind and rain moved in during the evening and I prayed it would brighten and lighten by morning for the 3 1/2 hour crossing to Ireland.