A five am start got us from Alkmaar to the airport in time, and luckily, the worldwide Microsoft glitch from the previous day didn’t impact our flight.

On the way to Cardiff, we stopped at Andover to see our boating friends Jan and Bill. Both looked brilliant and were as youthful as ever!

In true Jan fashion, she had fed us well, so we hit the pillows more or less straight after we arrived in Cardiff. That made for a busy next day. In Cardiff Castle, we followed the dark wall tunnels all the way around while The King's Speech blasted - a bit too loud- from speakers, setting the scene of this WWII refuge. We climbed up to the Keep with a great view over Cardiff and then joined a tour through Castle House, owned by generations of the Scottish de Bute family until 1947. We saw beautifully restored apartments, thanks to the wealthy son of the original marquess, with his love of animals and his Christian faith evident in the decor.

After a stroll through the city, it's old arcades and modern shopping centres, we spent the afternoon at Cardiff Bay, a vibrant area on this Sunday.

Unfortunately for us, a fair spoilt the impressive architecture on the Square named after Cardiff's famous son, Roal Dahl. The fountain, a silvery column that normally shimmers from cascading water, was turned off due to high winds. Nothing, however, could impact the impressive Wales Millennium Centre, the national arts centre of Wales and its highlighted Message: In these Stones Horizons Sing. The English is intertwined with the Welsh translation. Behind the words are several bars accessible when visiting the opera with its 8000-seat auditorium.

Austin had an ulterior motive for visiting the Roal Dahl Place as it is the location of the Dr.Who sequel called Torchwood. There was even a Dr. Who Museum close by, but this (fortunately for me) closed since COVID. Well, it is sad to hear that many things have closed since then, among others all tourist offices in Cardiff. We found the same in Laugharne and Tenby, where we were off to next.

Laugharne is a tiny fishing village on the coast. It was low tide, and boats were well and truly stranded. Like most coastal Welsh towns, Laugharne has a castle. It is probably the most picturesque castle ruin I have seen so far and was used as a base for some of Wales’ most well-known poets.

Warrior Jon Perrot, who was instrumental in defeating an Irish rebellion and hunting down pirates and Spanish ships, was granted this castle by Queen Elizabeth I. Unfortunately, the tide turned against him later. He was accused of collaborating with the Irish and thrown into the Tower of London, where he perished.

The fortified town of Tenby was the next port of call. The small streets were teeming with holidaymakers and full of souvenir shops, restaurants and bargain shops. On a not-so-warm Welsh summer day, the two beautiful beaches of soft sand were sparsely populated, though a couple of brave souls were in the water.

As it was still low tide, we could visit St. Catherine’s Island, which is otherwise cut off from land. Slippery steps lead up to the fort, originally built as a defence against Napoleon but was never used. It was eventually decommissioned and later became a private home, a garrison during the First World War, and an anti-aircraft battery in the Second World War. Sold off again, it was used as a zoo but was later abandoned. Recently, the run-down fort was gradually restored and opened to the public.

We stayed the night in a small fishing village called Fishguard, in a hotel called "Rose and Crown." From there, we followed the coast down to Pembroke.

Pembroke is a well-known town on the southwest coast. From there, ferries leave regularly to Ireland. One of the locals told us, the Welsh are basically Irish who can’t swim! 

Well, I think the Welsh are a bit more than that and are also very proud of their heritage. After all, they have their own language, which isn’t easy to pronounce. I have seen a word with eight consonants and one vowel! Which other language has words like that? Everything here is sign-posted in Welsh and English. Since the 21st century, Welsh has been a compulsive school subject until age 16. Our guide at Pembroke Castle, who had only English in school, said that her daughters laugh at her pronunciation of Welsh words and that it is like them having a secret language.

Pembroke Castle was involved in many of England's historic events, such as the Wars of the Roses. Jasper Tudor, the Earl of Pembroke, escaped during the conflict with his nephew Henry Tudor to Tenby, where they made their way through tunnels to the harbour and from there to France. Henry was born in Pembroke Castle, and he later returned to England and became the first Tudor king, King Henry VII.

In the early days of the castle, people didn’t eat from plates, and forks didn’t exist either. Flatbreads were baked in the open fire and used as plates. Of course, the bottom of the bread was mostly burned and cut off, so the rich and nobles were only given the "upper crust,” while the burnt bottoms were given to the poor. Those bottom bits were called “doles.” This burnt “share” of the bread is probably the origin of our unemployment benefit.

Pembroke is an amazing castle where one walks in the footsteps of one historical figure after another. Ongoing civil wars against the Normans and English took place. The Welsh and the English are still in an uneasy marriage. However, the Welsh mention with some satisfaction that King Henry VII went into battle with the Welsh Red Dragon on his flag. The dragon originates from 7th-century Wales, while the white and green background of the Welsh flag are the Tudor colours.

The other Welsh emblem is the leek. In St. David Cathedral, I learned that the daffodil, which has become similarly important as an emblem, is also called in Welsh "Cennin Aur," meaning Golden Leek.

St. David Cathedral was built on the ground where, in the 12th century, the bones of the Patron Saint of Wales were believed to be found. Over the next five centuries, diverse parts were added to the original nave. Saint David's shrine is still a place of pilgrimage today. His compatriot, Saint Justinian, and his mother, Saint Non, are featured on the shrine. 

Saint David's mother had been raped by a local prince. When she gave birth to David, a well sprung up; this well is believed to have healing powers. Due to her rape and motherhood, Saint Non is the patron for single mothers and victims of domestic violence.

Saint David himself lived a modest life promoting peace. His simple message to his followers was: "Be joyful, keep the faith, and do the little things.”

The ruin of a bishops’ palace stands next to the cathedral. Another palace of the bishops of Pembroke is in Lamprey.

Remnants of a vast grain store, where the tenant farmers had to pay rent with their produce, and three great halls for festivities show the wealth of these bishops.

On our way back to the Rose and Crown, we passed yet another castle and a well-maintained 11th-century Celtic Cross. 

The following day, we headed up north on the West Coast. The undulating, rural landscape of the South Wales coastal areas and wide beaches are popular holiday destinations. We saw an increasing number of caravan parks and camping sites and more castles on the way!

Driving in South Wales is another thing altogether! To get anywhere, one turns into narrow one-lane roads, really more like garden paths! But they are not one-way and have a speed limit of 60 miles (about 100km)—just crazy! Tall, dense hedges border these roads, and it feels more like driving through a maze with oncoming traffic. Luckily, there are intermittent bays where one can dash in should a car or tractor happen to come towards you.

One of these roads led to a field where the so-called “Pentre Ifan” was found. Archaeologists dated this burial site as 5000 years old. It is constructed from the same blue stone as Stone Henge. The capstone has been split to create a flat underside and placed on top of a tripod of rocks. It weighs 16 tonnes yet appears to be floating.

As it was pouring rain, we stopped at Aberaeron village for a small lunch before continuing to Aberystwyth. The houses were painted in the brightest colours, as seen in Tenby and other villages. With the often rainy and foggy weather in Wales, one needs something to brighten the days.

The landscape as we headed north became more mountainous. We followed a gorge and a small mountain pass to the Three Bridges crossing just before entering Aberystwyth. The lowest of the bridges is called “The Devil’s Bridge”. It is said that in the 11th century, the devil visited Wales when he came across an old woman who was upset because her cow had crossed the water, and there was no way she could get her back. The devil promised to build her a bridge, but he would keep the first living thing that crosses the bridge. Indeed, the devil was waiting next to a newly built bridge the next morning. The old woman, though, instead of crossing the bridge, threw a loaf of bread across it, and before the devil could stop it, her dog ran across the bridge after it. Uninterested in the dog and feeling out-witted, the devil left Wales and never returned.

Our Bed and breakfast place in Aberystwyth was close to the seaside. With its Victorian houses, hotels, and a long pier, the beach promenade reminded us of Brighton. The town looked interesting, but our itinerary didn’t allow enough time to explore it.

We were on our way to the very North of Wales the following day. 

The roads were wider, and bluestone walls now bordered the fields instead of green hedges. The main obstacles here are the occasional sheep that have jumped the walls! 

We passed through village after village of beautiful, old bluestone buildings. They seemed like from times past. Unfortunately, tourist shops, cafes, and restaurants have taken over some of the old buildings.

Our castle number 5, Harlech Castle, is another impressive fortress. It is one of Edward I's many strongholds. Its position on a cliff at the seafront and its double walls made it a formidable defence post. Harlech Castle lasted through several sieges and served as a refuge to English Queen Margaret during the Wars of the Roses. Apparently, there was a secret passage through the cliff down to the water where, during sieges, supplies could be brought in from Ireland.

We also visited a huge Holiday Park where Austin and his sisters stayed almost 50 years ago. The park has all the activities one can think of, like abseiling, flying fox, climbing walls, handball/ football courts, pools and waterslides, craft barns, game arcades, bumper cars and sedgeways. Once booked in for the day or stay at one of the holiday cabins, all activities are free of charge.

From there, we headed to Llandudno—no mistake with the two Ls, by the way!

 Llandudno has wide avenues of Victorian buildings, palatial hotels, and mansions. A 700-metre-long pier on the seaside is a permanent fairground with rides, a Ferris wheel, and about 200 metres of stalls. In the background is the mighty Orme mountain, which can be climbed by cable car or tram. North Wales is a mountainous region with a big National Park called Snowdonia. The rocks are partly bold, with patches of green grass and pink heather. 

The Castle-Mania continues in the North as well!

Two more of Edward I's castles are near Llandudno, Conwy and Caernarfon Castle. Caernarfon Castle was already a legendary place of power in Roman times and played a significant historical role. Here, Edward met Eleanor from Spain when he was fourteen and she was twelve. Two weeks later, they were married, which helped to ensure peace between England and the Castiles. Eleanore had 16 children, the first one at the age of thirteen. Only six of them survived her.

Also, in Caernarfon Castle, Edward I invested his son as Prince of Wales. Much later, the investiture was re-established for Edward VIII, who became King Georg V before abdicating. Then, in 1969, Prince Charles's investiture took place in this castle.

The last Welsh Prince of Wales was Owen Gwyndwr. He is still celebrated as a local hero. Owen led the rebellion against the English powers in the 15th century. He overran this town and castle but was eventually overpowered. He had to flee, yet he was never captured and mysteriously disappeared. Welsh legend says that he will come back one day to defend Wales.

It was time for us to head back south, but we took a little detour just over the border to Chester, a beautiful city and as it happened, full of beautiful people! The centre buzzed with high-heeled ladies in long, flowing dresses and fascinators and gents in suits and ties. Obviously, it was race day in Chester.

We spent a couple of hours strolling through town and marvelling at the array of Tudor houses and the archeological relics from Roman times. We walked on top of the town wall until we saw the canal below with a narrow boat approaching. Curiosity made us follow it to a triple lock with two other narrowboats already inside and tied to each other and the lock-keeper hard at work. It was great to see an English canal and locks, as by now, we had real boat withdrawal symptoms!

The roads to the south of Wales snaked through lush green hills, and again the stonewalls were replaced with hedges. We found our accommodation in a small village called Talgarth and a nice pub with excellent food for dinner.

Our last day in Wales we spent in Brecon Beacons National Park. For once, we had a really sunny summer's day, which made the lush green hills look even prettier. In Brecon, we took a circular walk around town and along another canal. Back in town, we quenched our thirst in a quaint pub and watched a little of the Olympic events, happy that the Australian women were doing so well again. The pub owner just happened to be an Aussie lady from Newcastle, married to a Welsh man! Only when leaving did we see the Kookaburra painted on the door! 

We wanted to make one more stop at Tretower Court and Castle. Only remnants of the castle and bailey were left, but the apartments, halls, and kitchens were extensively restored. The smell of roasting meat welcomed us, and the cook and maids, all in 17th-century clothes, were just cleaning up.

the remnants from a meal cooked the old-fashioned way over the open fire. Next to the kitchen were the buttery and the pantry. The pantry is where the bread was kept, and its name originates from the French word for bread, “pain.” In the Great Hall, a group called “The 17th-century Dancers" performed traditional dances and songs. Chickens and pigs were scurrying around in the garden, and the court was complete with a kitchen garden, an orchard, and an herb garden.

Summer finally arrived in northern Europe, and we hope that it will last for more than a few days.

Winchester is our last stop before flying back to the Netherlands. "Winchester Cathedral…lalala-la! “ - it was a must and is definitely worth visiting!

Cathedral comes from the Latin word “cathedra,” meaning “chair.” Winchester Cathedral has a very large bishop’s chair, and its nave is the longest in Europe. 

Originally a Romanesque building, it was later remodelled and restored by Bishop William Wykeham into the Gothic style it is today. Only the northern transept, the oldest part, has retained the round arches. In the cathedral are several beautiful "Chantry Chapels,” so called because the higher priests and clergy used these to sing (chant) prayers for the demised to shorten their time in purgatory.

In former times, the actual choir and altar area were only accessible to the clergy, and this was where the relics were kept. A tunnel was dug below for the pilgrims. They had to crawl on all fours through the “Holy Hole” into the tunnel to touch its roof and be as close as possible to the healing powers of the relics. 

The relics of the ninth-century Bishop Swinthun, now patron Saint of Winchester, attracted thousands of pilgrims each year for their healing properties. A simple man, Saint Swinthun, asked to be buried in the grounds outside of the cathedral, but later, against his wishes, his bones were exhumed and placed into a shrine in the cathedral. Heaven responded to this sacrilege with 40 days of rain, and until today, the people of Winchester believe that if it rains on the anniversary of that day, a long period of rain will follow.

The bones of many old kings and bishops were kept in decorated and inscribed chests in Winchester. Among them were the bones of legendary King Canute. During the civil wars, Cromwell's people raided the cathedral and the bones were scattered. The parliamentarians also smashed all the glass windows. After they left, the people of Winchester picked up the glass pieces, and from them, the fantastic window near the entrance was pieced together. They also placed the bones back into the shrines. However, there was no way of knowing which bone belonged to which clergy or royalty.

The gravestone of Jane Austen, the famous English writer and poet, attracts many visitors to Winchester Cathedral every year. Jane was said to suffer from Addison's disease, yet it is unclear what caused her death at the young age of forty-one. She lived the last 18 months of her life nearby at Winchester College.

Today, we are flying back to the Netherlands, and tomorrow, we take our boat into Amsterdam to pick up our friend Eva from the train station. Like every year, Eva makes the long train ride to meet us for a few days! We are looking very much forward to a good 'chin-wag' and a few Apérols with Eva!