The Final Chapter 5/16/26

 HiYa!

St Tysilio's Church is often referred to as Church Island. St Tysilio was the son of a Welsh king in mid-Wales. He became a scholar, but is best remembered for establishing a hermitage on Church Island (Ynys Tysilio) in the Menai Strait and for later serving as the Abbot of Meifod. 

The church sits on a tiny island, high on a hill. It can now be accessed by a raised causeway. In the past the causeway would flood with high tide and was regularly submerged. Service times took that into account. A local historian described the scene during services, "a boy was placed on watch in case a strong westerly wind brought the tide in sooner than expected. Then, at the shout of 'Llanw'n dod' (Tide coming), the congregation, often led by the priest with vestments flapping, scurried indecorously across the causeway to the safety of the mainland of Anglesey"

Even higher on the hills stands this Celtic Cross, a World War II memorial.

The last trail marker at the end of my journey.

I know the photo is dark, but when I ate at Dylan's last night, I kept smelling this bread, and I am like a heroin addict when it comes to bread.  So I ordered it, and it was a whole loaf - a bit much for one person, but I had to have it.  It was legendary.

BAKED ARTISAN LOAF 

Hot, sliced Dylan's hand-baked bread & salted Welsh butter.

It was worth every penny.  I still have better than half a loaf, but it will make a great lunch.

So for my main course, I ordered the Crab and Prawn Ravioli, which was handmade crab and prawn ravioli, lemon zest, chili, garlic, and mascarpone in a creamy tomato and parmesan sauce. It might have been an appetizer, but it delivered like a main course. This restaurant rocks.  Thank goodness I am leaving, or I would be slobbering at their door every time they opened.

 I say "hwyl fawr" or goodbye to my totally done-in boots. 

     I am always both sad and glad to end a journey.  Sad to be finished with something I love so much, yet glad to be going home to my husband, my four-legged children, and my friends.  I am indeed blessed.

A journey on foot is such a metaphor for life’s lessons.  Into each life a little rain must fall, and on this trip, one day of rain did not spoil the whole trip by any stretch of the imagination. When I was a child, I had a piano teacher, Mr. Grad, who taught me something valuable, and it wasn’t to play the piano.  He was not successful at that.  I didn’t like a particular chord in a piece, and he told me that it only made the rest of the piece sound more beautiful in comparison. My one day of hail and rain certainly made me appreciate the other days that much more. 

My possessions feel more important because my backpack doesn’t hold much. I am very careful not to lose those precious items. I am thankful for one pair of warm gloves, one down jacket, enough food for lunch, and precious water. At home, what I think is necessary is vastly different. Hummm?

I am reminded of the good in people. I could not make this journey without help from people (and GOD!) I always have strangers go out of their way to assist me in so many ways.  My Google Maps does not work here. And my trail map is downloaded, but it's not always reliable. God always seems to send me help just in time and he sends kind people. People smile and wave. They wish me a good journey.  And with my accent, they want to know about me and where I live. Those small things mean a lot. And they don’t care who I voted for.  We have lost much of our civility in the U S with our us-against-them mentality. I pray that we go back to “one nation under God."

And lastly, and most importantly, I thank God for this trip.  I see him in the vastness of the ocean and the grandeur of the mountains.  I feel him in the wind and even in the rain. I slow down enough to appreciate all of these incredible things he created, for surely no other being could have made something as magnificent as our world.

Thank you all for following me and for all of your encouragement.  You will never know how much it meant on those long days.

Until the next adventure....

I bid you good night and God Bless.

Brynsiencyn to Menai Bridge 5/15/26

 Good morning!

There are just so many beautiful flowers here.

It was cloudy and overcast all day.  And you know it is windy when you can hear the wind. The first part of my day was through scenic farmlands, over hills and dales. Smell is certainly one of the best senses, and it smelled so fresh.

This must be a fairly affluent area.  I have seen many mansions with property.

This carriage house looked ready for hobbits.

Another carriage house.

A fancy birdhouse with a camera recording.  I saw another one of those pheasants?  Whatever it is, it is a beautiful bird. I don’t think it can fly, but I am not sure

These bushes were over twenty feet tall.

The trail was interesting, featuring a variety of surfaces, from tree-lined paths to rocky coastline along the strait. 

This was more of a boathouse than a lighthouse. It had a sign on the side that read "deep water".

The Menai Suspension Bridge is a bridge spanning the Menai Strait between the island of Anglesey and the mainland of Wales. Designed by Thomas Telford and completed in 1826, it was one of the world's first major suspension bridges, and the second such bridge designed to carry vehicular traffic, after the Union Chain Bridge (1820) across the River Tweed. The bridge still carries road traffic.  When it was built, the height was to allow the tall sailboats to pass under. It is also associated with haunting tales stemming from its construction between 1846 and 1850. Many workers died during this period due to construction accidents, whooping cough, and a murder, leading to reports of tragic, restless spirits lingering near the structure.

The memorial to Lord Nelson was built 150 years ago by an artist experimenting with materials.  It is made of concrete, unheard of at the time. Vice-Admiral of the White Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte was a Royal Navy officer whose leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics led to multiple decisive British naval victories during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Trafalgar Square is dedicated to him. I am no expert of Engloish history but I know who Lord Nelson is.

Saint Mary’s of Llanfairpwll has been the site of a place of worship for over 600 years, but the present building was constructed in September 1853.

 I was fascinated by the unusual stained-glass window celebrating its connection, in years gone by, to  a former training school for sailors. 

The famous Menai Bridge and the end of my walking journey.

I like trying local food, and I know that cheese and pickle sandwiches are really popular in Great Britain.  It was not as I expected.  It was nothing like our pimento cheese. It is grated cheddar cheese mixed with a sweet, vinegary chutney.  The most popular brand is Branston. It was likable and certainly an easy, packable lunch.

I love signs, and this is perfect for my friends who love to shop, me included.

I made a reservation at Dylan’s, which was reputed to have an award-winning chef named Michael Cheetham.  

The view from my dining table.

I ordered the Seafood Chowder, which was Salmon, smoked haddock, king prawns, clams &

Menai mussels with potato, carrot, peas, corn, white wine cream & chunky sourdough. I don’t really have the ability to describe how good this was.  It was beyond rich without being greasy.  Every bite of the seafood was better than the last.  I know many of you do not like certain types of seafood, but each morsel was blended into this complex flavor that was in no way fishy.  To leave one of them out would have been a shame.  Sort of like people who love real Caesar Salad.  If you leave the anchovies out of the dressing, it isn’t fit to eat. I have to admit that, of all my trips throughout Europe, this one was by far the best for food.  And that includes France and Italy. Who’d a thunk it?  I really have to quit making fun of British food because I have been proven wrong.  In fact, it was so good that after one bite of my chowder, I got on my iPad and made a reservation for tomorrow night.  Technically, my last night in Wales.

Good Night and God Bless!

Llyn Rhos Ddu to Menai Bridge 5/14/26

HiYa!

Look - a baby!

I had to cross this stone bridge.  The stones were huge.  Each stone took me two or three steps and the spaces were almost bigger than I could manage.  I did because I really did not want to fall into that cold water.

Once again, the scenery was awesome.

I liked this cottage with the stone and the end of it.

This area is pretty pricey.  I have seen a number of mansions either facing the water or backing up to it.  I got a good look at this one.  Just as I got to the gate, it started to rain a little.  I took cover under a tree, but it passed quickly. I had my umbella out and that seemed perfect.

Right after this gate, as I was approaching a farm or B&B, it started to hail!  That is a new one for me.  I have walked while it was snowing, but never in hail.  I raced, looking around for some cover.  There were a bunch of outbuildings, but none had a porch or awning.  Finally, I spotted the open door of a shed and in I went.  Lucky for me, it didn’t look spidery. I got out my full rain gear and, deciding it was set in, I started walking.  Unfortunately, the temperature dropped about 25 degrees. Brrrrr.  Just to make it worse, as I was racing for cover, I dropped my gloves.  I found them, but they were soaking wet. I sure could have used them as my hands were freezing.

After walking about a half hour to forty-five minutes, I saw a mirage or an oasis - a building with a cover.  I got closer and closer and WHOHOO -  a little coffee bar. God is good, and God is merciful. Truthfully, he has been very good to me.  This is the first day since I have been on this trek (over three weeks) that I have had rain.  Almost a miracle in an area known for its constant rain.

Hot Chocolate.  Maybe the best hot chocolate I have had in a very long time. I had stopped at

Halen Mon, which makes sea salt products. I left with a huge jar of salt scrub, and it weighed four pounds.  Just what I needed to carry in my already heavy backpack.

What a pretty field. The eye-catching crop is ‘Phacelia,' which farmers are increasingly growing as a soil improvement crop. The bees love it, and it helps both the health of the local ecosystem and crop pollination. I felt like Dorothy in the poppy field.

This church, on the property of Plas Llanidan, has a date stone from 1631. It was home to Rev. Henry Rowlands for many years. He wrote Mona Antiqua Restaurate and served as the parish vicar. Another famous resident was Thomas Williams Twm Chwarae Teg' (Fair Play Tom) (1737-1802), who made his fortune in the copper mines of Anglesey and was Member of Parliament for Great Marlow from 1790 to 1802.

I arrived at a little cafe, my taxi pick-up point, about 1:00 pm.  I ordered a Succulent Prawn Burger garnished with lettuce and sweet chilli sauce, served on a toasted

sourdough bap.  It was solid, whole shrimp bound with something very light and pan-fried. I love sweet chili sauce, so it was a winner in my book.

This is the old train station, named LLANFAIRPWLLGWYNGYLLGOGERYCHWYRNDROBWLLLTYSILIOGOGOGOCH

Translated, it means 

THE CHURCH OF MARY IN THE HOLLOW OF THE WHITE HAZEL NEAR THE FIERCE WHIRLPOOL AND THE CHURCH OF TYSILIO BY RED CAVE. 

It is a big draw for tourists and is believed to be the longest name in the world.

I am staying at the Anglesey Arms.  I have an exquisite, spacious room with a BATHTUB!  

I ate dinner at the hotel, and it was very good.  I ordered their legendary cheese-and-onion pie with Cheddar and Chive Sauce.  It didn’t hold a candle to the one I had a few days ago, but I would have given this one an A. And of course, more chunky fries. It did have the best green peas I have ever had.  They were firm and well seasoned.

So that is all for today.

Good night and God Bless!

 

Abberffraw to Llyn Rhos Ddu 5/13/26

Top of the morning to you! There was no blog post yesterday because I couldn’t get online.  So this one is a day late, and you might get a second one either today or tomorrow/.

This sign says, "The doggy doo-doo fairies are off today, so please clean up after your dogs.”  I love Welsh and British humor.

A landscape shaped by the wind - Aberffraw's dunes are renowned for their wind-formed landscape. In front of the dunes are some of the local grasses used to weave baskets.

A bona fide log cabin.

Aber Malltraeth Estuary

Currently, there are fewer than one thousand registered breeding mares left in Wales. The ponies have a long association with Wales. They are short and sturdy, well-suited to a life amongst the rocks and crags of the Welsh mountains. Combined with an even but spirited temperament, they have found service as riding and work horses over centuries. While no longer needed as pit or draft ponies, they are needed once again for a job they are most suited to doing. They simply need to be kept out on the open hills, where they can wander in herds and graze the upland habitats. Tougher and less fussy eaters than sheep, the Welsh ponies are perfect for keeping the uplands in good condition and can graze all year round, being hardy enough to winter out on the hills.  (Bannau Brycheiniog)

The welcome gates to Newborough National Nature Reserve and Forest

It is not always a bad thing to get off-trail.  I was trekking parallel to the trail, and I came across this beautiful area that I wouldn’t have seen otherwise. I did eventually run across the correct trail.

These rounded rocks are called pillow lavas and were formed when red-hot lava hit ice-cold water. The reaction was violent enough to form these blob-shaped rocks.

OMG - here I come, Diet Coke.  That is my treat on the picnic table.

The scenery was stunning and I kept think of oil paintings I have seen in famous museums.

From the sign: "Flying pigs: We have counted up to 2,000 ravens living here at nighttime, when they return from feeding out on the mountains, fields, and beaches to 'go to bed’ in the trees where they are safe. They are very intelligent and can share information, like where to find the best food. They are also superb flyers and like to play around on the warm air as it rises from the sand dunes. They are very acrobatic in flight and can even play catch - flying up high with stones and dropping them for a mate to swoop down and catch. Listen out for them as they make their strange 'oinking' sound, a bit like a pig.” I have been trying for days to get a photo of a Raven. And finally, success.  They are much larger than blackbirds.

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor

            Shall be lifted—nevermore!

I had dinner at the White Lion.  It was kind of a cool place with all of the guitars and gold records, all from heavy metal bands like Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, and Kiss. I ordered a chicken burger, which in Great Britain is a fried chicken sandwich.  They definitely served Pub Grub, but not very good Pub Grub.  It was a pressed chicken patty and frozen fries, but I was really hungry, and it worked.  Kinda like when you go to KFC or McDonald’s, and it actually tastes good.

It rained while I was having dinner, and when I came out, there was the most beautiful double rainbow.  I have never seen one so clear, and I could see that both ends looked like they were touching the earth.  I was sure that there was a pot of gold at each end.