Guest Long Read: A Romantic Honeymoon in Wales – Conwy and the …

I’m an American married to a British expat who now lives in the US. We lived on separate continents during the first few years of our marriage, and about a year after we were married, I visited my husband in the UK and we decided to make it our honeymoon trip. My very wise husband chose a quaint little seaside town in Wales called Conwy. Wales is a beautiful, but oft forgotten part of Great Britain. While people expound upon the excitement of London, England or the wild highlands of Scotland, they often forget Wales even exists. Of my many trips to the UK, Wales remains one of my favorite experiences.

For such a small place, Conwy had much to offer in the way of things to see and do. We took a train from the small village in the West Midlands where my husband lived to get to Wales. That in itself was a great experience for this American, as passenger train travel in the US is rare and expensive. After a bit of a delay in Chester, we finally made it to Conwy. We stopped by the Conwy visitor center to get directions to our Bed and Breakfast. There are many to choose from, but we stayed at Glan Heulog. It’s a beautiful home situated on top of a very tall hill. I’m thankful that I don’t drive a car when I visit Britain, as I would not have wanted to try navigating a British car up and down their very steep driveway!

It was a bit of a walk from the town center to our BB, but it allowed to us to see some of the town. Much to my consternation, after we walked up that steep driveway, our room was on the very top floor of the home! Unfortunately there weren’t any Sherpa’s available to help us carry our luggage up the stairs! It was worth it, however, as the view out our windows was spectacular. The mountains and countryside in the distance were a breathtaking sight to wake up to in the morning.

The owners of the BB were very friendly and accommodating. They let us know about places to see and eat in the town. I also got to experience my very first full English breakfast, and let me tell you, I’ve had nothing better before or since! British bacon is like American bacons big, muscular older brother!

The first thing you notice when you enter Conwy, is the 13^th century city walls and the ruins of Conwy Castle. It’s an impressive sight, particularly to an American, as our country is far too young for these types of structures. My husband says the US is just a baby really, and always rolls his eyes at our 100 year old ‘historic’ buildings. Conwy castle was built by Edward the I in the late 1200’s as part of a string of fortresses to keep the conquered Welsh people under control. The castle is extraordinarily well preserved, and has the most intact set of residential buildings left by the medieval English monarchy in Wales or England.  The wall itself is intact as well and most parts of it can be walked along. We made our way down most of one side, peering through arrow slits and admiring the beautiful view it afforded of the town.

Another fantastic historical site to visit was Plas Mawr, a stunning example of Elizabethan architecture. Built in the late 1500’s by Robert Wynn, much of the homes original plasterwork is in excellent condition and is being carefully restored using techniques from the same period. This includes making the paint from materials used in that era. From real food laid out on the tables, to much of the original furniture around the house, it’s an attraction not to be missed.

An interesting little oddity that can be found down by the quay is Quay House, or the smallest house in Britain. It was used as a residence from 1600 until about 1900. It has a floor space of 10 x 5.9 feet and is only 10’ 2” high. Its last resident was 6’3”, and he had to leave it because it was deemed unfit for human habitation. The house is still owned by his descendants. Standing outside is a woman in traditional Welsh garb and for one pound you can go inside and tour the home. I say tour, but it’s probably more a glance. We opted out of the tour, but made sure to snap a picture with this interesting character. She’ll tell you a bit about the history of the house and its former residents.

Another attraction we visited was the Royal Cambrian Academy, which was an art gallery with a varied and interesting collection of art. They had everything from modern to realistic. There was something to appeal to anyone’s taste.

The Quay itself was also very nice. There was a great view across the waterway. I noticed a promontory of land and said to my husband that I thought it would be a great place for a castle or fortification of some kind. We later learned at the ruins of Conwy castle that there had at one time been just such a structure there! Perhaps I’d make a good medieval architect? Probably not, I like my indoor plumbing too well!

Another great thing about Conwy is the myriad of shopping and eating experiences that can be had there. Being a tourist town, there are tons of little shops, from clothing boutiques to antiques, to the kind of shops where you buy the usual tourist type knick knacks to bring back home. I like to collect magnets for my refrigerator and so most places we stopped I picked up one. Also, many of the attractions listed above sell information books with a wealth of knowledge of the sites. I got a few of these and it’s great reading into all the history that you can’t possibly absorb in one visit.

Besides the amazing English breakfast at our BB, we had some great food at several other places in the town. At one pub we went to, I decided to try some Welsh Rarebit. This is a savory sauce made from cheese and other ingredients and served hot over toast. I raved about it for days! It’s such a simple dish, but huge on flavor. We also decided to visit an Italian restaurant recommended to us by our hosts, called Alfredo’s. I know, I know, an Italian place when you’re in Wales seems a bit silly. But the food and staff were wonderful. I got very strange looks from our waiter when I requested marinara sauce for my calamari, however. I’m of Italian descent and grew up in New Jersey, so that’s just how you eat calamari. But apparently Brits like it with tartar sauce, as they do most fish. They accommodated my strange American tastes though.

Our last day in Conwy was a typical day of British weather. Meaning that it was absolutely soaking down with rain! I think I’ve had to buy an umbrella on every one of my trips to the UK. Since the weather put a stop to on foot sight-seeing for the day, we decided to take an early train home. My husband got me warmly settled into the Pen-Y-Bryn Tea house while he went to the station to see about our train. There I got to try another popular British food item, the crumpet! Yes, I can actually say I’ve had tea and crumpets. The tea house had a lovely, cozy parlor feel to it, sort of like being at grandma’s house. My crumpet was warm and I was given a solid, opaque honey to spread on it. I had never encountered honey that was solid before, but I was hooked. I can now find solid honey in my local grocery store, but I haven’t been quite brave enough to try cooking crumpets. They seem a bit intimidating!

My husband soon joined me, a little damp but none the worse for wear. He, being a typical Brit, had a scone with jam and clotted cream. I must say those are very nice as well! Then we took off through the rain to the nearby train station and set off back to his flat in the Midlands.

Even now, five years later, I can still remember that beautiful little seaside town. There is so much more I’d love to see if I ever get back to the UK, but I do hope that we can visit Conwy again someday. Second honeymoon perhaps? Either way, don’t overlook that little bump that sticks out on the side of the Island. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by what you find there.