Wales trip, Dec 2006 - Castell y Bere

Castell y Bere is situated near Llanfihangel-y-Pennant, north of Abergynolwyn. The castle was built by Llywelyn ap Iorwerth of Gwynedd, a Welsh prince, in the 1220's and it guarded what was once a major route though the nearby mountains.

Nice view!

In comparison to what the Normans built, they are not as impressive in size. But Castell y Bere does have its own historical significances.

In 1282, Llywelyn ap Iowerth's grandson, Dafydd ap Gruffydd attacked the Hawarden Castle, and provoked an invasion of Wales by Edward I. Castell y Bere was finally surrendered to the English in 1283 and it was the last castle to fall during Edward I's invasion into Wales. This invasion was to result in the building of Edward's ring of castles around Wales and the effective end of Wales as a separate nation.

See the sheeps in the background?

The castle itself was abandoned in the 13th Century and it has been neglected for hundreds of years. So, it is very much a ruin now. The castle do offers a nice vintage point over the surrounding ground and having been built by a native, it is a very different from the Naglo/Norman castles!

At the highest point of what remains of the castle.

A word of warning: make sure you wear good shoes when you are visiting the site. There is a rather rocky slope that you have to walk through before you arrive at the site. And don't go on a windy day! You will literally be 'blown away' :)

Otters in <3

I usually try not to post cute things on the blog but I just can't resist the temptation this time!

These two otters are side-by-side in the water: floating , napping and HOLDING HANDS.

Watch til the end. You will see something extra cute and lover-ly!

I feel so warm and fuzzy now.

Wales trip, Dec 2006 - St David's Cathedral

St David, or or Dewi Sant in Welsh, is the Patron Saint of Wales. St David's, the city, was conferred the city status by Queen Elizabeth II in 1995, making it the smallest city in the UK (it has a population of less than 2,000 people.)

In the heart of this little city is the St David's Cathedral. The cathedral is one of Britain's oldest. It was also one of the most important religious site in UK in the Middle Ages. Construction of the present building began in 1191 and in 1123, Bishop Bernard secures a "privilege" from Pope Calixtus II, who decreed that two pilgrimages here was equal to one to Rome. It was a great savings of time and money! Suddenly both visitors and their offerings flowed in.

The interior of the cathedral. The woodwork is amazing!

Inside the cathedral

A rainy day!

Next to the cathedral are the ruins of the Bishop's Palace, built in the 14th century.
The interior courtyard of the once lavish Bishop's Palace

Wales trip, Dec 2006 - St Govan's Chapel

The St Govan's Chapel is a tiny chapel hidden in a cleft in the cliffs where it has survived for hundreds of years. According to the expert, the chapel was definitely here in the 11th Century, and part of the chapel actually date all the way back to the 6th Century.

The story of St Govan goes like this: the pirates from Lundy Island tried to capture him. They chased him to the edge of the cliff and suddenly, the cleft in the rock open miraculously for Govan to hide in. Govan then decided to stay for the rest of his life, worshipping, preaching and teaching. His saintliness was marked by the Church, which designated March 26th as St Govan's Day, and by followers who built the Chapel in the Cliffs.

The flight of really steep stairs leading down to the chapel

Looking down to the chapel half way down the stairs

On the coastline

Inside the chapel. It is quite tiny and it measures approximately 5.3m by 3.8m

It is very windy on the cliff side!

Wales trip, Dec 2006 - Caerleon

What remains of the Roman amphitheatre.

Caerleon was one of the most important military sites in Britain under the Roman Empire. The name Caerleon means "fortress of the legion" in Welsh. The site was the home of the II Augustan Legion from about 75 to 300 AD and it housed 6,000 soldiers and horsemen, with an amphitheatre, baths, shops and temples. It is the only Roman barracks block still visible in Europe.

On a side note: Caerleon is one of the sites most often connected with King Arthur's capital later called Camelot. Some even go as far as connecting the Roman amphitheatre with 'Round-Table' of the tales.

Wales trip, Dec 2006 - Castell Caerfili (Caerphilly Castle)

Caerphilly Castle in south Wales is the second largest castle in Britain (second to Windsor castle) and it is one of the largest fortresses in Europe. The 13th Century buildings are situated in large-scale man-made lakes. It is also the first truly concentric castles in Britain. It was virtually impregnable against contemporary siege methods and the castle itself was never taken.

Notice the tower on the right. It leans more than the Tower of Pisa! One side of the tower is completely unsupported. I really don't know why it is still standing!

In front of one of the gates

Wales trip, Dec 2006 - Caerdydd (Cardiff)

Cardiff is the capital of Wales. It is situated on the narrowest part of the south Wales coastal plain and it played a crucial strategic role in the wars between the Normans (on lowland Wales) and the Welsh (on uplands Wales). As a result, Cardiff claims to have the largest concentration of castles/fortification of any city in the world. According to the records, there were 9 castles in this small piece of land.

In front of one of the gates of the Cardiff castle.

One of the major castles of the city is the Cardiff castle. The site itself is located right in the heart of the city and it had served many purposes in the past, as: a Roman fort, a medieval castle and Victorian revival mansion. Nowadays, it is owned by the City of Cardiff and it is opened to public.

The clock tower of the Cardiff tower

Another area worth visiting is the Cardiff Bay (Bae Caerdydd). It is a regeneration area which utilises the docklands which has fallen into disuse. In a way, it does feel like the docklands area of London. If only the weather in Cardiff is nicer, I can see it turning into a 'Darling Harbour'.

This red brick and terracotta Pierhead building is the former HQ of Cardiff Railway Company, a.k.a. Bute Dock Company. It is very beautiful in person.

The Wales Millennium Centre (Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru) is a new performing arts centre.

Wales trip, Dec 2006 - Monnow Bridge

Monnow Bridge is the only remaining medieval fortified river bridge in Britain where the gate tower stands actually on the bridge.

The bridge itself was built in the 1200s and the gatehouse was added in around 1300s. The bridge itself has undergone many changes over the years. Nevertheless, it has remained the main car route connecting the two banks until 2004.

Nowadays, it is a pedestrian-only bridge.

Wales trip, Dec 2006 - Abaty Tyndyrn (Tintern Abbey)

The Tintern abbey is a beautifully situated ruin deep in the Wye valley.

It has a special meaning to me as I went to a school which has the same name. In fact, I've made a special visit to this ruin during my first trip to UK in 2002.

Tintern abbey was founded in 1131 by Walter fitz Richard, an Anglo-Norman and the lord of Chepstowwas. It was, at one point, the wealthiest abbey in Wales. However, during the reign of King Henry VIII, all monasteries were turned over to the monarh under the Act of Suppression and all valuables were sent to the King's treasury. The decay of the building began, when the Earl of Worcester was granted the property and he dismantled the roof to gain profit from the lead. The property was subsequently abadoned.

Luckily, the abbey is in a remote location and not much else happened to it. It was neglected until the second half of 18th Century, when the wooded slopes of the Wye valley became a popular tourist destinations for the 'Romantic's. Today, the ruins are still one of the most picturesque and romantic of all the tourist sites in Wales. It is especially beautiful when you view the site from across the river on a foggy day.

View from across the river

If you enjoy hiking, the Wye Valley path is really lovely. The whole path is 136 miles (218km) long, but the 9-mile Chepstow to Tintern route is manageable by anyone who is reasonably fit.

This 'obsticle' wasn't on the path. We actually went into someone's else property to take photos! :P

This photo is taken on part of the path. Looks pretty manageable, right?

For more information:

Wye Valley Walk
http://www.wyevalleywalk.org/english/

What the world eats

Somehow, this link has been passed on to me one more time and I can't resist posting it this time round.

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1626519,00.html

The content of the slides comes from the book, "Hungry Planet" and it shows what certain people eat during the course of a particular week.

If you observe the diet of the people from the developed countries, you realise how much processed and unhealthy food we eat.

It is also sad to see how little the people at the Breidjing Camp (slide 3) eat.

I feel very lucky to be able to live in a developed country and be offered the opportunity to eat tasty, healthy and nutritious food.

For more information:
http://www.amazon.com/Hungry-Planet-What-World-Eats/dp/1580086810/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-8384464-0296810?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182009209&sr=8-1

Wales Trip, Dec 2006 - Lacock in Wiltshire

(Once I've finished with writing up my Wales trip, I will be ready for the Greece trip. Hang on there!)

Lacock is not exactly in Wales. It is a small village in Wiltshire, England. We stopped by the village on the way to Wales.

The village has an unspoiled 17th Century appearance. This is because the village is almost entirely owned and maintained by the National Trust.

This village is a popular choice for period dramas, including the BBC's 1995 series of Pride and Prejudice.

Can you spot which P&P scenes are filmed here?

Part the Harry Potter movies are also flimed here:

The Lacock Abbey's cloisters and side rooms were transformed into the classrooms at Hogwarts School. The location was also used for Harry's discovery of the Mirror of Erised.

We had our X'mas Eve Dinner at the local Red Lion Inn. It was a lovely evening.

Nürnberg Trip, Dec 2006 - Dokumentationszentrum Reichsparteitagsgelände museum

Nürnberg is a very important place in 20th Century history. Nürnberg was the site of many anti-Jewish rallies during Hilter's regime. It was also the place where, in 1935, the infamous "race laws" were announced. After WWII ends, Nürnberg was also the site for a series of trials for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military and economic leadership of Nazi Germany.

The unfinished rally ground, which was designed to hold as many as 50,000 people.

We visited the Reichsparteitagsgelände, the party rally ground, which contained the Kongreßhalle (Congress Hall) , Deutsche Stadion (German Stadium), Großestraße (The Great Road, a parade road for the Wehrmacht.), Märzfeld (March Field), Langwasser Camp (The largest permanent camp for the Nazi organisations, including SS, SA, HJ, and RAD.) and the Zeppelinfeld.

The north wing of the congress hall is now converted to be a museum on Nazi history: the Dokumentationszentrum Reichsparteitagsgelände museum.

Inside the complex

A model of the rally ground design.

We took some time out to visit the permanent exhibition entitled "Fascination and Violence," at the museum. The exhibitions attempts to explain the powerful hold that the Nazi party held over its people. It is an important history lesson.

For more information:

Dokumentationszentrum Reichsparteitagsgelände
Bayernstraße 110
90478 Nuremberg
Telephone +49(0)911 / 2 31-5666
Fax +49(0)911 / 2 31-84 10

Nürnberg Trip, Dec 2006 - More X'mas markets!

Cologne had six Christmas markets, but I think Nürnberg 's main market is much more Xmassy than the one in Cologne. There are also more traditional arts and food stalls, which gives it a very nice X'mas atmosphere!

Toys! I am always up for toys!

I love these little items. You can create your own 'home'!

Nürnberg Trip, Dec 2006 - Photos of the city

We went to two X'mas markets last year: Koln and Nürnberg. Out of the two cities, I much prefer Nürnberg. Nürnberg is a very beautiful city and the market square is wonderful!

Random building

On the way to the main square

Random building

St Lorenz-Kirche

Frauenkirche (Our Lady's Church)

Gothic Schöner Brunnen (Beautiful Fountain)

Even more random buildings

Heilig Geistspital, Holy Spirit Hospital. Founded in 1332, this is one of the largest hospitals of the Middle Ages.

The bank of the river Pegnitz. It was so picturesque.

Street performers!

More free hugs!

Nuremberg Kaiserburg