Hi, all! I apologize for the lateness of this post; with 2 days before I leave Swansea, I've been a bit busy hanging out with friends (really fun!) and packing (very challenging!). I recently got back from visiting Northern Wales and Scotland with Aunt Janet and Uncle Tom. I'm so glad they came to visit! I've missed seeing them in Ames this past semester, so it was nice to catch up. We
drove to Aberystwyth on the first night, stopping at Fishguard for dinner. A lot of the drive was along the coast, so it was absolutely beautiful. Have I mentioned that I love Wales? The Bed and Breakfast we stayed at was right on the coast; I had a nice view of the beach.
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| View from Fishguard Fort |
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| Part of the fort |
Though the next day started off dark and rainy, it cleared up a bit by the time we reached Caernarfon. We visited the castle there, which was very pretty. It was interesting to learn the history behind the castle and the addition of Wales to the United Kingdom.
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| View from my window in Aberystwyth |
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| View from my window again |
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| Beachfront |
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| Pier that lead right into the water |
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| Me at Caernarfon Castle |
We hit the road and headed for Snowdonia. What a gorgeous area! I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to visit it with my aunt and uncle (Thank you!). We decided to ride the train to the top of Mt. Snowdon; it was very fun to head up the mountainside. It was freezing at the top and very windy/foggy, but undoubtedly worth the trip!
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| In Snowdonia |
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| Going up the mountain |
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| Hikers |
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| Our train |
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| At the summit |
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| At the top of Mt. Snowdon |
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| That's me in the pink! It was as far as I dared go :) |
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| Super cute little lamb! |
We drove to Edinburgh that evening, and the next day we set out for Balmoral, the summer home of the Queen. We walked through the estate and got to go inside the ballroom of the castle. It looks like something out of a fairy tale! I really enjoyed looking at a collection of commemorative mugs, plates, etc, and I also really liked the display of pictures used in the Queen's Christmas cards over the years.
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| Red squirrel (they're a big deal there!) |
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| See?!?! :) |
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| Commemorative mugs and more |
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| Enjoying the view of the castle |
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| Practicing my princess wave :) |
After leaving Balmoral, we set off in search of Nessie (meaning we drove to Loch Ness). :) It was absolutely stunning! It stretches for 27 miles, so it's a very long lake. We had a great view as we drove along the Loch Ness, and we were able to see Urquhart Castle, though due to the time of day we didn't get to visit it). Though there had been rain on and off all day, it was sunny for most of our drive! The lake looked so blue. We stopped at an inn for dinner, which was delicious. Aunt Janet and Uncle Tom let me drive for a bit; it's strange driving on the left side of the road while sitting on the right side of the car. I loved it though! I lucked out with not meeting many cars on the smaller roads then getting to drive on a larger road with two lanes in each direction. We saw a lot of deer alongside the road but had no troubles!
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| Loch Ness |
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| Me with Loch Ness (no sign of Nessie, though!) |
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| Urquhart Castle |
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| Double rainbow! |
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| Dinner stop |
The next day we visited Edinburgh Castle, which is also beautiful! They couldn't have picked a better place to build a castle for defense reasons; it's on top of a rocky cliff! I really enjoyed seeing the Honours of Scotland as well as the National War Museum (both located in the castle). We also walked along the Royal Mile. It hailed on us for about a minute! We set off towards London, and the next day I got to show Aunt Janet and Uncle Tom around Swansea, which was great! I'm so glad they got to see Uni and the beach, and I'm so, so glad that they came to visit! It was a fantastic long weekend! :)
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| Edinburgh Castle |
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| We couldn't take pictures of the Honours (the sword, crown, and scepter), but they were so neat! |
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| Standing guard near the National War Museum |
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| Royal Mile! |
I had a fantastic time, and I have been enjoying my last few days in Swansea (pics to come soon!). I've written the second half of this sitting outside in shorts and a tank-top; I'm loving the warm weather here. I hope you all are having fantastic weeks (and good weather!). :)
Though the next day started off dark and rainy, it cleared up a bit by the time we reached Caernarfon. We visited the castle there, which was very pretty. It was interesting to learn the history behind the castle and the addition of Wales to the United Kingdom. 
