The weather forecast said there would be a storm overnight with heavy rain and strong winds that would continue on Wednesday and possible get worse. We did hear some rain and wind during the night and we had to close the windows in our B&B room but it was no big deal.
By morning, the storm had reduced to just a few light showers. We walked to Conway Castle which was only a few blocks away from our B&B. This castle is smaller than the one at Carvarvon but we thought it was most interesting.
We went back to our B&B to check out. Thankfully, Colin carried our bags downstairs for us. While I went to fetch the car, Suzy chatted with Colin and Monica and found out that they had received several awards for the B&B including one in which they went to Buckingham Palace to receive their award from the Queen.
At Colwyn Bay, we turned off the main road to see the sights but all we saw was the town rather than the bay. So we didn't stop. The main road goes along the edge of the bay and so we got glimpses of the bay as we went along.
Suzy wanted to go to the factory outlet (Tweedmill) at St Asaph which was a few miles off the main road. It was a large building with a wide range of merchandise including clothes and homewares.
Suzy went upstairs to look at the womenswear while I look at other sections. After a while I went upstairs and found other husbands sitting on chairs around the hall. I had the opportunity to have long conversations with several of these men while I was waiting. It seems that retired couples from the area often go there for a day's outing. The men sit and wait patiently while their wives shop.
Suzy didn't find anything she wanted to buy but I got a cheap shirt.
A little while later, we decided to turn off the A55 at Chester for lunch. This turned out to be a very good choice. We had never heard of Chester before but it a delightful walled town with lots of old-English character. It is just across the border from Wales into England.
We found a carpark and walked a short distance into the old city with its narrow cobblestone streets, Tudor buildings, ancient walls, etc.
It was a hive of activity like a major city. We found a nice coffee shop (Caffe Nero) for lunch that served the best coffee we'd had since we left London.
Afterwards, we climbed up some stairs to walk along the ancient wall. This time it wasn't a hazardous walk - unlike the castles and other walled towns we had visited. Instead, the local people used the top of the wall as a footpath to move from one part of the city to another.
Suzy decided to go into one of the department stores to look for bargains and came out with a new coat. I waited in the plaza outside and took the opportunity to talk to a local man who was also waiting for his wife. He described some of the history and features of the city.
By that time, it was 3pm and so we no longer had too much time for sight-seeing. We got onto the M55 and then the M6 on our trip west and then north.
The rain became heavier as we went north and the driving became quite challenging. It must be a major freight route because there were a lot of heavy trucks on the motorway. The heavy rain coupled with the spray from the trucks reduced visibility and so it was necessary to concentrate hard especially because of the high speed of the traffic.
When we got close to the Lake District, we turned off the motorway to go along the rural roads instead of the motorway. We stopped at a quaint little town called Windermere so we could go to the visitor information office. However, by the time we had navigated the traffic and found a parking spot, it was 5:01pm when reached the visitor centre and they had closed on the stroke of 5pm.
However, we took the opportunity to but some fresh fruit at the supermarket next door and then headed off along the narrow windy roads through the rain looking for Keswick.
We reached the hotel (Crow Park Hotel) just after 6pm. It's a quaint little hotel that reminded me of the scene you see in many English shows including Fawlty Towers.
For dinner, we made the short walk into the centre of town and found a restaurant that served Asian cuisine. There weren't many tables left and a young English couple invited us to sit with them. At least I think they were a couple - he lives in Cambridge and she lives in Cornwall.
The B&B has WiFi. We got it to work when we were having a drink in the lounge before dinner. After dinner, I found people in the lounge playing cards and scrabble.
Click here to see my photos for this day.
By morning, the storm had reduced to just a few light showers. We walked to Conway Castle which was only a few blocks away from our B&B. This castle is smaller than the one at Carvarvon but we thought it was most interesting.
We went back to our B&B to check out. Thankfully, Colin carried our bags downstairs for us. While I went to fetch the car, Suzy chatted with Colin and Monica and found out that they had received several awards for the B&B including one in which they went to Buckingham Palace to receive their award from the Queen.
At Colwyn Bay, we turned off the main road to see the sights but all we saw was the town rather than the bay. So we didn't stop. The main road goes along the edge of the bay and so we got glimpses of the bay as we went along.
Suzy wanted to go to the factory outlet (Tweedmill) at St Asaph which was a few miles off the main road. It was a large building with a wide range of merchandise including clothes and homewares.
Suzy went upstairs to look at the womenswear while I look at other sections. After a while I went upstairs and found other husbands sitting on chairs around the hall. I had the opportunity to have long conversations with several of these men while I was waiting. It seems that retired couples from the area often go there for a day's outing. The men sit and wait patiently while their wives shop.
Suzy didn't find anything she wanted to buy but I got a cheap shirt.
A little while later, we decided to turn off the A55 at Chester for lunch. This turned out to be a very good choice. We had never heard of Chester before but it a delightful walled town with lots of old-English character. It is just across the border from Wales into England.
We found a carpark and walked a short distance into the old city with its narrow cobblestone streets, Tudor buildings, ancient walls, etc.
It was a hive of activity like a major city. We found a nice coffee shop (Caffe Nero) for lunch that served the best coffee we'd had since we left London.
Afterwards, we climbed up some stairs to walk along the ancient wall. This time it wasn't a hazardous walk - unlike the castles and other walled towns we had visited. Instead, the local people used the top of the wall as a footpath to move from one part of the city to another.
Suzy decided to go into one of the department stores to look for bargains and came out with a new coat. I waited in the plaza outside and took the opportunity to talk to a local man who was also waiting for his wife. He described some of the history and features of the city.
By that time, it was 3pm and so we no longer had too much time for sight-seeing. We got onto the M55 and then the M6 on our trip west and then north.
The rain became heavier as we went north and the driving became quite challenging. It must be a major freight route because there were a lot of heavy trucks on the motorway. The heavy rain coupled with the spray from the trucks reduced visibility and so it was necessary to concentrate hard especially because of the high speed of the traffic.
When we got close to the Lake District, we turned off the motorway to go along the rural roads instead of the motorway. We stopped at a quaint little town called Windermere so we could go to the visitor information office. However, by the time we had navigated the traffic and found a parking spot, it was 5:01pm when reached the visitor centre and they had closed on the stroke of 5pm.
However, we took the opportunity to but some fresh fruit at the supermarket next door and then headed off along the narrow windy roads through the rain looking for Keswick.
We reached the hotel (Crow Park Hotel) just after 6pm. It's a quaint little hotel that reminded me of the scene you see in many English shows including Fawlty Towers.
For dinner, we made the short walk into the centre of town and found a restaurant that served Asian cuisine. There weren't many tables left and a young English couple invited us to sit with them. At least I think they were a couple - he lives in Cambridge and she lives in Cornwall.
The B&B has WiFi. We got it to work when we were having a drink in the lounge before dinner. After dinner, I found people in the lounge playing cards and scrabble.
Click here to see my photos for this day.
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