Llandudno
And off we went to our next Servas host in Llandudno (pronounced Hlandidnu) - a beautiful royal Victorian beach resort town in northern Wales.
We were warmly welcomed by Peter and Leslie (with their 2 welcoming and lovable dogs) in their gorgeous home and garden - and spoilt with a magnificent dinner. Peter was a sailing instructor and him and Leslie had also been sailing in Turkey earlier in the year - so there was lots to chat about - which we managed to do until the early hours of the morning...with the help of some South African wine !
Leslie and Peter are the most welcoming and interesting hosts, with a very international family - married children living all over the world with foreign partners. Makes for a very interesting environment and widely travelled people. They have both had very interesting careers behind them and are enjoying a very full retirement - something to aspire to !
After a wonderful breakfast (which included some Nutella thanks to their grandchildren !) we set off to explore the local area. The intermittent rain showers put a bit of a damper on everything - but with the sun coming out again every now and again it was absolutely great.
Conwy is a neighbouring medieval walled city - with the city walls still in tact. It made for great views walking along the city walls and looking over the harbour and the old roofs. At the Tourist Information I was asked to assist with a survey and thought it was really great when they asked 1. whether I was married or equivalent (liked the equivalent bit) and 2. in terms of ethnic group they had "white or black African" available as a category (how awsome is it that here we are recognised as Africans). We went to see a beautifully restored and furnished house from the Elisabethan age - Plas Mawr - built in 1575. The audio guide is extremely well done and funny and really brings the history to life. Then we used the lull in the weather to look at the harbour and the smallest house in England (it really is tiny - and a 6foot sailor lived there !). After an epic lunch of pie&gravy&chips&mushy peas we went to explore the famous Conry Castle, an Edwardian castle with royal apartments and incredible fortifications. Always impressive to see what was constructed so many years ago.
From Conry we made our way to the Llandudno promenade. What an impressive Victorian town. Hard to believe that this wealthy looking splendour is no more than about 20 miles from Rachub, which reflects a much poorer and greyer hostory. The Victorian architecture is really impressive, houses and gardens beautiful and so well maintained. The town planner deserves a medal. An authentic Victorian pier extends far into the ocean - with the fairground entertainment on the promenade before it. An interesting view over the ocean is the windfarm that has been built into the ocean - I suppose no-one complains about the noise of the blades here ! Walking around the town we stumbled on beautiful rough wooden sculptures of the characters of Alice in Wonderland, as Alice (the actual girl the sory was based on) came here on holiday with her parents.
Back with our hosts we were again treated to a very special dinner, and the wonderful company of their grandsons. What charming and polite young boys - most impressive. We again spent a long evening exchanging stories - such interesting lives.
After being treated to pancakes for breakfast - made by Peter as a reward for his grandsons being so well-behaved (thanks guys !) - we eventually set off to Cumbria - The Lake District. Hopefully Peter and Leslie will come to South Africa, so that we are able to return their gracious hospitality.