Greetings from Wales!!!

I left Windermere on Wednesday morning for a rather long day of hopping on and off trains and waiting in freezing windy and rainy stations for the next one. I had a brief stop in Liverpool but as I was carrying my big pack I didn't get to have much of a look around, what I did see in my short wanderings though was lots of construction work, it seemed that around every corner were noisy machines and pathways blocked of by workmen. I then headed to Port Sunlight on the other side of the Mersey River, this village was where my Great Grandmother worked back in the day. I found the old factory she worked at, it is still running now but it is huge and no-one could tell me where the perfumery was that she worked in. The village was absolutely gorgeous, and the people I spoke to were really friendly, in the factory reception I was even given a cup of coffee and plenty of advice about where to go in Ireland! Tricia I have plenty of photos for your collection, so you have a huge range to choose from. It was incredible walking around the village thinking that years ago my great grandmothe would have done the same. The train trip across to Wales was beautiful, much of the journey was directly alongside the coast, so out one window was a beautiful coastline and the other were the steep bright green hills with sharp and rugged cliff faces. Occasionally a castle would come into view, nestled into the hills, it was spectacular! The place I'm staying is an independent hostel, its very homely and I've met a group of young people from Liverpool who have been loads of fun the last few days. The town is called Caernarfon and the hostel is inside the old walled city built by Edward 1st of England I think in about the 1200's sometime. I literally walk out of the hostel and less than 100 m down the road through the stone arch and onto the promenade right along the coast! I'm going to try and fit in a cruise today because it would be great to see more of the coast. Yesterday I went to Snowdonia National Park on the Mountain Railway, an old steam train to about halfway up Mount Snowdon, the views were absloutely incredible, in every direction there were layers upon layers of mountains, on the way up we passed an old ruined chapel, a gorgeous lake, several waterfalls, wildflowers, stunning cliffs, beautiful valleys, I can only begin to imagine what the views are like from the top! It was a shame because of the strong winds they weren't going right to the summit. I've had a sleep in today so I don't know that I'll everything I want to do in but we'll see, I might just have to come again! Tomorrow morning I'm off to Stratford upon Avon to visit some of the old Shakespeare sights. Wow I've just looked out the window and the rain is now pouring down, maybe I just need to spend the day here in the warm dry library or the hostel!
I'll be at Emerson College for a week from Sunday so I'll probably do another update from there, hope everyone is well.
Lots of love, Clare