Married Life

Now that we're honeymooning in North Wales, we thought it time to blog about the last few days.
We were married in a perfect ceremony on the 15th of July, followed by a perfect (and VERY fun) reception with our friends and family.
The next afternoon, Sunday, we headed to the airport and discovered our first flight, to Newark, was cancelled. No problem - we were re-routed through Cleveland and would have a 1 hour layover instead of two in Newark. Of course, that didn't work out -- our flight from Cleveland was delayed an hour and we had 2 minutes to make our international flight in Newark! They actually re-opened the cabin and held the plane for our luggage! The woman next to us was not pleased....
We arrived in Manchester, England, on Monday the 17th and travelled by train to Bangor and then by cab to our hotel in Caernarfon (single "f" in Welsh in pronounced like an English "v," just so you know). Pictures of this day of our journey can be seen here. Our hotel was a gorgeous place with a spa area and everything. We didn't take advantage of that. We slept all afternoon! Then we took showers (after calling the front desk to figure out how to operate the shower...) and went down for dinner. Welsh food must be nothing like English food, as it is anything but bland like we Americans have heard of British Cuisine. Our first meal in Wales was incredibly rich with fresh local meats and flavorful sauces. Our waitress was also a ninja, we're pretty sure. She was incredibly stealthy. When we sat down we had an entire place setting (I mean about 4 forks and spoons, three knives, and two glasses, all arranged fancily). As we ordered, she would rearrange our silverware, take some away, etc. At one point I looked down and we had a salad....."where did that come from?" After dinner we explored the town. Caernarfon Castle was closed until morning, and town was rather quiet, but we walked around and made plans for the next day.
The next morning we got up (late), ate breakfast (bacon here is amazing....), checked out of the hotel, and headed off to the castle. Matt was in HOG HEAVEN. Brea did alright, eventually opting to sit in the shade and use her 30lb pack as a pillow :-) We did explore together for about two hours though -- packs and all! The Welsh have both a strong pride for their heritage -- including the castles in Wales (though built by the English) -- and a healthy sense of humor. We took a wonderful organized tour in which Brea made her first discovery of Welsh consonants. Apparently a double "d" makes a "th" sound as in "the." Hence, the region we are in, Gwynedd, should be pronounced "gwyneth." After looking around the castle we had lunch at a "bar and grill" in town that looked like a very neat and nice cafe, not a bar or grill!
After lunch we went to rent our bikes and met the owner of Beics Menai, Alan. Alan is a typical Welshman whose age we were unable to place. He's got the physique of a 40 to 50-year-old but is probably older -- he obviously rides his bike a LOT. Alan gave us a brief lesson in Welsh history, culture, and language. Brea was taught to say "slate" in Welsh. The word is spelled llechi, but the prononciation of "ll" and "ch" are consonants that do not exist in English. They're a bit like Scottish with spitting...
So, after learning a bit of Welsh and being shown on a map where we were heading, off we went to Beaumaris! The 2.5 hour bike ride was not as bad as Brea thought it would be...though it was full of adventure :-) First off, we turned off onto a steep downward slope -- not so bad except it was the wrong way and we had to get UP the slope... Then there was a .5 mile hill that we actually had to get up...Brea gave up and walked. It was rough! Just before the bridge over Menai Strait, Brea got a cramp in her calf, threw herself off the bike and had to have help from Matt getting her foot straightened out from the cramp. Yikes! Once again we got on our way and crossed the strait onto the Isle of Anglesey. Along the bridge we realize the fall from the bike had actually damaged part of it. We thought we fixed it...but we somehow had made it worse...so Matt rode the rest of the way with part of Brea's bike strapped to his pack. teehee. Husbands are awesome :-)
Once on the island, the ride to Beaumaris was easy, refreshing, and GORGEOUS. Beaumaris itself is, as Matt says, "more resort-y" than Caernarfon. It is cleaner and feels more like an oceanside city. Our hotel, as in Caernarfon, is quite nice. And, once again, the restuarant is all white linen and many many units of silverware per place setting :-)
We're off in search of a massage (for Brea) and a castle (much easier to find) for the both of us. So far, married 4 days and loving it :-) A massage sure would be nice, though....