Wales October 8, 2026

Yesterday we took the ferry from Ireland to Wales, drove through northern Wales, where the Welsh language is still quite common, and then back into England to Liverpool. 

This morning we left Liverpool, driving back and forth between England and Wales for two hours. Eventually, we were in Wales for the rest of the day.

There are 3 million people in Wales and 9 million sheep. We saw a lot of sheep! Tom Jones and Bonnie Tyler are from Wales.

Lots of beautiful scenery. 

We stopped in Builth Wells for lunch. Buffalo Bill Cody brought his show to Wales in 1904, and did a show here. These giant Redwood trees were planted in his honor at that time and are still standing.

We found a local bakery, and I tried a lemon tart. It was good, but very sweet.

More scenery in Brecon Beacons National Park.

Wales had many coal mining communities for hundreds of years. In the 1980s, the government shut down almost all of the mines, as it wasn't profitable anymore. However, they didn't have an exit strategy for all those people losing jobs, so it created a lot of hardship for many. 

We are spending the night in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. 

Cardiff has a castle that is about 900 years old. I have a hard time getting my mind around the age of things here, and what life must have been like. I can say with 100 percent certainty that I don't want to live in a castle. 

Part of the wall surrounding the entire property in the middle of the city 

This building had the coolest dragon statue on top.

Dragon statue on left and city hall clock tower in middle referred to as Baby Big Ben

Aneurin Bevan, a Welsh politician, was the founder of the National Healthcare system in 1948, which is still being used in the UK today. 

In the evening, we went to a pub originally built as a home in 1380 for dinner and entertainment. We had leg of lamb, which was delicious. 

The pub with a thatched roof

Our entertainment was by Amanda Whiting, the top harp player in Wales. The harp is the national instrument of Wales, and she performs worldwide. We were so lucky she chose to play for us. It was beautiful from classics to modern pop music. Her harp cost 35,000 pounds or over $46,000 US dollars. 

Our route through Wales today.