Driving through Wales proved to be more difficult than we anticipated. We had been cautioned about exasperating road conditions, and the warnings turned out to be accurate. Once we were off the motorway all we saw were narrow, winding lanes, with stone walls built up on either side, making it almost impossible to pass other cars. I'm fairly certain oncoming drivers weren't too impressed about seeing our van lumbering down the street either. Much of the journey involved reversing, pulling over or attempting to squeeze past at a snail's pace and praying that we didn't graze another vehicle. The drive took an eternity.

 

When we finally arrived at Snowdonia National Park we found it was well worth the effort. Snow capped the mountains loomed above us (apparently the snow only arrived yesterday), while the lower elevations were green and lush. We stopped in the tiny town of Betws-y-Coed (don't ask me to pronounce it) and unbelievably there was a caravan park that was open. After setting up the van, Danny marched off to the local pub. He returned sometime later with a bottle of red wine. I'm not sure how that worked, but it paired perfectly with our mushroom, pea and truffle risotto.

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It hailed so loudly overnight that neither of us achieved much sleep. In contrast, though, it didn't rain at all for the rest of the day, which was perfect for exploring the National Park. On the way we undertook a quick walk around town, which revealed nothing of interest other than lovely old, stone buildings with grey slate roofs. The National Park, however, was breathtaking. Although we didn't see any snow up close (disappointing), our day was filled with loud, gushing waterfalls, a picturesque gorge, and two medieval castles (well the remains of two medieval castles). We didn't enter either because there didn't seem to be much to see, but the exteriors were quite impressive.