Gallivanting Geismom: Floral Beauty in Wales

I learned two things today of which I had previously been unaware.

Number 1: When a Welshman looks at you and says, "U K?" It translates into "How can I help you?" My first instinct at hearing the phrase is to say "yes", as I did last evening in response to the question when I walked into the restaurant, as I thought she had asked me if I was OK.

But when Marty walked into a National Trust Site today and was asked "U K?, his response was, "No, American." I'm kind of glad that I wasn't there at that moment to see the guide's reaction.

Number 2: the "i" button on iPhotos claims that it can identify a particular species of plant in a photo. The first one I chose was rhododendron, and it recognized it immediately. But, then again, so did I.

However, when I clicked on that same "i" for a species foreign to me, the results looked nothing like the photo, so obviously the result was not correct. So, unfortunately, I continue to be in the dark in respect to so many beautiful flowers and what they are called. But I don't need to know the name to enjoy its beauty!

First stop today was Bodnant Gardens and it certainly did not disappoint. One enters through a trellis of Laburnum.

We were told that in just a week or two, those hanging blossoms will open up and present a lush golden floral display to walk beneath.

I thought it looked pretty awesome as is. Moving along, one can't missed the various colors of rhododendrons on the grounds.

Azaleas abound as well.

Not to mention the countless other floral beauties on display.

The giant sequoia was planted in 1876.

I'm always astounded to see trees native to California planted in the United Kingdom.

One last splash of color before making our way out.

Wasn't it awesome?

We spent a few hours there, walking around, then made the drive to Penrhyn Castle and Gardens.

It might look like an authentic Norman Castle, but it is not. It is the former home of the Pennant family who became wealthy in the Slate industry. Wanting to show off his wealth, George Hay Dawkins Pennant commissioned the famous architect Thomas Hopper to design the house. He chose to decorate it in a neo-Norman design, and it certainly is obvious that he managed to achieve the desired effect. The "castle" was completed in 1840.

The entrance doors are huge!

as is the entrance hall immediately through. I kind of felt like I was in the Cathedral of Learning in Pittsburgh as much of the architecture looked vaguely familiar.

The windows were designed by Thomas Willement, in 1835, who was known as the Artist in Stained Glass to Queen Victoria.

Each of the rooms had a different, elaborate ceiling.

In one of the rooms stands this painting is of Queen Elizabeth of Romania, which was particularly special to the family. She had visited the estate in 1890, and the shovel leaning against the fireplace was one she used to plant a tree while on her visit.

This piece stood in the corner of the Ebony Room. I could not find any information pertaining to it, but found the detail to be quite delicate.

The house holds a chapel which featured some beautiful stained glass windows.

Thomas Hopper also designed this oak bed, making it the finest room in the house. Queen Victoria stayed here during a visit in 1859 and slept in this very bed.

The wallpaper is Chinese and was printed in 1830.

A small dressing room was off to the side, also featuring Chinese wall paper from the same time era.

The dining hall was impressive with a fully decorated long table.

The painting at the far end is of George Day Dawkins' family, He is featured in the future at the age of ten with his parents and siblings.

The photo really doesn't do it justice. I found the details to be quite endearing.

There were massive hallways everywhere, and I suppose that it wouldn't be too difficult to get lost. Here is one set of faux columns aside a staircase

and just two of the many interesting faces among the arches.

Considering the massive size of this "home", it's easy to understand why the family decided to gift it to the National Trust. It's enormity really isn't conducive to raising a family. The bank of Servants' bells near the kitchen was easily four times larger than any that I've seen elsewhere, so I can't begin to fathom just how many rooms are in this house.

Having finished the tour, we headed down to the tea room, of course, for our "cream tea" treat, then headed out to find the walled garden.

The gardens were not as grand as the house, but certainly beautifully designed.

A nice touch to add to the grounds.

At this point, we headed back to our B&B, then walked back into Conwy for dinner. Here is the view from our seat, through the etched glass window.