After checking out of the New Sea Lock Hotel in Cardiff, Karl cycled north to Pandy, then continued north for 170 miles until he crossed into England at Chester. There is very little correspondence from his time in Wales. You’ll recall, dear reader, that this leg of Karl's journey was to secure his passage from England back home to Canada. It was August 1901, and by this time, Karl had been on his adventure for 2 years and 3 months and had travelled 49,000 miles. I suspect he was quite keen to get home and start settling back into normal life.
I wasn’t in a rush when I travelled through Wales. While it's true that Karl's trip started in Cardiff and ended in Chester, instead of travelling from south to north like him, I opted for a clockwise journey, making stops in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Aberystwyth, Snowdonia, Portmeirion, Caernarfon, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch*, Conwy, and finally to Chester.
Wales is an absolute gem often overlooked by tourists who prefer to visit the Republic of Ireland or Scotland. I'd suggest, dear reader, that this is a common mistake and one I hope you consider rectifying by booking a trip to Wales. There’s so much to see in this country, and it is easy to get around. Here are some tips and facts to inspire you:
Wales boasts more castles per square mile than elsewhere in Europe, with over 600 castles waiting to be discovered.
Notable figures such as Roald Dahl, Tom Jones, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Sir Anthony Hopkins, and Christian Bale were all born in Wales.
St Davids is the smallest city in the United Kingdom and is home to a beautiful cathedral. At one time, two pilgrimages to St Davids were considered equal to one pilgrimage to Rome.
Wales features a continuous waymarked path along its 870-mile coastline, a unique offering worldwide.
The highest mountain in Wales is Snowdon, at 1,085 meters above sea level.
The sheep population in Wales is four times the number of people in the country.
Cardiff serves as both the largest city and the capital of Wales.
The country has a population of 3.125 million people.
There is an area in Wales known as Y Fro Gymraeg, or “Welsh-speaking region” where four-fifths of the population speaks Welsh.
The leek is a national symbol of Wales, often worn on St David’s Day. According to legend, Saint David advised Welsh soldiers to wear leeks on their helmets in a battle against the Saxons to distinguish friend from foe easily.
And there’s more, but let’s be honest, dear reader, for those who know me, Wales had me hooked on the fact about the number of sheep!
*Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch translates to: St. Mary's Church in the hollow of white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio near the red cave.
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