Ahoy, Wales!

This morning we took a ferry to Wales. I'm pretty sure it was my first real ferry ride--at least my first within memory. Our bus came with us. It took over three hours and was a great time to get some things done.

After arriving in Wales, we headed to Beaumaris, a small town on the Isle of Anglesey. There we went to a castle. It brought back memories of a Byzantine castle I once went to in the Golan Heights (Israel)--it was a jungle gym for college kids. This castle was also like our jungle gym. I really enjoyed exploring and climbing around. It was a beautiful castle and it offered a great view of some of the countryside!

Climbing the turret

The center green in the castle. I walked around these ramparts.

After the exploration, we checked into our hotel (which is super nice. I guess we get good group rates!) and then got to walk around a city. I spent most of my time in a beautiful catholic church. I think it’s wonderful that they can just leave the churches open all day and trust that no one steals their hymnbooks and such. It was a peaceful place.

Lastly we were fed at the hotel, a nice change from trying to finagle the cheapest option on my own. It was a delicious dinner! Then I went with some people out to the beach outside of our hotel. We played Frisbee and talked and then I became mesmerized with finding awesome seashells. I've been on a few beaches before, but never one like this one! There were so many cool rocks and shells. I even found some sea glass, pieces of glass that have been worn smooth by the ocean (they were a big thing in New England). I saw my first [dead] jellyfish and some crab shells, too. It was really fun. 

Here's my thought for the day (I only have one each day, so pay attention): Why do we find little things like seashells so beautiful? They are so insignificant, yet once I started looking at the rocks I was stepping on, I was hooked. I was amazed by the variety of patterns I saw and the many colors and shapes. And why are broken things so beautiful? I loved the small pieces of broken shells. Their new shape merely added to their interest. I suppose the broken shells give hope to us all.

This is real. This is behind my hotel. There are the prettiest gulls here!