Most Americans visit the British Isles than any other foreign destinations, and many go to see gardens. Few ever venture into Wales which is a pity because not only is it a beautiful country, with lovely gardens, it has 100 castles and mountains as dramatic as those elsewhere.
My mother was Welsh and I spent a lot of time with my grandparents who lived in Llanfairfechan in North Wales. I no longer speak Welsh which is an impossible language to master and some of the names of the villages are beyond most people.
Two Welsh gardens I would recommend are Powis Castle near Welshpool and Bodnant near Conway.
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They are world class and I think Bodnant is perhaps the most beautiful I have ever seen.
It is mostly a woodland garden at a high elevation with magnificent views toward the Snowdonia mountain range. It has a wonderful collection of azaleas and rhododendrons growing down the sides of a ravine with Welsh oaks and giant redwoods. Go in the Spring when the rhododendrons, daffodils and tulips are in bloom.
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I am going to give you what I consider a perfect itinerary for exploring Wales. Start off in the old Roman town of Chester, best shopping outside of London, then cross the border to drive along the coast. Stay at the Grosvenor Hotel in Chester, great location and a wonderful restaurant. Visit Conway, Caernarvon, two wonderful castles, take the little narrow gaurge railway from Portmeirion to Blaneau Ffestiniog up to the top of Mount Snowdonia, then wind your way down
the center of Wales, all 200 miles of it. The people in the north all speak Gaelic, an impossible language to learn, whereas in the south you don't find Welsh spoken as much.
No visit to Wales would be complete without an overnight stay in the unique coastal resort village of Portmerion. A cluster of fantasy buildings designed by the eminent British architect Sir Clough Williams Ellis who took inspiration from Italian coastal resorts. It's gardens are a collection of Australian tree ferns, giant echiums from the Canary Islands and New Zealand dragon palms which all do well in the Gulf Stream which passes off shore
Be prepared for very narrow roads with high hedges, some areas will be just one lane, so only rent a small compact car.
Welcome to Wales.
Maureen Jones
Travel consultant
650-961-2340