Kenilworth Castle

Wonderstruck by Warwickshire

It's not often that a travel post appears on my blog at this time of the year. As you've probably realized, I am an incredibly busy person. And although I love to pursue my passions, they're sometimes put on hold as a result of an increasing workload (aka. the life of a uni student). Well, that part of my life is over, now it's time to begin a new and even busier chapter. Despite not being able to guarantee that I'll still be able to blog consistently to infinity and beyond, I promise I'll try to squeeze blogging into my weekly schedule somehow...

The lone chair in Abbey Fields

Birds in the sky

The Claredon Arms

Hence why I'm here to tell you all today about my recent visit to Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire.

Time for Tea tea rooms

Before entering

With any castle hunting trip, it's always important to begin with a healthy and filling meal (be it breakfast, lunch or dinner). Upon reaching the castle's vicinity, I made a quick stop at a lovely little local tearoom. Being only seconds away from the historical site, it made perfect sense to grab a bite at Time for Tea.

Quirky add-ons in Time for Tea

And, as the photo shows, I clearly had an absolutely delicious meal (plus good service that came with a smile). Feeling utterly satisfied all over, I hopped over to the castle with bursting excitement.

Delicious Salmon and Dill fishcakes

Kenilworth Castle

Arriving at Kenilworth Castle

I'm usually quite good at determining how much time I'll need to explore any historical monument (especially castles). However, Kenilworth Castle completely surpassed my expectations in the best way ever. From its magnificent Elizabethan Garden to the stunning Leicester Gatehouse (both inside and out), my visit lasted for a total of 3 hours (totally well spent). 

I'm a huge fan of history and exercise, and Kenilworth Castle managed to cater for both of these preferences.

Leicester's Gatehouse

The marble fountain, Elizabethan Garden

Stables Tearoom (serves the BEST cherry shortbread)

Aside from admiring the incredible views from all of the castle towers, I had a fantastic time chatting to other history and nature enthusiasts. It's always great to see others wanting to understand more about life outside one's bedroom window.

So, a quick message for all those that say that there's never enough time in a day to do everything. Time hasn't changed, it's the activities we choose to commit to that have. Choose and plan wisely and the sweeter aspects of life can definitely be experienced.

A panoramic view of Kenilworth Castle and Warwickshire's countryside

Hence why even a busy schedule won't stop me from travel blogging ;)

Conwy, North Wales

A change of weather and location

Shipwreck! #onthewaytoConwy

Ever wanted to run away from your problems even if it was just for a single measly day? I have. It helps to clear my mind if I enter a new atmosphere, and I always manage to go back with a solution to my problem. The aggravating feeling of incapable of determining the precise answer was exactly how I felt on a gloomy, rainy Sunday several weeks back. I don’t usually mind wet days but it gets a bit intimidating if it occurs in a cyclical pattern; the weather inevitably left me pondering about what I could do instead of what I had plan to carry out initially. Rather than whining about the storm in my lonely flat, I decided to search online for a sunnier spot elsewhere in the UK.

A breathtaking sight of the sea & sky

Conwy bound!

Conwy Castle!

Hmm…Conwy in Northern Wales looks promising, I thought. Why not go for that?

The mussels sculpture

Pirates!

Commencing the voyage

The difficulty in beginning an unplanned trip comes mainly in the form of timing. It’s good to think on the spur of the moment, but it does become troublesome when one has little time to prepare for the train (20 minutes precisely). Fortunately, adrenaline had started to flow, and I managed to take the earliest carriage to Conwy AND have my breakfast (in record time indeed). My camera immediately sprung to action to capture the incredible scenery which I passed when I was transported across multiple bridges and tunnels.

Popular place for fish and chips at Conwy

I wasn’t the only one that was headed towards this little coastal town. The reason for this became crystal clear immediately after I stepped onto the tiny, two track platform. I gaped in blissful surprise at the stunning combination of medieval and seaside-inspired buildings, with a touch of religious icons. It was undoubtedly a truly aesthetically pleasing sight.

Conwy station

The little train station.

First glimpse of Conwy Castle!

Oh and there were plenty of birds, especially seagulls and pigeons (see below for evidence)

Peek-a-boo, the pigeon sees you!

(Sea)Gull guards on the watch

One word: YOLO

Pathway towards fun and fascination

The popular motto, “you only live once”, is a perfect way of describing how I exactly I ended spending my day at Conwy. Although I only had 6.5 hours there, I daresay I truly made the most of it by going to all its finest attractions! From the Castle’s walls to its mighty towers, the first bit of my day involved roaming the interiors and exteriors of this magnificent medieval fortification. Although the steps were step and plentiful, I highly recommend exploring the majority, if not all, of the towers at Conwy Castle. The views you get from the top are unbelievably outstanding, especially if you go there on an incredibly sunny day like I did.

Little red flag

Complete awestruck, that's how I felt

The couple says hello from up here!

He was feeling really bored...

Thereafter it was a quick lunch and compulsory ice-cream break. I tried a plate of Welsh Rarebit (or "rabbit") and thought it was alright – mustard has never been one of my favorite condiments but it seemed to go alright in this dish! Oh, and if you do fancy a creamy sweet treat, you HAVE to go to Parisella D & Sons (they literally had the best blue, bubblegum ice cream I’ve had in a very longtime).

Capturing perfection in a cone

Welsh Rarebit for lunch

Three little fish

I then skipped merrily over to explore Plas Mawr, a grand Elizabethan Townhouse. I’d totally recommend saving this for the middle part of your day-out in Conwy, rather than last. Why? Simply because looks (or in this case, the building!) can be deceiving. There was a lot more to see than I expected when I first glanced at its front door. I thoroughly enjoyed the guide’s explanation on the daily routines of past lives at Plas Mawr (definitely a huge contrast to how people choose to spend their leisure and entertainment time nowadays!). 

Arriving at Plas Mawr

Playtime at Plas Mawr - how it was in the past

Past-time trinkets at Plas Mawr

Another historical house I visited was Aberconwy House, a 14^th century merchant house and official National Trust property. I enjoyed my time there but have to admit that Plas Mawr definitely shone brighter and satisfied me more than this particular building.

Found the hidden signature at Aberconwy House!

If you manage to find the time to do so, then I would highly recommend taking a boat cruise. Its running times are quite frequent, and you get a chance to admire the splendid seaside and castle views (as well as capturing them in film and photo of course!). 

Boarding the cruise!

My new boat cruise pal Poochie the doggie

Three bridges, Three transport methods (L-R: Car, foot, train)

Spectacularly sunny weather for a day out at sea

Conwy Castle from our cruise

Perfect name for a boat

After arriving back on shore, you can stroll down the beach towards the little red house, aka. the “smallest house in Great Britain”, for a quick nosey. Note: there are two tiny floors to admire.

I was taller than its door

Living room on the first floor

The bedroom - second floor

Of course no trip is complete without a couple of souvenirs – the Welsh dragon plush toy and Welsh cakes were perfect mementos to remind me of my incredibly fun and educational day-out in Conwy.

But if the above are not of your liking, there are PLENTY more quirky shops to purchase items from (trust me, I had a REALLY good look at each of them)

Sheep!

There was no doubt that I came back to my lonely little apartment feeling with elevated spirits and a look of true satisfaction. What started out as a gray and rainy day eventually turned into a golden day of sunshine with a little bit of flexibility and travelling.

Don't forget to signal for the train