A Week In North Wales

My boyfriend is from North Wales so every year either for Christmas or just after we spend a week there with his family.

I've been a going to North Wales for nearly 3 years with my boyfriend now and it really is a beautiful place to spend a few relaxing days.  It's so quiet and peaceful compared to The Big Smoke.  The weather isn't great but if you can see past that (and wrap up warm!) it really has a lot to offer.

So here's how we spent our week:

Friday

We took the train from London Euston to Colwyn Bay which takes around 3hrs, much quicker than driving.  Although in hindsight I wished we'd taken the car because being there for a week with no car is quite annoying and you have to rely on everyone else for lifts as there's hardly any public transport there.

On arrival we went back to Tom's parents house for a late lunch and caught up with them and then we headed out in the evening to see some of Tom's friends that were also in town.  We went to a place called Hickorys Smokehouse.  I'd heard mixed reviews about this place but wanted to check it out for myself.  It was actually a really cool cocktail bar which we found to be super cheap compared to London prices.  They also played the football which my boyfriend was pretty happy about!

Saturday

After breakfast at home we took a stroll along the beach in Rhos on Sea.  It was so windy (as is always the case in Wales!) but really beautiful and peaceful.  I think this is the biggest difference I notice between North Wales and London is how peaceful it always is.  We then stopped at a super old pub for a hot chocolate to warm up.

Sunday

We went for a long dog walk in the mountains (it may have just been big hills but they're mountains to me okay).  We do a lot of dog walking when in Wales so I always make sure to dress accordingly now.  When I first went I just had Converse, a summer dress and probably a light jacket.  Now I own walking boots and wear gym clothes with the warmest coat I own!

And in the evening we went back to Hickorys!

Monday

I googled some of the places I hadn't visited in North Wales and a place called Bodnant Gardens came up.  I thought that sounded right up my street because I love pretty gardens with scenic backgrounds (makes for a good Instagram photo too!) so off we went and at the same time signed up for a National Trust membership as at only £10 a month for both of us it seemed like a good deal and there are loads in Kent not far from where we live.

Tuesday

We visited one of my favourite places in North Wales; Betws y Coed.  It is so so cute and pretty here, feels like you have travelled back in time.  We went to a cafe called Alpine Coffee which has such a lovely ethos as it donates a portion of the profits to saving the Orangutans.  They also have amazing food though with tonnes of vegan options; this time I went for a mushroom and cheese toastie.

We then we to Zipworld and took the forest coaster.  It was quite fun and actually goes pretty fast.  You get 3 gos for £20 although I think 2 is enough personally!

Wednesday

This was possibly my favourite day of the trip.  We visited Anglesey which I'd heard so many great things about.  We went for a walk along this beautiful beach and then had a late lunch at Catch 22 where I had a yummy vegan pasta dish.

Thursday

We decided to put our National Trust memberships to use and head back to Bodnant Gardens.  It's quite a big place so you can definitely visit a lot and explore somewhere new each time.  I'm excited to get more use out of our National Trust membership as the weather improves.

Have you visited North Wales or Wales at all for that matter?

Lauren xx

Follow me here @wonky_lauren