"You fell out of the tall tower, you creep!"

Conwy, Wales (sabbatical 2, week 2)

Liverpool is very close to the Welsh border, so Craig took the opportunity to test his navigation skills (navigating public transit, that is) and took a jaunt along the Welsh coast as far as Conwy.  Although less famous than Caernarfon, the castle at Conwy was built as sturdily and was actually finished.  In fact, King Edward I fortified the entire town, and you can still walk most of the perimeter of the town on the medieval walls.

Panaorama view from the top of the highest tower

On the walls

The Welsh did manage to take over the castle for a short time at one point, by posing as delivery men during a banquet.  You really can't make this stuff up!  The short-lived occupation in 1201 ended with a negotiated return to the English in exchange for a few scapegoats who were hanged.

There are numerous towers you can climb up and down, offering stunning views and vertigo.  The latter is (for me, at least) caused by the steep spiral staircases and the lack of guard rails around the highest tower tops (and the walls are short!). 

The town itself is mostly modern except the castle, walls, and parish church, which was originally part of a convent that Edward shipped out when he took over.  Overall, I think they have done a very impressive job on repairing and maintaining the fortifications, and Craig had great fun climbing up and down the towers for the different views of the town, the River Conwy, and the Welsh countryside.