Were you stuck with eggs as you are vegetarian? Otherwise (well, even if you are veggie) you can ring the changes at most places if you don't want the full English brekkie. Most places will make you something else using the ingredients from the full English, so beans on toast, mushrooms on toast, bacon sandwich, sausage sandwich, etc. You just need to ask.

For nona1:
I was sick of eggs because they were really my only "substantial" breakfast alternative. I am on an ultra low-fat diet (for health reasons - I love "fat" as much as anyone). I literally CAN'T eat bacon, sausages, pretty much anything fried period. This includes veggie sausages etc (most of which have just as much (and in some cases) more fat than meat ones. One place did make beans on toast for me - which was a nice change but I found it a bit heavy and one hostess grilled some tomatoes in the oven for me. I was able to get low-fat yogurt everywhere - which was nice. I was a little disappointed only because on a previous trip more B&Bs seemed to offer more varied alternatives.

TRIP REPORT - Part 8 - DAY 7

Still staying in Criccieth.

Today was "The Prisoner" day. We are both avid fans of the old "Prisoner" series - so a backtrack trip to Portmeirion was absolutely essential.

We arrived just as it was opening for the day - so our first walk around with virtually no-one else there was really enchanting. After checking out EVERY detail in the "village" we did a pleasant walk through the wooded area - very nice - since the rhododendrons were still in bloom. We returned to the village - saw the audio-visual presentation - worth it! Then we had a coffee at one of the cafe's and I had my husband pose at various Patrick McGouhan (sp I think) locations.

Basically we spent most of the day at Portmerion and then drove back to Criccieth where my husband did a walk on the beautiful beach. We just grabbed a quick, light dinner in a decent cafe in Porthamadog.

TRIP REPORT PART 9 DAY 8

Today was "castle" day. We drove to Caernarvon and then to Beamaris to see the castles.

Caernavon was suitably impressive and one of the more "intact" castles but honestly I LIKE it but I LOVE Beaumaris. My husband described Caernarvon as a "corporate" castle - big and a bit stodgy - while Beamaris is somehow "charming" and dreamlike. Both are seriously worth a visit.

We had dinner at a little cafe just across the street from the castle in Beaumaris

TRIP REPORT DAY - PART 10 - DAY 9

Time to leave Criccieth but not before actually seeing the castle there. We checked out of Min-Y-Gaer and then parked near the castle. As soon as it opened we saw the cute audio-visual presentation (especially nice for kids I thought) and marched up the hill to see the castle. Pretty much ruined but after seeing some of Edward I castles (Harlech, Caernarvon and Beamaris) - it was interesting to see a castle that at least began as a Welsh constructed castle. The views were VERY good.

Afterwards we were off to Betws-Y-Coed. One stop along the way - another castle of course - Dolwyddelan. Rather interestingly situated in the middle of somebodies farm - you actually go to the farmhouse to pay your admission and then you CLIMB AND CLIMB up the farm track, then the sheep track until you are at the top of a VERY steep hill and then you climb up several stair cases until you are at the top of the castle. And believe me at this point you seem very high up (you can look down at the dinky toy in the parking lot (your car)and the ants - any people down there. Our only companions at the castle were a slightly aggressive male sheep (we named him RAM-Beau and his two wives (we named them Gladys and Gwenllian). The views were glorious and worth the climb and sheep poop dodging. Just as we were ready to leave - s school group arrived and RAM-Beau and the girls beat a hasty retreat. Apparently screaming kids are seriously threatening while two middle-agers gasping for breathe are only mildly annoying.

We continued into Betws-Y-Coed.
We parked and stopped at the friendly tourist office who suggested some walks and mentioned some B&Bs that had vacancies. We called one - Cwmanog Isaf Farm - outside of town near the Fairy Glen (to be explained later).

Once again we found ourselves in an outbuilding and it worked out very well - essentially it was our own private cottage with a sitting area, bedroom, our own porch, our own bird feeder and our own sheep (who slept 5 feet from our door).
We became quite fond of "our" sheep. They were some sort of rare breed (brown fleece and dark faces - kind of attractive). Every night we joked that we could go to bed because the sheep were on guard. They slept just on the other side of the fence. We also had a cock pheasant of some sort who entertained us (but apparently mostly bored his girlfriend - the hen) with his "do you think I'm sexy" display every morning. We had breakfast at our own private table in the conservatory while watching him. Speaking of breakfast, I treated myself to a yummy breakfast while at this B&B - I had a scrambled egg with smoked salmon - really yummy especially the salmon (which I am allowed - Omega-3 and all that). The scrambled egg was a bit of a no-no but I asked her to just add water and use as little oil as possible to cook it.

Both nights in Betws-Y- Coed, we ate at a Pub in town - reasonable decent food, generous portions. Can't remember the name but it is near the big camping/hiking gear store.

TRIP REPORT PART 11 Day 10

We drove to Bodnant gardens - just north of Conwy.

If you love gardens and I do, you will think you have died and gone to heaven - just magical. The rhododendrons were in bloom and colour was everywhere. The Labernum arch wasn't quite in bloom yet but still wonderfully impressive. The grounds are huge and lovely for wandering about and the photo ops were endless. However under no circumstance, should one buy a coffee at the cafe - really, really vile. We took one sip and abandoned our cups. After Bodnant we drove back to our B&B and decided that a nice short walk was in order. we decided that we should do "The Fairy Glen" since the beginning of the trail was literally at the foot of the driveway. It is a very pretty river walk down into a valley full of giant tumbled rocks and rock formations. It is a bit steepish when descending to the valley floor but a mother and daughter with a small baby managed the steep uneven steps - so I think most people who are careful can do this. It is not a long walk at all. After the Fairy Glen, we wandered along the river and sat on the river bank and read our books while watching some kids and dogs play until it began to get dark. A very relaxing end to the day.

U.K. TRIP REPORT PART 12 - DAY 11

The day we say goodbye to Wales.

Right after breakfast we set out for a leisurely drive (with stops) back to Shropshire.

First Stop - Valle Crucis Abbey near Llangollen
This is a scenically located ruined abbey basically in the foothills of the Llantysilio mountains (an under-visted area in Northern Wales). I would love to come back here someday. The friendly shop clerk/ticket seller gave us some info and mentioned the best bits. The audio tour (included in the admission) was quite good. This was nice peaceful stop only about 10 minutes our of our way.

Second Stop - Erddig - south of Wrexham
What can I say - I loved this place not because it is architectually impressive but the house contents!!! It is a manor house where the family for years and years never threw anything out!
Wonderful junk and some truely amazing, unique things. My husband loved the collection of bicycles. I was enchanted by the portraits and poems dedicated to the servants.
Apparently the family had an unusually respectful relationship with their servants and it shows.
The house itself (except for some wonderfully restored rooms) is not especially beautiful on the exterior but the work that had to be undertaken to restore it - is VERY impressive. It was literally falling apart when the National Trust took it over. The grounds are quite pretty. We easily passed a few hours there.

Then we continued on to Shropshire - finally arriving at Church Stretton (south of Shrewsbury) at about 4PM. We got some names from the Tourist Office of places that had vacancies and ended up at Sayang House just outside of Church Stretton in the little village of Hope Bowdler. We were the only guests. This B&B was VERY nice and reasonably priced 60 pounds per night for the two of us. Our room was large and the beds were the BEST - very comfy. Our hosts were friendly and helpful. They recommended that we dine at a pub in Leebotwood - called The Pound. It is on the A49 in Leebotwood. We ended up dining there twice because after our first meal (not cheap but quite good) we received a voucher for a 3 course dinner for 10 pounds (a VERY good deal). The 3 course dinner (which we had on our 3rd night in this area) was chosen from a somewhat limited menu (but the choices were good) and we were very happy with it.

U.K. TRIP REPORT Part 13 - Day 12

After a good breakfast of toast, really nice local honey, yogurt, LOTS of fresh fruit and cereal, we decided that a walk was a good idea.
We decided on the Carding Mill Valley near Church Stretton.
First we walked up to the reservoir - a short pretty easy walk. And then we wanted more - so we did the Waterfall Walk - very good with great views back toward Church Stretton but a little challenging. One had to scramble over rocks in a few places and it was definitely an uphill walk. I thought it was not too strenuous and as long as one can scramble over small rocky bits I think most people could do it.
Sharing the paths with us were several groups of school children ranging from 8-10 year olds to teens. They were mostly reasonably behaved and a source of amusement for us and occasional frustration for their teachers. "Now Roddy - HOW MANY TIMES did I tell you NOT TO RUN on the path!!"(the littler ones) "Can whoever borrowed my pen to fill out their worksheet, PLEASE GIVE IT BACK NOW!" (repeated at least 5 times)(the teens)

After our walks, we still had some energy - so we decided to drive south to Craven Arms and see Stokesay Castle (actually a fortified manor house). We loved it - the audio tour was exceptionally good and the architectural features quite lovely. I liked the Jacobean Gatehouse and the Solar room in the manor house especially.

Instead of dinner we had a late lunch at "Berry's" a teahouse/coffeeshop just off the main square in Church Stretton. I would highly recommend it. Delicious scones and very good sandwiches.

U.K. TRIP REPORT PART 14 - Day 13

Our last full day in Shropshire
We decided that a leisurely day in Ludlow would be nice - so we drove south ot Ludlow and basically wandered around.

First we did a pleasant walk around the castle and across the river and along the river bank with lots of nice views back at the castle and town. We saw monster swans (biggest swans I have ever seen!) on the river with their young. They seemed to be good parents since their brood was large and healthy looking.

Then we walked back through the town gate into town and walked around admiring the half-timbered buildings and streetscape in general. We took in St Laurence Church which had some especially nice early stained glass windows - oldest was 14th century.

Then we wandered the market and bought a couple of cheap paper backs. Markets seem to be a great source of cheap reading material - some of it not bad at all - decent mysteries etc.

Then we stopped at De Gray's Tea House for a cappucino and a scone - very good and reasonable - recommended.

We leisurely drove back to our B&B and relaxed in the pretty garden.

That night was the night we used our previously mentioned voucher at The Pound.

U.K. TRIP REPORT Part 15 - DAY 14

Getting back to Wilmslow:
Well DAY 15 is the day we returned home but to be on the safe side we plan to spend the night in Wilmslow
at the pre-booked Heatherlea Guesthouse.

We decide to start our after breakfast for a leisurely amble back in the direction of Manchester.

First Stop:
Wenlock Priory - a ruined priory in Much Wenlock (not far from Ironbridge). The audio guide is pretty good since it details various problems the priory had to go through before it was finally done in by Henry VIII (Dissolution of the Monastaries etc). The priory is quite ruined but still merits some photos and the weird animal topiaries are fun. - A nice break

Second Stop:
Briefly - Ironbidge - to see the Museum of the Gorge - worth the stop.

Third Stop:
Attingham Park - a manor house near Shrewsbury. It had started to rain again (but we did not care our trip was nearly over) - so we decided to skip the grounds. The house was under restoration and except for the beautifully re-created dining room - not all that interesting. (We were pretty much jaded at that point by some of the REALLY fascinating properties we had seen. In my mind it was OK for a stop if you weren't going out of your way.

Eventually (after being caught up in traffic on the M6) we made it to Wilmslow at about 5PM.

As previously stated we were pre-booked at the Heatherlea Guesthouse. We were put in their new property next door.

This is probably the only B&B I have slightly mixed feelings about for a couple of reasons:
1. the problems around what was supposed to be our First night initial stay (which I confess may have affected my judgements about the place - you can be the judge)
2. We were put in the new property which had advantages and disadvantages

Advantages and Disadvantages:
Advantages:
Everything was quite new and fresh and clean
It was quiet
It was extremely reasonably priced - 55 pounds per night for the two of us.
Flexible Breakfast times. They will do an Uncooked self serve breakfast for early departures.

Disadvantages:
The room was VERY small - the smallest room we had the whole trip
The bathroom was quite tiny but very up-to-date
The room still smelled somewhat of fresh paint - we worked around that by opening the windows quite wide.
I have no idea if their was a guest lounge in the main house - we were not shown one.
Although this was the ONLY B&B that I could inform in advance(and did twice by email) of my dietary issues, it was the ONLY one that made NO allowances whatsoever for my diet. No skimmed milk was offered. To be fair this was not a major problem - since some of the yogurts laid out for guests were low-fat and both margarine and butter were provided. Also to be fair I got the impression that they were very busy with renovations on their new property and I suspect that was probably distracting them a bit.
Bottom line: as for all the other B&Bs I would not hesitate to spend a few days at any of them again and I recommend them all. Heatherlea I am only comfortable recommending as a clean, reasonably priced B&B to spend one night before or after a flight.


U.K. TRIP REPORT PART 16 - Day 15

We depart:
Got up promptly and ate breakfast. We wanted an earlyish start - since our car had to be returned by 10AM.

We received good directions on a gas station location where we could fill up.

Back to airport hell - not surprisingly we spun about the main roundabout a few times before determining the correct exit to get on the ramp to get into the parking garage but all was well in the end.
We got the car returned and Hertz was courteous and sprung absolutely no surprises on us.

We wandered the airport and read our books for a few hours. We boarded the plane on time BUT there was a problem with the flaps and we had to sit on the runway for nearly an hour until that got resolved - oh well. The rest of the flight was uneventful. Luckily the plane had empty seats - so we both stretched out and were reasonably comfortable.

I will post one more part with some info, comments etc

Hopefull THE FINAL PART of my U.K. TRIP REPORT:

First the ratings of sights etc - NOTE: based solely on OUR preferences and opinions - you might not agree:

NUMBER ONE HIGHLIGHT of the Trip:
The Precipice Walk near Dolgellau in Wales - absolutely exhilerating (sp?) ! Of course this was also our favorite walk

Favorite Buidling:
For me - Little Moreton Hall
For my husband - a tie between Little Moreton Hall and Stokesay Castle.

Favorite Castle:
For Both: - Beautiful Beamaris

Favorite Museum:
For me: Tile Museum in Ironbridge
For my husband: Museum of Iron in Ironbridge. Also for my husband the Ironbridge highlight was the Iron Making demo at Blists Hill Victorian Town in Ironbridge

Which sites would I especially recommend (beside the above):

Pretty much all the Ironbridge Museums
All the castles mentioned
All the walks
Erddig
Bodnant gardens
Ludlow

What I would skip unless you happen to be passing by and have nothing better to do:
Wroxeter
Attingham Park
Wenlock Priory - although the audio guide was good - I preferred Valle Crucis Abbey near Llangollen

Favorite B&B - really hard to pick one favorite - so I will mention what I liked about each one

Sayang House - quiet, private, VERY congenial and friendly hosts,
EXCELLENT fresh fruit selection and delicious homemade bread,
Big room and bathroom
www.sayanghouse.com

Dolgun Uchaf - quiet, most private,
best poached eggs, helpful hostess
www.guesthousessnowdonia.com

Cwmanog Isaf Farm B&B - best sheep and animal entertainment, lovely location, yummy scrambled eggs, lots of privacy
www.cwmanogisaffarmholidays.co.uk

Min-Y-Gaer Hotel - BEST view, largest room, internet access, very accommodating and friendly hosts
www.minygaer.co.uk

Bridge House - Best "extras", friendly hostess, REALLY good fresh fruit selection
www.smoothhound.co.uk/hotels/bridgehs.html

Heatherlea Guesthouse - Cheapest B&B, clean, conveniently located for Manchester airport
01625 522872

website for Heatherlea Guesthouse:
www.heatherleaguesthouse.com

Loved your report! My DH and I have never been to Wales, so reading your tantalizing review has really whetted my appetite. Could you enlighten us on what some of the food basics cost you? For instance, what did you pay on average for a cup of coffee and scones, or lunch in a pub? A glass of beer or wine? I haven't been to England except to London for quite a while and am curious about food prices in the more rural areas. Thanks!

ARRRGH - not done Yet! Nearly forgot TRAVEL TIPS:

1. DO YOUR RESEARCH - on the internet and get books from the library - look for stuff that interests YOU!
2. Don't feel that you should concentrate on the well-known or "must sees". Little Moreton Hall is not well-known but I LOVED it.
3. If the weather is good - WALK - there are really some lovely walks in the U.K. I had a researched some areas of interest on the internet and the local touris offices will be glad to give you info.
4. If you think that you will be seeing a lot of castles and greathouses etc - consider getting one of the various passes.
We each had the 15 day "British Heritage Pass" (which includes sites in ENGLAND, WALES, SCOTLAND and NORTHERN IRELAND. For us it was well worth it and we saved money. All our admissions were covered (including ALL the museums at Ironbridge). Note however that parking is not covered at EVERY site (at most places it is). The only extra "admission" we payed for was a small donation at St Laurence Church in Ludlow. (As far as I know there is no pass that coers churches and cathedrals.)
Be aware that the ENGLISH Heritage Pass ONLY covers properties in ENGLAND - so if you are going to Scotland or Wales as well, you need the BRITISH Heritage Pass.
5. More than one pair of comfortable walking shoes is a must!
6. If you are driving reasonablely good maps or map book are a must - we add the giant AA Map book and it was pretty good.
7. One person must navigate, while the other concentrates solely on driving.
8. To get to obscure places a car is necessary. It is not necessary on all trips but it does give you a lot of flexibility - especially in selecting accommodation - we loved the rural places we were able to stay at with the car.
9. Plan for the worst (ALWAYS bring some sort of rain gear) and hope for the best. Remember if you really need something, you can always buy (I bought a pair of shorts.)
10. "Most" (but not all) razor plugs will accommodate a battery charger for a digital camera battery - I only need my plug
adaptor ONCE.
11. IF you eat a big breakfast, a snack (cereal bar, cookie, apple or other fruit) will suffice for lunch. We basically ate two 'meals' (breakfast and dinner) and 1 snack per day and never felt starved.
12 Rural B&Bs are generally cheaper than ones in town and quieter (not always true)
13. Sheep REALLY REALLY poop A LOT. Watch where you are walking in rural areas.
14. Enjoy yourself - it is not the "job" of vacation!

Loved your report. One of the best Wales reports we've had on Fodors - ever.

Oh - to be clear - the pass is called the "Great British Heritage Pass".

"Loved your report! My DH and I have never been to Wales, so reading your tantalizing review has really whetted my appetite. Could you enlighten us on what some of the food basics cost you? For instance, what did you pay on average for a cup of coffee and scones, or lunch in a pub? A glass of beer or wine? I haven't been to England except to London for quite a while and am curious about food prices in the more rural areas. Thanks!"

For Dabodin:

Food costs:
By NA standards a bit pricey but we kind of liked our snacks high-end -I.E. we became capuccino and scone addicts for our mid-afternoon snack
and we looked for "nice" coffee shops and tea rooms
Capuccino - cheapest 1.50 pounds, most expensive - 2.50 pounds
Scone - cheapest 1 pound; most expense - 1.75 pounds (including jam or preserves and butter for those (like my husband) allowed to eat the stuff.
Our Capuccino and scone fix worked out to about 5-6 pounds a day (about 3 pounds each)

Sandwiches varied depending on where you bought them. At a plain cafe - quite reasonble - about 2 or 3 pounds. At a nicer place up to 4 or 5 pounds. Soup was oddly pretty pricey (but uniformly very good). I think the cheapest I saw for was 3.95 pounds (including some good homemade bread).

Lunch in a Pub:
We mostly are dinners rather than lunches but sometimes we were able to get the lunch menu and it was substantially cheaper. You can get a decent lunch (except for the fancier "gastro" pubs) for about 5 pounds.

The "cheapest" lunches we saw were in simple cafes but selections can be limited and some are not appealing. We found one we really liked in Dolgellau. Surprisingly good selection (yummy turkey baguettes) and really good prices. We ate a lot of food for less than 10 pounds for the 2 of us. If you spot a promising cafe, check out the menu.

Bee and wine: We are not big drinkers. My husband would occasionally have a half-pint of lager for about 1.75-2 pounds and I would have a half pint of cider for about the same

BTW - Wales is wondeful and seriously under-touristed by North Americans. (So is Shropshire). Most of our fellow tourists in Wales were from England. Although we did run into a few Americans and a couple of our fellow Canadian at Caernarvon. I don't think we met a single North American in Shropshire.

janisj is correct re: Great British Heritage Pass c
website:
http://www.britishheritagepass.com/

Thanks for giving us the food prices, but YIKES! It is as I feared: just too spendy for us until the dollar improves.

Thank you for a very imformative and enjoyable trip report.

You make a great point about deciding for yourself what your personal interests are and designing a trip around them rather than always doing the "traditional" things. My problem (as with many who have not traveled very much) is that I want to see it all right now :p

OOOPS - My husband just pointed out that my list of favorites etc was missing a couple of critical entries:

Best eccentric architecture and deja vu inspiring place: Portmeirion - He said that for him only the Precipice walk ranked higher and it tied with the Ironbridge area for best location and atmosphere.

Best Seaside/Beach Walks: Criccieth

A couple of comments re: expenses

One thing to bear in mind is that for this trip (a "special" trip for us) the object was not to keep expenses down. Every B&B we stayed at was at least 4*. We "treated" ourselves to certain things (the capuccino/scone breaks) and if we really were tempted by a nice place, we ate there.

There are ways to keep expenses lower than we chose to:
lesser starred B&Bs, even youth hostels (I stayed at some nice ones when I was single).
More grocery shopping for snacks and light meals
Using takeaway (takeout) eateries
Using public transportation rather than driving
Driving a car with a manual transmission

semiramis,

a great report. To my shame I've never been to Wales (even though I am in UK) as although it's on my 'list' other places seem to push it out all the time. Your report has inspired me to make the effort soon (ish).