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Tuesday 10 March 2015

I stands for Islands

We live in England, part of The British Isles

As  nature decrees, there are several smaller islands in the surrounding waters.  Over the years we have had  some lovely holidays on several of them.  Amongst our favourites is The Isle of Anglesey,  It is situated off  the coast of North Wales and is less than a two hour drive from our home.

Access to the island is by way of two bridges, The Menai  Suspension Bridge, built and designed by Thomas Telford and opened in 1826,
The  Menai Suspension Bridge


The Britannia Bridge.
The Britannia Bridge was built by Robert Stevenson. It was originally a tubular steel bridge of wrought iron, It was used for carrying rail traffic, but following a fire in1970, it was rebuilt as a two tier, steel truss arch bridge, carrying both rail and road traffic.
 

The stretch of water between the mainland and the Island is known as The Menai Straits, It is a most treacherous waterway, because of differing tides at the two ends, and many have lost their lives trying to traverse it.

Each time we visit the Island we stay at a different place, there is an abundance of eateries serving seafood straight from the sea. The beaches are delightful and safe to bathe from.

 One of the Gastro Pubs on Red Wharf Bay, where Prince William and  Catherine The  Duchess of Cambridge often dined, when William was based on the Island, serving in the Royal Air Force.


The interior of the pub, we usually sat at the table in the left hand corner, which, we were reliably informed, was also a favourite table for Prince William and Catherine, I was most excited about this but unfortunately we didn't have the pleasure of meeting them !


Classic British favourite Fish and chips and mushy peas.

This is the exterior of The Ship Inn, it really is in a lovely setting so, wherever we are staying we always manage to  visit for lunch.



Beaumaris

The main town in  the Isle of Anglesey is Beaumaris,  it has a splendid castle regarded as a great unfinished masterpiece. It was built as one of the iron ring of North Wales castles, by the English monarch, Edward  the 1st  to stamp his authority on the Welsh. But it was never finished, money and supplies ran out before the fortifications reached their full height.

Such a lovely setting, the mountains of Snowdonia are across the water on the mainland. Wherever you are on The Isle of Anglesey,  you're never far away from the sea or beautiful scenery inland.

I could write forever and a day about my favourite Island, and feel so blessed to have a special place to visit, almost on our doorstep.

My thanks to the iconic Denise for devising ABCW and also to the impressive Roger for his intellectual  insight in the administration of  ABCW.
Best wishes to all, Di..xx


34 comments:

  1. And what a lovely doorstep to have!!! The Island looks gorgeous and the seafood looks great.Nothing can beat fresh catch from the water!!
    Ann

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  2. Really interesting post with all the nice pics and details..have a nice day..!

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  3. No man is an island, but a nation may be!

    ROG, ABCW

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  4. Wow you sat the royals' table. That's so cool.

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  5. Hello Ann,
    So good to hear from you again.
    The seafood is a delight, at one place we stayed we had a fisherman who came to our door with his day's catch, fresh lobster and crab in abundancy along with lemon sole and mackerel. We dined on fish most days, apart from the delicious salt marsh lamb.

    best wishes,
    Di.
    ABCW team
    xx

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  6. News Varsha:
    Hello and thanks for stopping by, and your kind comments,
    have a good weekend,
    Best wishes,
    Di.
    ABCW team.

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  7. Hi Roger, so profound and so true!
    Great Britain has to be one of the greatest nations on earth!

    Best wishes,
    Di.
    ABCW team,

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  8. Tulika, Hello, good to hear from you, I didn't believe the waiter when he told me that William and Catherine sat at the very table...I'm surprised we weren't charged extra for the pleasure.
    Apparently they used to buzz around the island on a motor bike, closely followed by their protection squad!
    Best wishes,
    Di.
    ABCW team.

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  9. I long to have fish and chips in England someday, that's my goal.

    My ABC WEDNESDAY

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  10. Thank you Di for the lovely photos of Anglesey. We were several times in Wales and saw three of the castles built by King Edward I, but Beaumairis was not one of them.
    We all loved Wales and I often think of the happy times we spent there. Thank you so much for showing this!
    Wil, ABCW.

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  11. It is such a long time since I visited Anglesey. Your photos have brought back happy memories for me :-)

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  12. I love islands. They are interesting :)
    Great choice for I :)
    Nice pics!

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  13. I would be happy to read and see photos of your favorite isle! I love England and all of Great Britain. Lovely!

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  14. Indeed beautiful scenery! I wish to fly there NOW! :)
    Happy ABCW!

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  15. Now after reading your post, I want even more to do a cruise around the British isles. It was my intention this year, but I will do it next year !

    Gattina
    ABC Wednesday

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  16. Photo Cache: I do hope you get to the UK and enjoy some of our fabled Fish n chips.

    Best wishes,
    Di.
    ABCW team.

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  17. Hello Wil, thanks for your kind comments.
    I do love all of the British Isles but still I'm drawn to Anglesey.
    It's convenient to travel too and a picturesque view when you get on the coast road.
    We used to restrict our visits to day trips until, one day, Ian suggested we stay, that was it, I was hooked !
    have a good weekend,
    Best wishes,
    Di.

    ABCW team.

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  18. Hi Cherie, thanks for stopping by and your comments.
    You must go to Anglesey again, armed with your camera, so many wonderful photo opportunities.
    I'm about to book another cottage holiday and although we would like to go somewhere different, I still feel the pull of Anglesey!

    love Di x

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  19. Hi Anita. thanks for stopping by and your comments, always good to hear from you.

    best wishes,
    Di.
    ABCW team.

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  20. Ellen B.
    thanks for stopping by and your kind comments,

    best wishes,
    Di.
    ABCW team.

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  21. Hi Indrani, good to hear from you again,
    Glad you like the post.
    Anglesey sure has a special place in my heart.
    Too cold to visit at present, we'll wait until spring arrives properly.

    Best wishes,
    Di,
    ABCW team.

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  22. Hi Gattina,
    a cruise around the British isles would be lovely, I hope you will be able to fulfil your dream,

    Best wishes,
    Di,
    ABCW.
    team.

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  23. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  24. I always enjoy my virtual tours with you. That pub where Prince William and the Duchess Catherine dine looks very charming and the food delicious. Blessings!

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  25. I just love seeing what you have been up to and get a glimpse of your slice of life♪ http://lauriekazmierczak.com/incline/

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  26. You know, Trubes, without the world of blogs and memes like ABC Wednesday, I would not ever learn about wonderful things like Anglesey Island.
    The View from the Top of the Ladder

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  27. We both picked islands this week! I didn't have nice photos to go with mine, though!

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  28. Hi Arnoldo, I'm so glad that you enjoy my 'virtual tours'. it's good to share all the lovely times we've spent at so many different places.
    I was dumbfounded when the young waiter in the pub told us about Wills and Kate actually sitting at our table, apparently they used to go there often, although we weren't fortunate enough to meet them!
    I loved your tribute to your dear Mama on your site, without ABCW we would know nothing of so many lovely and interesting people...All thanks to Denise and Roger and co!
    Blessings to you and yours, Arnoldo,
    Di.x
    ABCW team.

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  29. Hi Laurie, thanks for your kind comments.
    I am so glad that you enjoy sharing a 'slice of our life' and seeing what we've been up to!
    We've had some wonderful holiday experiences over the years so it is my pleasure to share them with our fellow ABCW's.
    Best wishes,
    Di.x

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  30. Hi,your photos are very beautiful. Price Williams came to our country a few days ago. Thanks for sharing.

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  31. Su-siee,
    Hello, good to hear from you again, and thanks for your kind comments.
    It is amazing how ABCW has given us the opportunity to communicate and make friends, with like-minded people, across the globe.
    I particularly love the tales of ''The Mama's, activities on your site, she seems quite a character!
    Best wishes,
    Di. xx
    ABCW team.

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  32. Minoru Saito:
    Hello and welcome to my blog site.
    I feel quite honoured as you are my first Japanese visitor.
    We have enjoyed watching Prince William's visit to your wonderful country, he was made very welcome by your people which is good.
    He is a fine young man and, I feel, will make an excellent monarch in years to come.
    I'm so glad you liked the pictures of the Isle of Anglesey, I certainly loved the pictures on your site.
    Best wishes,
    Di.
    ABCW team.

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I usually like to reply to your comments but for some reason when i do post a reply it just diappears, any advice would be most welcome,Thanks Di x

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