22 August 2017
One of the places I wanted to see in Wales was Tintern Abbey. We woke up to rainy skies and decided to brave the hour long drive out to the Wye Valley instead of hiking.
The Abbey is absolutely beautiful. Many of the windows and arches are still original, and one of the windows even had traces of the medieval glass work. The monestary once was a whole village until itself with gardens, kitchen, libraries, hospitals, and even an advanced sewer system that carried waste and water away from kitchens, bathrooms, and the infermeries.
We rounded a corner and were meet with the ruins of the Abbey in a feilds of green with mist draped around it's stone walls. Built in 1131 as a place for monks to practice simple living, it grew to an awe inspiring church within a couple hundred years. After Henry VIII split with the Roman Catholic Church in the 1500s, he dissolved the monestaries and Tintern fell into ruins.
After lunch, the weather improves slightly so we decided to hike in Brecons Beacon, one of the national parks Our objective was Penn Y Fen, the tallest peak in southern Wales at a stunning 886 meters (2900ish feet). The hike took off on a wide, graveled pathway upward through the mist.
There were many times we thought we wouldn't make it. The elements were testing out physical and mental strength. At one point mom's glasses fogged up and we contemplated turning back. But with perseverance and dedication, after two grueling miles, we finally found ourselves at The summit.
Fearing for our safety, we decided to stay only a short while on the summit before heading back down. Knowing that we conquered our fears and pushed our physical capabilities to the limit, this trip has ended on a high note.
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