Second Visit to Wales 再來個威爾斯之旅

My son just finished his Autumn Term before the Christmas holidays, and with a good ten days off, we’re planning to explore UK again. Back in 2023, we visited several cities in South Wales, like Cardiff and Swansea. This time, my son wanted to experience a completely different kind of natural scenery. While preparing for my Life in the UK Test, I came across Snowdonia, which left quite an impression. So, we decided to spend a few days in North Wales, exploring places like Wrexham and Betws-y-Coed, soaking in the beauty and energy of nature!

兒子今年的 Autumn Term 在聖誕假期前剛完結，趁着有十多日的假期，我們又打算到處走走。2023 年我們去了 South Wales 的數個城市如 Cardiff、 Swansea 等，今次兒子想感受一下截然不同的自然景色，再加上在我為 Life in UK Test 作準備時接觸到 Snowdonia，於是決定到 North Wales (Wrexham、Betws-y-coed) 住幾天，吸收多一點大自然的靈氣！

During the peak Christmas and New Year travel season, finding accommodation was already a challenge, and sorting out transport proved even trickier. After much effort securing a hotel, it turned out there were no train tickets available—no matter how we adjusted our travel dates. Left with no other option, we made a bold decision: why not go for a road trip instead?

聖誕及新年這個旅遊高峰期，住宿供應非常短缺，交通安排亦變得不易，幾經努力安排好酒店後，竟發覺沒有火車票，即使嘗試提早或押後出發時間，仍無法買到火車票，最後作出一個大膽決定，來個自駕遊吧！

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The drive from Kingston to North Wales (Wrexham) is slightly over 200 miles, and according to my TomTom Go Navigation App, it’s expected to take about four hours—much longer than any of my previous drives!

Kingston 至 North Wales (Wrexham) 大約二佰多英哩車程，Tom Tom Go Navigation 預計約需四小時，比我以往駕駛長很多！

We set off at 10 a.m. on Boxing Day, only to be greeted by heavy fog along the way. Many stretches of the motorway required reduced speeds for safety. After a little over two hours of driving, we arrived at Welcome Break Hopwood Park Services on the M42, near Birmingham, where we stopped for a simple lunch.

Boxing Day 早上十時出發，沿途非常大霧，多段高速公路需要減速，兩個多小時後到達隣近 Birmingham 的 Welcome Break Hopwood Park Services M42，吃個簡單的午餐。

After a short break, we got back on the road. The remainder of the journey was mostly on non-motorway routes, and the thick fog continued to slow us down. Finally, at around 4 p.m., we arrived safely at the hotel.

稍作休息後便繼續行程。餘下的路程主要是非 Motoway，再加上濃霧，車速慢了下來，終於在下午四點才順利抵達洒店。

After settling in, we headed to Wrexham town centre to pick up some fruits and instant noodles before returning to the hotel for dinner.

安頓好，再到 Wrexham 市中心買些生菓及杯麵便回到酒店吃晚飯。

After a long day, we decided to call it an early night to recharge for the upcoming adventures.

辛苦了一天，早點休息，為稍後的行程作好準備。