Horseshoe Pass, Plas Newydd and Llangollen Railway Tour

Today we docked in Liverpool, England. While Tim took the morning off, and some of our touring companions immersed themselves in all things Beatles, I spent the day in Wales. After an intense afternoon in Belfast, I needed to get back to the countryside.

I had read that if you love scenic drives, the infamous Horseshoe Pass should be on your “to do” list. It is listed as one of best drives in Wales, and as I love scenic drives, this optional Viking tour was a no-brainer for me. Our motorcoach carried us across the border from England into Wales through some lovely rural scenery.

The Roads Are Really Narrow, but the Scenery Is Lovely

It wasn’t long before we reached Horseshoe Pass. Our road traveled in a horseshoe shape around the outskirts of a valley, reaching a maximum height of nearly 1,400 feet. The vistas along the way were glorious and are said to be some of the most spectacular views in Wales.

Reaching a Viewpoint on Horseshoe Pass

That's Our Road

What a Gorgeous View!

We Passed Valle Crucis Abbey - I Didn't Realize It Was a Ruin at First Glance

Next, we visited Plas Newydd. This historic house was once home to the Ladies of Llangollen. two women who ran away from Ireland to Wales in the 1770s to set up home together, scandalizing British society at the time. Unfortunately, the exterior was covered with scaffolding, but we were able to tour the home where Wordsworth, Sir Walter Scott, and the Duke of Wellington once visited. The interior was way too dark and gothic for me, and I quickly escaped to enjoy a peaceful walk through the splendid gardens.

Plas Newydd Undergoing Restoration - A Model Inside Shows Its Early Appearance

Peaceful Gardens

Beautiful Flowers in the Gardens

We continued to Llangollen’s railway station, where we boarded a train for a 30-minute ride through a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Llangollen Railway is a Heritage Railway Line that closely follows the River Dee through the Dee Valley for ten miles. If there’s anything I like more than a scenic drive, it’s a train ride through a scenic area. The ride lived up to its reputation on another blue-sky day. We have been quite lucky of late.

The River Dee in Llangollen

Waiting for Our Train at the Llangollen Station

Our Train Has Arrived

This Is Definitely an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

It Was a Lovely Train Ride

On our way back to our ship, we happened to have an incredible view of the iconic Royal Liver Building, which has been at the heart of Liverpool’s waterfront for more than a century. I later learned that UNESCO had recently voted to remove Liverpool's waterfront from its list of World Heritage Sites, only the third time a place has been removed from the list. The move was taken due to redevelopment projects that "irreversibly damage" the heritage of the port.

Royal Liver Building

While I was on my excursion, Tim was participating in an afternoon Privileged Access tour of the Athenaeum club. A private members-only institution founded in 1797, the Athenaeum provided a library and newsroom in which merchants and professional gentlemen could read and share information, rather than having to frequent crowded coffeehouses or the local library. Tim’s favorite part of the tour was the extraordinary library, with its collection of more than 60,000 volumes of rare and unique books, historic documents, and nautical charts.

Scenes from the Athenaeum 

After Tim and I returned to our cabin, we found a surprising letter from Viking. Ever since we boarded the ship in Stockholm, we have been tested for COVID each day. The letter informed us that, effective immediately, all on-board testing will be discontinued. I had no problem with the testing and was grateful that Viking had gone to such measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone on its ships. I guess we’ll just go with the flow and see what happens.