The Morgans Go European

May 5, 2018 Harlech Castle with re-enactors

Today was our last full day in Harlech. Rod, Collin, Grace, and Simon went up Snowdon (the highest mountain in Wales) and Aaron, Paul, Clare, and I went to see re-enactors in Harlech Castle. We also went around town and said our goodbyes to the business folks we got to know. You see, when we arrived in Harlech, we were to pick up the key to Sea View from the business owner of one of the local shops, Seasons and Reasons. Well, the place was closed, so we started asking a neighboring business if they knew how to get in touch with the people from Seasons and Reasons. They knew the owners, but didn't have contact info for them. They took us onto the next business and the next. We had three stores trying to help us out! They are so nice in Harlech! We finally got in, and what started as a bit of bad luck turned into the best blessing, because the shop owners got to know us very quickly!

Here's another story showing the kindness of the Harlech people. On this last day, the kids and I took a break from the castle (we had wrist bands for re-entry) and went to get some lunch. I ordered at the counter without confirming they took charge cards. They did not. The nice lady directed me to the cash machine across the street. Truth be told, Rod has drawn the cash from the machines this whole trip. But, being a big girl, I could figure it out. I failed. Rod had the only cash card and he was on the top of Snowdon. Terribly embarrassed, I returned to the restaurant, asked her to stop the order if possible, and apologized profusely, explaining I couldn't reach my husband. She said, "Just pay me when he gets back. Tomorrow morning is soon enough." Wow! I gave her the 10 pounds I had and insisted on writing her an I.O.U. for the rest. That's the kind of people we consistently encountered in Wales.

Eddie and Jean Morgan (the mirror has "Morgan" on it). They sold homemade ice cream and truffles, bread, croissants, and meat pies to us. I would place my order for a dozen croissants, and the next morning, I would pick them up, hot out of the oven! She would have them in a cute basket wrapped up in a kitchen towel.

Our living room had a bay window in it and this was the view looking to the right.

This was the view looking straight out. That is the Irish Sea and the land is a finger of Wales sticking out.

This was the view looking left. The Irish Sea.

This is the view from mine and Rod's bedroom.

We are inside the castle with re-enactors explaining some tools and weapons.

There are animal skins and arrows on the table. If you were wealthy, you wore ermine and squirrel. Poorer folks wore rabbit.

This hammer was used to pound in the spikes for the tent, or, in a pinch, clobber a foe in the head.

He is shooting a long bow. The quiver is more correctly around his waist not over the shoulder Robin Hood style. He said an archer didn't run around like we see in the movies. He was stationary with his arrows stuck in the ground around him. It was the fastest way to shoot and it put dirt on the arrow so the victim was more likely to die from a dirt wound. Getting 16 arrows off a minute is considered very good.

Longbow demonstration: https://youtu.be/95mQkw835ls

This maiden was cooking in the style of the mid to late 1400's. They would eat "seasonally" meaning, whatever was being harvested, they would eat in abundance. This time of year they would have had a lot of milk. She said she would be making hard cheese for later in the year and soft cheese to be eaten now. Otherwise, she was at the end of her larder and it wasn't a great time for variety in the diet.

Clare made a friend of Edith, a 10 year old re-enactor. Edith taught Clare some period games.

Clare and Edith playing: https://youtu.be/iLbAgfYcYFE

Clare juggling: https://youtu.be/_QBVD6phMNQ

Setting up the cannon for firing.

Cannon fire: https://youtu.be/kqM5wEg3hSk

Explaining the crossbow.

Crossbow demo: https://youtu.be/EJDDbOf1h8s

A musician.

Some armor and weapons. The knight's squire cleaned his mail by putting it in a barrel filled with sand and oil and rolling it around. That would have been fun for the first 5 minutes!