where in the world am i?

Yesterday I went on the Graduate Student Association's trip to Conwy and Llandudno, North Wales. I wasn't the only undergrad but I think I might have been the only American of 100 travelers. But that is neither here nor there. The purpose of this post is to share some pictures of the trip.

First up, a side view of Conwy Castle as seen from below and across the street:


Denise and I elected to explore the town instead of following everyone else into the castle. We walked along the dock. I was convinced I was seeing the Chesapeake Bay:


People were standing and sitting on the edge of the dock, fishing for crabs. Is that a contradiction in terms?

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As we were wandering around, enjoying our ice cream, we slipped into Plas Mawr, the "finest surviving Elizabethan house." I think our beta mp3 player-like audioguide dated back to 1585, too. This is part of Plas Mawr from the courtyard:


Next, we journeyed to Llandudno. Though I've never been to Atlantic City or Brighton, Llandudno reminded me of them both. Or maybe it was Disney World's Boardwalk Inn I was recalling? Just look at this photo:


We took the Great Orme Tramway up to the Great Orme. I still don't know what an orme is, so don't ask. But it was a mountain with a playground, ice cream stand, restaurant, ski lift from one end of the summit to the other, and some meteor-like dent/ancient amphitheater. Don't ask. But here's the "amphitheater":


When we came back down, I saw Main Street, Magic Kingdom:


And there were even palm trees:


Deja vu. Of places I've never been and of the one place I couldn't help compare Llandudno, the Edwardian seaside resort town, to: Disney World. I need to see more of the world, don't I?