October 15th, 2009 Visit to St. Fagans

Dear Family and Friends,

Today I visited a small town located on the outskirts of Cardiff, Wales. In this small town is a St. Fagans National History Museum which is quite a museum to be seen. This museum occupies approximately 100 acres of land and takes a whole day to walk around. It consists of a castle, very elaborate gardens/walking grounds, and old buildings/structures dating as far back as the 15th century. Many of the structures located on the property come from all over the country of Wales. They were placed in St. Fagans to allow visitors to step back in time to experience life hundreds of years ago in Wales. This place was spectacular, one of the most lovely places I have ever been to. I was able to walk through a farmhouse built in 1610, look into a small post office built in 1936, buy some sweets in an old shop built in 1880, and to explore iron worker’s homes dating to about 1800. It really was a humbling experience to have the opportunity to essentially step back in history and to get a glimpse of what it would have been like to live across different centuries. Unfortunately, I was unable to explore the castle, as I spent most of the day walking through the grounds, looking at the different buildings. I am hoping to be able to go back to visit. All the museums in Wales are free admission, which is great, thus if you miss something you know you can always go back.

Top Photo: St. Fagan's Castle (Built in 1580)
Second Top Photo: St. Teilo's Church (believed to date back to as early as the 13th century)
Third Photo: Farmhouse (Built in 1544)
Fourth Photo: Barn (Dates back to 1550)
Fifth Photo: Fountain in Courtyard
Last Photo: Italian Garden

Love to All,
Elena