Goodbyes are always sad. However saying goodbye to the place is better than to the person, because places tend not to change that much. Bangor will always have a special place in my heart.
It is little world of its own. Little as it is, it also has its little cathedral which makes it city. Isolated from outside world, three hours of drive from the first big city. During the year it is full of life, students and fun. It is almost impossible to go even shopping without meeting at least three friends on the way. You are free to spend evenings with any friend of yours because everywhere it is close and streets are safe. During the summer second face of the city looks out - poverty, drugs, crime and terrible living culture of locals. Its magnificent nature sorrounds the city and invites to be explored. How many times we have just left the city to spend days in the wildreness, sleeping in the van, having fire, being sorrounded by mountains.
My favorite view from Bangor Pier. Bangor Pier full of small artistic shops and one little caffe with yummy burgers. At one of these shops we met mysterious artist who shared with us his knowledge about how Freemasons are still powerful in the UK. The molo in the picture is Bangor harbour (once there was a fire of really big yacht which alarmed us at three in the morning - we lived just ten minutes from the harbour and the stink was unbelievable), behind that there is Snowdonia (on the hill we can see in the picture there used to be the biggest axe factory in the year 600 bc, now there is a copper mine) and peninsula with the city of Llandudno (where you can take a ride on the motor boat, visit roman mines, find fossils, see lots of little bunnies or let seaguls steal your burger in the vicious attack from the sky).
This is the ugliest building ever totally spoiling the view at the fifth biggest island in the UK - Anglesey. We have been repeatedly observing this monstrosity from otherwise beautiful view spot in upper Bangor while eating pizza from Pizza House nearby. Once I got so scared by the red and big moon I saw from there that I could not sleep at night, believing Apocalypse was near (my boyfriend found it funny). Other time we decided to observe this view from the garden of eldery home where we climbed over the little fence and peacefully ate pizza on the grass until security with fluffy mini-dog kicked us out.
This is my home number two, my favorite place on the Earth. If there is a place I will miss from all my heart it is this one. Llamberis is a little village right next to the Snowdon (The highest mountain in England and Wales, nicknamed also 'Killer Mountain'. Vast number of people underestimates the dangers of winter hike which results in high number of deaths...) With its several lakes, beautiful forest, mountain view, copper mine, castle ruins and great camping spot, it is literally heaven. So many adventures we had there, so many sosages we ate and so many strangers we have met.
And of course Bangor University. Its main building also known as Hogwarts, with its beautiful architectonic style and magnificent interiors (especially library) overlooks the city from its thron on the hill (also known as Bitch Hill) After finishing my first degree in Prague, it was indeed unusual experience for me to be for change treated nicely... But differences between UK and the Czech republic will be topic of another article. I will share with you some more pictures of nature instead.
I will miss Bangor. Paradoxly my biggest fear when I was leaving Czechia was that I will not like life in such a small city. And it may be true for some people. But for those who like exploring and adventure, Bangor is heaven on the Earth.