Aberporth, West Wales, GB

World Heritage Sites Air Adventures: Whisky, Whiskey, Whales, and Gophers – Wales of a Good Time: Flight Log #006
Date: Saturday, June 28, 2025
Weather: Welsh coastal complexity—sun and shadow in equal measure, the wind carrying the scent of salt, slate, and ancient secrets.
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This episode is brought to you by McMurphy’s Psychological Culinary Collective—“Where every bowl is a test, and every flavor reveals a truth. Use promo code ‘CLARICE’ for a complimentary side of introspection.”
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Flight Plan:
EGNS (Isle of Man) → EGOV (Anglesey, Anthony Hopkins boards) → Overflight: Beaumaris Castle, Great Orme, Conwy Castle & Town Walls, Penrhyn Quarry, Caernarfon Town Walls, Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd, Caernarfon Castle → EGCK (Caernarfon, for lunch and Gopher Tank antics) → Overflight: Llyn Padarn, Dinorwig Quarry, Dyffryn Nantlle, Bwlch y Ddwy Elor Quarry, Snowdonia/Eryri National Park, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Porthmadog, Portmeirion, Harlech Castle → Llanbedr (EGFD, for Welsh whisky and provisions) → Overflight: Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Cadair Idris, Abergynolwyn, Tywyn → EGFA (Aberporth, for rest and our signature ramen).
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Narrative Log Entry
By Sir Anthony Hopkins

Clarice... Cropduster. Today, the sky was our confessional, the Welsh landscape our tapestry of ambition and appetite. From the unfinished perfection of Beaumaris to the brooding silence of Harlech, I watched you—steady at the controls, your mind circling the same questions as the ravens above those ancient walls.

Do you hear them, Cropduster? The stones no longer scream. The lambs have found their rest. But the hunger... the hunger never sleeps.

Aerial Feast of Fortresses and Slate
We traced the geometry of conquest: the concentric rings of Beaumaris, the iron will of Conwy, the imperial symbolism of Caernarfon, and the scars of the slate quarries that once roofed the world. The Ffestiniog Railway wound below us, a steel vein pulsing through the mountains, carrying the memory of men who carved cathedrals from stone and silence.

The Scottish crew, arms folded, watched as you navigated the valleys. I observed their loyalty—rooted in old wounds, wary of new flavors. Fiona, ever the tactician, bartered for a vial of well water at Harlech and a slate chisel at Blaenau Ffestiniog. Lani and Kai, our K9s, surveyed the world with the serene certainty of those who know their place in the pack.

Landing at Caernarfon (EGCK): The Eagle’s Nest
Caernarfon Airport welcomed us with its modest runway and spectacular surroundings. This former RAF station sits just 7 kilometers from that most imposing of Edward’s Welsh castles. Caernarfon Castle itself is “recognised around the world as one of the greatest buildings of the Middle Ages”—a fortress-palace whose polygonal towers and multi-colored masonry deliberately echoed the walls of Constantinople.
The symbolism was calculated and profound. Edward wasn’t simply building a fortress; he was creating a new Rome in Wales, complete with echoes of the Welsh myth of Macsen Wledig. The Prince of Wales was born here—Edward II, the first English Prince of Wales—in what was surely one of history’s most pointed political statements.

The Gopher Tanks rumbled out for reconnaissance, the Scottish contingent’s wariness thawing as they clambered over battlements and traced arrow loops with their fingers. Even the dogs seemed to sense the gravity of these stones—silent now, but once echoing with the cries of siege and ambition.

EGFA: The Ramen Revelation
But it was at Aberporth, as the sun bled into Cardigan Bay, that our true test began. I insisted on a meal worthy of the day’s journey—a bowl that would reveal what lies beneath the surface.

We entered a seaside ramen house, the kind of place where the chef’s knife is as sharp as his gaze. I requested a signature bowl—Welsh lamb instead of pork, Cardigan Bay crab, and every local treasure the coast could offer.

The chef obliged. The result:
• Broth: A 24-hour simmered stock of Welsh lamb bones, crab shells, and wild seaweed, layered with ginger, leeks, and a whisper of Penderyn whisky—clear, golden, and hauntingly complex.
• Noodles: Hand-pulled, springy, infused with the faintest touch of laverbread for a taste of the sea.
• Toppings: Slices of lamb chashu, tender and subtly smoky; sweet Cardigan Bay crab meat; a soft egg marinated in soy and a dash of whisky; wild mushrooms, scallions, pickled daikon, and a swirl of chili oil patterned like the concentric walls of Beaumaris.
• Garnish: Toasted sesame, microgreens, a crisp sheet of nori, and a single edible violet—a nod to the fleeting nature of beauty, and of life.
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I watched you, Cropduster, as you tasted the broth. “It’s... different,” you said, searching for words. I smiled, “Different can be revealing. Sometimes, the most unexpected flavors are the ones that linger. Tell me, do you still hear the lambs screaming?”

The Scottish contingent approached their bowls with suspicion, but hunger is the great equalizer. Soon, even Wallace was slurping with abandon, the fire of the chili oil bringing a rare smile to his face.
Lani and Kai received their own vet-approved bowls—clear lamb broth, hand-pulled noodles, and carrots, no seasoning. Even apex predators appreciate a meal prepared with care.

Collectibles & Barter
Fiona traded a Tiger Shark Squadron patch for the chef’s secret recipe. The Gopher Tanks, meanwhile, were pressed into service as mobile ramen delivery vehicles, distributing bowls to the ground crew and a few lucky locals.

The Ffestiniog Railway and Slate Heritage
Our aerial route took us along the path of the famous Ffestiniog Railway, the "world's oldest narrow gauge railway with almost 200 years of history." This remarkable 13½-mile journey from Porthmadog harbor to Blaenau Ffestiniog climbs over 700 feet through what can only be described as a landscape carved by human ambition.

From our aerial perspective, the engineering achievement was breathtaking. These narrow-gauge railways provided the technological foundation for similar railways in mountainous regions across the globe. Welsh quarrymen became global ambassadors of slate extraction technology, carrying their skills to quarries across Europe and North America.

The railway's route wound along the contours in sharp curves, made a U-bend around a side-valley, crossed embankments built to a height of 60ft—all to serve the appetite for slate that was literally roofing the Industrial Revolution.

Portmeirion: Mediterranean Dreams in Welsh Reality
We couldn't resist a low pass over Portmeirion, that extraordinary Italianate village created by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis in the 1920s. This "Italian Riviera inspired paradise nestled on the Welsh coastline" demonstrates what happens when architectural vision meets absolute determination.

Williams-Ellis wanted to "capture the atmosphere of the Mediterranean" on the Welsh coast, and succeeded in creating something that transcends mere imitation. The village's clever use of perspective and scale creates the impression of being much larger than it actually is—rather like the way memory can magnify certain experiences, making them seem grander and more significant than their actual dimensions would suggest.

From above, the colorful buildings scattered along the estuary looked like pieces from an elaborate board game, each one placed with careful consideration for both aesthetic effect and psychological impact.

Harlech Castle: Songs of Siege
Harlech Castle commanded our respect as we banked over its clifftop position. This fortress, completed "from ground to battlements in just seven years under the guidance of Master James of St George," represents medieval defensive perfection. Its position on "a sheer rocky crag overlooking the dunes far below" with "the rugged peaks of Eryri (Snowdonia) rising as a backdrop" creates what may be "the most spectacular setting for any of Edward I's castles in North Wales."

The famous "Way from the Sea"—108 steps rising steeply up the rock face—allowed besieged defenders to be supplied by ship even when completely surrounded. During the Wars of the Roses, Harlech was held for seven years in the longest siege in British history. The castle's resistance became immortalized in the song "Men of Harlech," though I suspect the reality of those seven-year sieges was rather less musical than the ballad suggests.

Llanbedr: Whisky, Ales, and Local Provisions
Landing at Llanbedr Airfield (EGFD), we found ourselves at one of the finest airfield locations in the UK. This former RAF station, with its three hard runways, provided the perfect setting for acquiring several cases of premium Welsh spirits and local provisions.

The selection included bottles from Penderyn Distillery, Wales's pioneering whisky producer located in the Brecon Beacons. Penderyn's unique distillation process produces spirit at 92% ABV, creating whiskies with distinctive character that have won international acclaim. We secured several bottles of their award-winning single malts, each one matured in ex-Bourbon barrels and finished in ex-Madeira casks, imparting flavors ranging from tropical fruit and honey to rich sherry notes.

Cropduster supervised the loading with his usual attention to detail. I noticed his growing appreciation for the finer aspects of our mission—the careful curation of experiences, the attention to provenance, the understanding that quality ingredients form the foundation of any memorable meal.

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct: Engineering as Art
Our route south provided magnificent views of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, that remarkable feat of engineering that carries the Llangollen Canal 126 feet above the River Dee. Designed by Thomas Telford and completed in 1805, this UNESCO World Heritage Site represents "the first great masterpiece of civil engineer Thomas Telford" and remained "the tallest navigable aqueduct in the world" for two centuries.
The aqueduct's nineteen cast-iron spans, supported by hollow stone pillars and built with innovative mortar containing lime and ox blood, demonstrate the technological advances that drove the Industrial Revolution. From our aerial perspective, the structure appeared almost impossibly delicate—a thread of water suspended across the valley, defying gravity with Georgian confidence and precision.
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Aberporth (EGFA): Evening Reflections
Our final landing at Aberporth Airport (EGFA) brought us to this former RAF station now serving as West Wales Airport. As the sun set over Cardigan Bay, painting the sky in shades that would challenge even the most skilled chef's color palette, I reflected on the day's journey.

The crew gathered for dinner at the ramen house, savoring bowls that told the story of land and sea—Welsh lamb, Cardigan Bay crab, wild seaweed, and Penderyn whisky, each ingredient a memory, each slurp a meditation. Lani and Kai, as always, received their own vet-approved feast.

Closing Thoughts: Memory and Appetite
As dusk settled over Cardigan, I reflected on the day’s journey. Castles fall silent, quarries fill with water, and even the fiercest appetites are, for a moment, sated. But the hunger for discovery—for new flavors, new stories—remains.

You’ve done well, Cropduster. You faced the unknown, tasted the unfamiliar, and found silence where once there was only screaming. The lambs, it seems, are at peace. For now.

And remember: “This Welsh lamb pairs beautifully with a robust Chianti... though I’ve always found fava beans complement liver particularly well.”
Until our next course,
Sir Anthony Hopkins

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