Finding the Path Adventure, Food, Art, Drinks, Love, and Laughs on the Road

At 4:00 pm on a Sunday, the cobbled stone streets of Holyhead resemble a ghost town. Against the gray Welsh sky the closed storefronts and deserted streets are eerie, and the only sign of life is a car speeding by on the freeway below the old roman fort.

We’re not supposed to be here but we have nowhere else to go. Stormy weather has cancelled our ferry across the channel. “I bet they have awesome Fish and Chips,” I say to my friend as we stare down at the shoreline from the yard of St. Cybi’s church.

Down Stanley Street, a red-nosed man with a Welsh lilt interrupts us in front of the old Empire theatre. George is one of the local wise men, full of jokes and knowledge of the town. “My favourite is The Chippy on Water Street” he recommends.

The Chippy is a little takeaway that occupies a tiny corner of a building so old the toilet is in the alley out back. We pay 50p more to dine in and drool in anticipation until the food drops in front of us. The soggy chips and giant fry of fish glisten with oil, a bit off to our crisp Canadian sensibilities, but more people have come in than we have seen in the last hour.

We catch a movie, and grab a pint at The George. As the night darkens and drizzles, the streets come alive with people and lights.

The off-key warbles of Karaoke draw us inside of Gleeson's and out of the rain and we find a table with other stranded travelers. Locals make up the rest of the busy pub, and singers throw out accented zingers to their friends and to us as we start singing and drinking.

The barkeep tells me we are lucky, the place has been full for the past few Sundays. The Welsh take their karaoke very seriously. The beer flows freely as we are regaled with songs, stories of the town, each other and our impending passage.

For one night only, they treat us, stranded travelers, as though we are not just strangers. They give us a glimpse into their proud lives on the side of the sea.

As dawn breaks and the rain pours, we sail away.