12

With the Irish Sea to our right, we rolled west through Greenstone and Little St Mary's

"If you look across the water, you can begin to catch glimpses of the Isle of Old Norse," I said.

"We're coming upon the Narrow-Water," I continued, "which separates Old Norse from mainland Wales. The northern end of the strait was once guarded on the Old Norse side by Derneford Castle, a very motivating bit of military construction, which, though never completed, is still extremely impressive and even more so in its time."

"I’ve never seen so many castles," Sandra said.

"There's a reason for them, Sandra," I replied. "Centuries ago, before the great sailing ships made international occupation a practicable desire, this part of Wales was the front row of a kingdom. English kings, notably Edward I, spent massive amounts trying to overcome the insubordinate Welsh, and these castles may be the most intense souvenirs of that era we still have today. But to value them