This week’s letter is ‘W‘ for
~ Wales ~
It has actually been quite a while that I visited Wales, it was in April/May 2003. Which coincidentally was about the time that I met David. But Wales came first. I went there with my Mom for a week of horseback riding and living on a farm in the country. Meaning this time we were stationary. The previous times that we visited Wales, we would travel around from one B&B to the next. Which, by the way, is an absolutely fabulous way of traveling and staying anywhere in the UK.
While there are other and closer airports we flew into London, were greeted by rain, rented a car and drove northwest to Wales. In case you are wondering, driving on the right side of the car and on the left side of the road did not pose a problem for me after three years in Australia. My Mom, however, that is a different story. Every time we stopped somewhere and walked back to the car, inevitably she would go to the passenger side, which now was the driver’s side. Every time I made a turn or came around a curve, she would go ‘oh no, you’re on the wrong side…’, which was kind of funny for me – until she got used to it.
Finding your B&B isn’t always the easiest thing to do. While there are usually some signs for them, these B&Bs are usually not the particular ones you are looking for. There were a few instances when it took us quite a while, taking a lot of scenic detours to find our hosts. But eventually we found them all. It is important to have their phone number so you can let them know if you’ll be late, reservations usually ended at 6 pm. However, it is not uncommon to meet your hosts in the local pub around the corner for a pint of beer instead of in their home. Pubs are a very important institution for every B&B traveler. 1) They are used frequently (!) as references to give (or receive) directions to a place e.g. ‘… follow the road for 500 metres then turn right, you will pass the Laughing Owl pub and continue till you see the White Horse (pub). There you’ll turn left…’ etc. etc. Quite amusing really.
Now when you are in Wales these kind of directions will get the added flavor of the Welsh accent. So listen carefully, because it may be difficult to get used to. Since Wales is bilingual it is no problem to get by with English and in South Wales the majority seemed to be speaking English anyways. However, the further west and north you come, you are bound to see and hear a lot more Welsh. I always was fascinated by it and while staying there picked up a few things. But, as with every foreign language, when you don’t use it, you’ll loose it. Hm, I still remember one B&B lady giving me a Welsh-English dictionary that I read while staying with them.
So, you are asking yourself, why would you go and visit Wales? I guess initially it was my fascination with anything Celtic in general. And, of course, it helped being a fan of The Alarm and Mike Peters, an alternative/punk/wave rock band from North Wales that started in the 80s. But really it is the nature that I love. The rugged western coast and Snowdonia and the green, rolling hills and all the old Celtic history, which you can feel and see everywhere. I used to call our visits to Wales: ‘Castle hopping’. I planned our trip by looking up what I wanted to see, which was usually old castles and old monasteries or cathedrals and ruins, and then organizing the B&Bs and our driving route around that. And once there we would hop from one castle to the next one. Wonderful!
Only during our last trip to Wales we stayed in one place in the north close to Bangor. Because I wanted to go horseback riding. After learning that in Australia, I picked it up again while living in Switzerland and thought it might be fun going on little trail rides in northern Wales. The weather, however, was very ‘British’ a.k.a. wet and, being end of April, also pretty cold. Still I did go and we had a very good time and spent lots of time outside. At the shore and we also took a trip to Bodnant Garden, in which a few flowers were just starting to bloom. Very pretty. And a very pretty country Wales is. Go and visit it!
‘Disclaimer’ – these photos were my entry into the digital era by means of a point and shoot, my film camera stayed at home. But they still give you a good idea of Wales. Please for give e.g. blown out skies. Thank you!
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p.s. while writing this post I got massively sidetracked by watching this video of Mike Peters, which gives you a little of what drives him, his music, his battle against cancer and the Welsh countryside. If you have the time and are curious, watch it. But I am sure you’ll find other ‘countryside-only’ videos on YouTube. Or maybe an all Alarm video like this one from 1985! 🙂 Sorry – I couldn’t help myself, still love them…
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This is my contribution today to round 5 of Alphabe- Thursday hosted by Jenny Matlock. If you have a moment please visit her website and check out other ‘student’s’ work and her ‘terrific tangents’.
My mother in law was Welsh and I ‘ve always wanted to visit there.
Maybe someday…
I will keep my fingers crossed for you, Rocky Mountain Woman. Wales is really lovely, and the photos in this post are only from one little part of it.
Wonderful “W” photos of Wales. I especially love the ones of the castle, and the one in the reflecting pool is particularly gorgeous.
Thank you, Jamie, J. Yeah, I kinda like the photos, too. That is why I wanted to share them with you despite the fact that some of them are… sub-optimal… 😉
Wonderful post ~ Mike Peters is quite the entertainer ~ Lovely and gorgeous photography ~ wonderful for ‘W’ ~ (A Creative Harbor) ^_^
Thank you for visiting and commenting, ArtMuseDog & Carol. What makes you think he is an entertainer?! Maybe it is just me, but ‘to me entertainer’ sometimes has a somewhat ”negative’ nuance to it. I know it shouldn’t, but… I just can’t help it 🙂
I like those open landscapes, they’re wonderful!
They truly are wonderful, Lissa. I wish I could go back and visit that country again… one day…
The pictures are all FANTASTIC, and that’s funny about your mom driving. 🙂
Thank you very much, Rosey! Although, if it actually had been my Mom driving, we might have ended up on the wrong side of the road a few times- LOL
Gorgeous photos! It takes me back. I want to go back…..I loved visiting Wales! We stayed in a B&B castle with peacocks roaming the grounds. Got stuck in a “Sheep Jam” on a very steep hillside road. The pubs were wonderfully filled with friendly faces , good drinks.. and food.
Thank you for sharing!
Awww – you just took the words right out of my mouth, just better. I wanted to write a little about the gorgeous pubs and their atmosphere, but the post was getting too long. Thank you, too, for bringing back such good memories!
Wales is still at the top of my list on places I want to go vist! This post just solidified that! 😉
Wales is such a wonderful place, and, for whatever reason, very under-rated. I feel like I am repeating myself, but, if you ever have the chance, Jamie, go!
Really great photos. I can only dream about seeing some of those sights in person. I’d love to visit Wales some day. Thanks for sharing. =0)
~Kim
from Blogging Buddies
2justByou.blogspot.com
Thank you, Kim! I feel like I should have showed you way more of the castles and ruins that we visited, but I have to admit that I have yet to scan my old film photos…
Ooooh! Wales looks lovely 😀 I’ve never been but I’d love to go! Lucky you 🙂
It IS lovely, Vivid! Ha – you are not that far away, are you?! But then again Scotland – Wales…. LOL And Scotland is beautiful, too. Also did the B&B tour there 🙂
We also have family in Wales! Maybe someday I can go. Those pics of the ruins are pretty neat.
I really got to find/scan/post more of my old photos. Lots of more ruins to show 🙂 I love architecture and to imagine the work involved… all those centuries ago…
Amazing pictures. 🙂
Thank you, Cindy!
One of the great things about Alphabe-Thursday group is that I get to visit such beautiful places! These photos are simply wonderful. Gorgeous. I love the pic of the sheep grazing. And, of the cairn (rock formation). Wonderful W post!.
Yes, that is very true, VBR. There is such a variety of contributors to Alphabe- Thursday it is always interesting. Thank you for checking out mine.
Love the photos and the tour! AND I am going to visit your Wordless Wednesday post next ( as per your suggestion when you came and visited! 🙂 I am fairly new to blogging ( under six months ) but I love the variety of parties and communities out there that can be found . Being able to view this post is just one great example! 🙂
Great, I am happy that you like my photo tour and I saw you on my WW. It will be there every week, so come back and link up!
What wonderful Wales photos! I would love to see them as a slide show on a full monitor.
Hahaha – so true, Judie. You know I have always wanted to make a slide show and then watch it on a wall with our projector, but somehow I have yet to do that.
Have friends living in Wales, but they live so in the middle of nowhere, that I couldn’t even tell you the town they’re close to! But it I visit them, I know we’re gonna go castle hopping!
Castle hopping is fun! But also quite tiring. And all the views and impressions you have to take in … aaah, wonderful! Thank you for stopping by, Emille!
I dipped into Wales last month and wished I could have gone farther and seen more. It seemed a country full of beauty and mystery.
Yes, exactly, Pondside. Mysterious – that is a good word for it, too. Don’t you just love wandering through the country side or small villages and wonder…
Loved this video!
It’s been years since I’ve been to Wales…but I remember the charm of it so well.
This was wonderful.
Playing the song clip over and over again.
He’s quite an inspiration!
Thanks for sharing him with us!
A+
Glad you like the videos. Yes, he was a big inspiration to me back in the 80s and I find him still quite intriguing 🙂