Wales - “Land of Song”
         
The Welsh have something to sing about! Wales is no second to any of the other
areas of UK and Ireland. It takes a lot for someone of Scots parentage, born in
England, to say that. I only recently discovered Wales. The Welsh tourism body,
VisitWales, provided the vehicle for me by offering a course on Wales and then
a FAM (familiarisation) trip taking in the Showcase Wales trade show for travel
agents.
Apart from treating us royally, they gave us a really good look at what Wales has
to offer. I was blown away! First let me tell you about the breakfast bar at the
Cardiff Hilton. It is stupendous! They have everything you could imagine when
you think of breakfasts. Everything is laid out beautifully and it’s all so fresh. The
‘piece de resistance’ is the porridge area (oatmeal to you N. Americans). They
have this huge tureen of really creamy porridge surrounded by all the usual
accompaniments. There is white sugar, brown sugar, honey, etc. There is milk
and real cream, and sitting quietly to the side…a miniature of Grouse whisky! 
Have you ever tried porridge with a little brown sugar, cream and a dash of
Scotch? Mmmmm! It's like porridge with Bailey’s...only better! I digress…just
thought you should know about one of the finer things in life.Wales covers a
relatively small area to the west of the English Midlands. It is like the rest of UK
in miniature. The south coast rivals that of Devon and Cornwall. The west coast
rivals that of Scotland or Ireland. Snowdonia feels like you are in the Highlands
of Scotland. The Brecon Beacons to the southeast are not unlike the Lowlands
of Scotland or the southeast of Ireland.
This land does make you want to sing (its praises)!

Caerphilly, Conwy and Raglan Castles
The famous Welsh castles are all over the place and some are most impressive.
Conwyn, Caerphilly, Caernarfon, Harlech and Beaumaris are some of the
better known. The national parks are beautiful. They are … Brecon Beacons,
Pembrokeshire Coast and Snowdonia National Parks. Cardiff, the capital is a
lively city with a castle at its centre and the Millenium Stadium at its heart. The
Welsh love of rugby is legendary and so is their love of singing. Put these two
together and you have something greater than the sum of the parts. If  you go to
a Welsh rugby international at the Millenium Stadium (especially v. England) get
there about an hour before kick-off. For this hour the Welsh rugby fans become
the world’s biggest choir. They sing hymns and Welsh songs with a passion that
has to be heard. They say that when Welshmen first meet they ask these two
questions of each other. “What position do you play?” and  “What voice do you
sing in the choir?” The Welsh male-voice choirs are famous around the world. If
you are at all interested in this and plan a trip to Wales, you can arrange to sit in
on a choir practice by contacting the choir secretary through their website. If
you’re really lucky you may even be asked to join them at their sing-song after
the formal practice, held, of course, in the local pub. Another thing you shouldn’t
miss in Wales is the narrow-guage railways. There are a number of these, the
best known of which is probably the one that takes you to the summit of Mt.
Snowdon, Britain’s highest peak. The Snowdonia area is both beautiful and
 interesting. You can see a slate quarry, go down a cave or visit the innards of
a hydro-electric power station…to name just a few. Beautiful little towns and
villages abound. Betys-y-coed and Llangollen are the larger centres. 

  Llangollen Station (Thomas the Tank Engine) and Portmerion
On the coast nearby is the village of Portmeirion. This very unique place was built
by a wealthy eccentric, Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, who wanted to recreate an
Italian-style village. Not only is it quite unique…it is very pretty, with Italian-style
gardens, buildings and fountains. You can stay here in the hotel or in a cottage.
It was used in the set of the TV series, ‘The Prisoner’ starring Patrick McGoohan,
and in other films. The north of Wales, including the island of Angelsey, encloses
Snowdonia. There are blue-flag beaches, rugged cliffs and sealife (even whale-
watching!), Llandudno with its holiday pier, funicular tramway and copper mines,
various historical sites from neolithic to Norman to Victorian, gardens (Bodnant is
most famous for its Laburnum arch) and lots of activities for all ages. Mid Wales,
from Cardigan Bay to the English border

   Llangoed Hall Bedroom (once home of Laura Ashley - in Mid Wales)
has mountains, valleys and sheep by the thousands! You can visit a working sheep
farm and see their world champion sheepdogs at work. Don’t be put off by the
corny name …’Ewe-Phoria’! The Welsh countryside is just beautiful wherever
you wander to. There are a number of public footpaths or walks for the more
adventurous, and some interesting wildlife like the Red Kite which has been
adopted as a symbol of Wales. Over towards the southeast lie the Brecon
Beacons, a mountain range of great beauty. It doesn’t have particularly high
peaks but this does not detract from its great views. On the southerly edge of
the Beacons lies the area where the famous Welsh coal mines and valleys are
found, born, as it were, from the Beacons themselves. None of the mines are
still working except for the tourist trade. You can visit them at  Blaenavon,
an industrial world heritage site and take a simulated ride down into the depths.

  Engine at Blaenavon Big Pit
The Wye valley in the southeast is very pretty and there are a number of places
there that are worth a visit. Hay-on-Wye has become the used-book capital of

  Tintern Abbey
the world and holds an annual book festival. Tintern Abbey is simply spectacular
and is near Chepstow that has a famous racecourse.Lastly, the south coast of
Wales from Cardiff going west is one of Britain’s best-kept secrets. No wonder
some of it has been made into a national park. Right at the tip of South Wales is
St. Davids. Named after Wales’ patron saint, it has a well preserved cathedral
that dates back to the 6th. century when monks formed a monastery on the site
where the present structure stands. It was finished in 1182 …quite modern in
these parts! St. Davids, the town, is the smallest cathedral town in Britain. (trivia
…the pub just above the cathedral grounds serves a very good fish-and-chips!
Just the thing to regurgitate after a few pints! Excuse my sense of humour…again!)
Well, that’s just scratched the surface of Wales. If you want to know more you
only need to give me a call or email me. I just hope I have whetted your appetite
for a land of much more than just songs.