Not many American tourists visit Wales. It is located on the western border of England; the capital city, Cardiff, just two hours by train from London. Wales is a small country, about the size of Massachusetts, has 641 castles (more than any other country in Europe), 11 million sheep, 750 miles of coastline, and three national parks. It is the only country in the world where visitors can walk all around the entire border. English is commonly spoken, but Welsh (Gaelic) can be heard, mostly in North Wales. I think it has one of the most unusual and striking flags – a red dragon on a green background.
My husband wanted to go and trace his ancestors, who supposedly were coal miners from South Wales. "Jones" is one of the most common names in Wales. We used to say “Jones the Baker”, “Jones the Vicar”, or “Jones the Butcher” as this was an easy way of identifying the correct Jones. Other popular names are Lewis, Evans, Griffiths and Roberts. My grandparents lived in North Wales, and were also named Jones (from Betws-Y-Coed).
The only train service is London to Cardiff. No where else in the country do trains run. If you want to start your journey in North Wales, then take the train London to Chester, and drive across the border. The only other way of getting around is by National Express bus, which is excellent and in the north, Crosville Cymru.
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I think North Wales is the prettiest part of the land. There are no motorways, only two-lane roads with large hedges. My husband Roy didn’t like driving in the very narrow lanes on the wrong side of the road. The mountain roads can be closed in the winter.
Welsh names can be long, and difficult to say. The longest of all is a village on the Isle of Anglesey called "Llanfairpwllgwygyllgogerychwyrndrobwlllantysiliogogogh", which means "Saint Mary's Church in a hollow of white hazel near the swirling whirlpool of the church of Saint Tysilio with a red cave". We locals call it “Llanfairpg”. I think standing under the name at the village at the railway station to have your photo taken is the most popular thing to do.
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I had a plate name for our house at Lake Tahoe “Llanfairfechan” which in Gaelic means “Little Maureen’s House”.
It is traditional that the Welsh only allow men to sing in their choirs, and the Welsh National Eisteddfod is a wonderful musical festival to attend and the venue changes each year. It covers poetry, music, and dancing the first week of August, and the International Music Eisteddfod is held every July in a field just outside Llangollen in North Wales.
The climate is unpredictable and all I can say is – carry a brolly (umbrella) at all times. We don’t say its raining, we say – its misty. South Wales is where the steel industry and the coal mines where. These businesses collapsed and there is only mine you can take a tour of. It is mostly an agricultural country. There is very good fishing throughout Wales, and the River Dee is the most famous one in the North, particularly for salmon.
The finest medieval castles are Caernarfon, Harlech, Conway and Beaumaris and are well worth a visit. They have lots of different customs, like most places are closed on Sundays, even the local pub. We used to go in the back door, since we spoke Gaelic.
The highlights of the country are Snowdonia National Park, with its mountain railway, Portmeirion Italiante village (famous for it’s high-end pottery and being the setting of Patrick McGoohan’s television series, ‘The Prisoner’), various castles (Caernarfon and Conway are the best), the Isle of Anglesey, the Eisteddfod event in July, Ffestiniog narrow gauge Mountain Railway, which are all in the north; then you can drive right down in the middle of the country and finish up in Cardiff.
A must see if you are a garden lover, is Bodnant Gardens; from Betws-y-Coed take the A470 following the eastern bank of the River Conwy north as it winds its way to the sea. After passing thru the village of Tal-y-Cafn, the gardens are on your right, where you’ll find hundreds of acres of camellias, rhododendrons, magnolias and laburnum. It’s particularly breathtaking in the Spring, and open mid-March to October.
Maureen Jones is president of All Horizons Travel, at 160 Main Street, Los Altos. Members of her staff are experts in business travel, cruises, and all types of leisure.
