Bore da, fy ffrindiau!
That's right, it's March 1st and that
can only mean it's St. David's Day; David being the patron saint of Wales.
The daffodils and leeks, yes I’m talking about the vegetable, will be
worn proudly and song will ring out around the land. Oh Wales...it’s a
special place. So special, that some people don’t even know where it
is! For those of you wondering, it’s that section of Great Britain west
of a majority of England. It almost looks like someone took a bite out of
its side, can’t blame them, it’s a yummy place. Some people would
probably mind that people don’t know where their country is but for me (not
that it’s my country...yet) I don’t mind at all. It’s a wonderful and
secret place, largely untouched by the mass migrations of tourists.
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| Great Britain, thanks NASA! |
Wales is one of the countries that
makes up Great Britain. This usually confuses people because 'isn’t Great
Britain a country so how can Wales be a country?' Well, it’s funny you should
ask. The term Great Britain in fact refers to the island that floats off
the coast of Europe in the North Sea. Great Britain is then made up of
three countries: England, Scotland and Wales. Those three plus Northern
Ireland and other island territories combine to make the United Kingdom (by
far, the coolest of the Transformers). If it helps, think of the
countries as states (with limited government) and the United Kingdom as the
United States.
While it’s tempting to jump into a
historical narrative of Wales, I will try to keep it brief. Wales is one
of the Celtic nations; the others being Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man,
Cornwall and Brittany. Once the Romans skeedaddled, the last leaving by
410BCE, multiple kingdoms emerged; these were independent from the mostly
Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in England. It wasn’t until 1216 that the various
kingdoms were unified and ruled by the Prince of Wales, Llewelyn if you are
curious. Unfortunately, that didn’t last long. English king Edward
I was all about conquering other people. He conquered Wales in 1283 after
building tons of castles to keep the Welsh down. If the name sounds
familiar, this is the same king that invaded Scotland and battled against
William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. It was also Edward I that
repurposed the title of Prince of Wales. His son, Edward II, became the
first heir to the English throne to be given the title. Basically Wales
lived under some level of occupation until 1535 when King Henry VIII (his
dynasty, the Tudors, had its beginnings in Wales) incorporated Wales
under the legal system of England. Since then they have been linked
together. In 1998, The Government of Wales Act was passed and the
National Assembly for Wales, which is able to make laws for Wales, was
created. In 2006, the National Assembly was given even more power.
So that’s pretty much the shortest
summary of Welsh history, EVER. But if you are asking ‘why go into all
that detail for a travel blog’ the answer is two fold: 1. Wales’ history is
integral to their culture and 2. I have a degree in history so I might as well
use it for something! So what is it to be Welsh? They have that pride that can only come from
being the perennial underdog. They wax poetically about their country;
the hills and valleys, the rugged coast line, the stunning mountains. And
if you’ve experienced the beauty that Wales has to offer, you know they aren’t
exaggerating. The country is a living paradox, from the motorway across
South Wales, you might think it’s all an industrial wasteland but take a quick
detour on to a country lane and you’ll feel like you’ve been transported
centuries back. Mid Wales might as well be a kingdom of sheep, people are
outnumbered by sheep almost 4 to 1. Wales
is reknowned for their music. Don’t believe me? All you need do is
listen to a little Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Stereophonics or Duffy; though
the Welsh would most likely point to their much-lauded men’s choirs before the
pop charts. The language itself, Wales is bilingual and that becomes
obvious as soon as you cross the border and start reading the road signs, has a
lyrical quality to it and the accent has a gravitas that resonates deep within;
listen to Richard Burton or Anthony Hopkins. But performing arts
aside, they are also some of the friendliest people you will ever come
across. Some of my most favorite travel moments have been conversations
with random strangers. As one Welsh person put it on my last visit,
‘we’re terribly nosy.’
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| Harlech Castle |
The one good
thing Edward I did in Wales, and it could be argued in his whole life, was
build castles. Yes, at the time they were tools of oppression but boy are
they fun to visit now! He built or repaired 17 castles during his
campaign against the Welsh. It’s some of these castles that are the most
iconic of all of Wales’ many castles. There are over 400 castles in a
country that is roughly the size of New Jersey or El Salvador, if that
helps. Of course some of those 400 castles are just a few piles or rocks
or earthen mounds. I’ve only been to 64 of them so far, I know...what a
slacker. There is just something amazing about being able to walk amongst
the walls and foundations of something built 800 years ago. And thanks to
the beautiful hills that Wales has to offer, most castles come complete with
breathtaking scenery. And when you go off the beaten path to explore some
of the more forgotten castles, you usually have them all to yourself which is
something special. Some have stood the time of time well and it takes
little imagination to envision them in working order while others have been
left to be reclaimed by nature; the crumbling walls covered in greenery. I think
picking a favorite castle would be like picking a favorite child, they each
have their own personality and uniqueness.
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| Worms Head, Rhossili Bay |
But
castles aren’t the only thing that Wales has to offer. It has some of the
best scenery you could imagine from the rugged mountains and bright blue lakes
to the rolling green valleys dotted with sheep to the sheer cliffs that rush
down to meet the ocean. One of my most favorite corners of the world is
the Gower Peninsula in South Wales. It's minutes away from the bustling
city of Swansea, Wales' second largest city, but you would never guess that.
A majority of the inner part of the peninsula is common land so you are
just as likely to share the road with grazing horses, sheep or cows as you are
with vehicles. The Gower has a fair share of castles to over but it's the
coastline that makes it a real treasure, especially Rhossili Bay. The
wind rushes along the rugged cliffs that spread out across the Bristol Bay and
while most visitors would wisely avoid going too close to the edge the sheep
have no such worries, often times being perched on perilous drops.
If
you are lucky, you will visit a place where you feel truly at home. It
might not be for every visitor that crosses over the Severn River, but to me
that place is Wales. The scenery, the
history, the music, the people all make Wales a special place.
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| Castell y Bere |
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| Snowdonia, the mountain region of North Wales |
