Ten Thoughts About Wales

1. It was once covered by enormous glaciers and is therefore extremely fertile and folded. Deep valleys and rugged, high mountains. Perfect for climbing.

2. Cold and wet and forested.

3. Way off the beaten path.

4. Welsh is the primary language of Wales. Listening to people speak is like hearing voices reaching out from the depths history. The sound is odd, mystical and archaic. The place names all mean something significant. Most people speak English as a second language. Wales is home to the longest place name in the world. See if you can pronounce this -

5. I can now pronounce the double ‘ll’s’ and the double ‘dd’s’. Can’t teach you though.

6. The art of the storyteller, the bard, is still alive in Wales.

7. The men of Wales are not only extremely cute, as are the children, they have wonderful singing voices, as do the children. The men’s choir in Caernarfon is really something.

8. Eight because it’s a lucky number. I think the people of North Wales appreciate their isolation. It doesn’t bother them to be forgotten by big busloads of tourists.

9. There’s something extra here. Despite the dramatic landscape, there’s a softness about the area, almost maternal in nature, a sense of being welcomed home. It’s not a feeling I can easily describe. Once I get my photos transferred onto the computer perhaps you’ll be able to see what I mean.

10. It’s no wonder poets, artists and actors come from Wales.