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Odds n' Ends..! |
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Apart from the name and the fame, what do singer Tom Jones and
movie star Catherine Zeta Jones have in common? Answer: they
are both Welsh. Wales has also produced the great poet Dylan
Thomas, actors Richard Burton and Sir Anthony Hopkins, British
Prime Minister David Lloyd George, Augustus John and Laura Ashley.
Not to mention noted rock group the Manic Street Preachers.
Known for its dramatic mountain peaks, national parks and medieval
castles, Wales lies to the west of England and is about 170
miles long by 60 miles wide - roughly the size of Massachusetts
or half the size of Switzerland. Wales is the original Britain.
Many of Britain's Celtic inhabitants retreated into this region
under pressure of repeated invasions, starting with the Romans
in 43 AD and continuing with Vikings and the arrival of the
Germanic tribes - the Jutes, Angles and Saxons. The Saxons were
the last straw.
Celtic resistance to them was fierce - King
Arthur is believed to have been a chieftain or warrior who led
resistance to the 6th century Saxon invasion - but the invaders
drove the ancient Britons relentlessly westwards. Not even the
legendary Welsh wizard Merlin could prevent that. The Saxons
disparagingly called the Britons whealhas, meaning "foreigners",
which is where the word Wales comes from.
In 790 AD, the court of powerful King Offa of Mercia grew concerned
when the King became obsessed with an enormous dyke. But it
was for good reason. The king built the great earthen rampart
of Offa's Dyke from north to south, separating the land, which
eventually became Wales and protecting his kingdom from the
marauding Welsh.
Wales today maintains a sense of separateness. Called Cymru
(pronounced kumree) in Welsh, Wales has its own language, compulsory
in Welsh schools. Welsh pronunciation takes a little getting
used to - for instance the little Welsh village of Betws-y-Coed
is pronounced betus. Most Welsh people speak English more than
they speak Welsh - but don't refer to the Welsh as English or
to Wales as England. For a start, it's incorrect - and it can
be considered an insult. Wales has its own flag, its own National
Assembly and its own television channel, with quite a few of
the programs in Welsh.
The traveller in Wales can explore fabulous high country like
the Brecon Beacons, the remote mountains of Llanberis and Snowdon
and enjoy some excellent examples of the castle builder's art.
The town of Conwy, guarded by immense Conwy Castle, is one of
the best-preserved medieval fortified towns in Britain. The
"big four" castles in Wales (Harlech, Conwy, Caernarfon and
Beaumaris) are among the finest in Europe.
On the main line between Bangor and Holyhead you may choose
to stop at Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
where they sell large souvenir platform tickets.
REGIONS
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