I have almost successfully completed April’s A-Z challenge
as I add 26 locations to my bucket list of places that I’d like to visit. As I’ve said earlier, I am going to be a
little tight on time (and I haven’t written up X, Y and Z yet) this week, but I
do plan to finish!
According to the United States of America State Department,
there are no countries that begin with a “W.”
Another internet site (www.politicalresources.net)
suggests there are three (Western Sahara, Wallis and Futuna and Western Samoa)
and a fourth is an alternative name for Belarus (White Russia). I’ve never heard that White Russia that wasn’t
either a drink or a party during the struggle for Russia following the fall of
the Czar. As for Western Sahara, it
seems to be a territory claimed by two other African countries (Sahrawi Arab
Democratic Republic and Morocco). I
never heard of Wallis and Futuna and Western Samoa is a part of Samoa and doesn’t
seem to be any more of a country than West Virginia. I could choose a city
(Warsaw would be one and I’d like to go there), but there is a country that
begins with W, only it is a part of another much larger country—the United
Kingdom. The country that I will add to
my bucket list is Wales. It has a neat flag!
From everything I’ve seen Wales is beautiful. Of course, John Ford in his movie “How Green
Was My Valley” placed that beauty in the past tense, but it appears that much
beauty remains even though I am sure there are still places recovering from the
worst of coal mining practices. But the
coal created a number of railroads, a number of which still exist and run
excursion steam trains through the countryside.
So I can come into Wales a modern British Rail line (perhaps taking a
stop along the way in Cornwall) and then see the countryside by trains pulled
by coal burning steam locomotives. It
would be a country to also explore by foot, among the hills and along the
shoreline. There are ancient castles to
explore (five along in Cardiff) and festivals to enjoy. Cardiff is one of the greenish cities, I’m
told, with more green space per capita than anywhere else in Great
Britain. I’d feast on lamb and drown my
thirst in many of Cardiff’s pubs (before heading out into the countryside). Until I visit, maybe I should watch “How Green was my Valley” again and read some Dylan Thomas poems (and hopefully I will visit before I go gently into that good night).
Love those accents in Wales.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to visit Wales, too - it's where my mother's side of the family hails from. My sisters and I focus on the Scottish side of the family all too often. I just submitted my DNA for a test that will tell me definitely where my roots are.
ReplyDeleteWales does sound lovely, and yes the accents - Richard Burton's specifically. He once was asked to read a bit of the telephone book and he sounded like he was reading Shakespeare.
ReplyDeleteI watched the movie after we read the book for book club. Wales is another great choice.
ReplyDeleteWales is perfect, and a place that I've recently discovered as the birthplace of relatives on my grandmother's (my father's mother) side of the family. So a bit of research before our visit is a must!
ReplyDeleteI spent a week in Wales staying at an oceanside place (within castle walls) called Conwy. I had a blast. If you do make it there, I would suggest a day spent climbing Snowdon mountain nearby. It has two things to interest you. There is an old train that will take you up and down and there is also a very beautiful and well worn path to do it by legs as well. Most take the train up and down, fewer take the train up and walk down and the rare one walks both ways. I can't tell you about the view as the day I was up there, about five feet was all I could see in any direction and it was cold as heck!
ReplyDeleteOh and Wales is the only place I've ever been where people speak English to me and I still have absolutely no idea what they just said.
ReplyDeleteWales is lovely. It's an odd place in some ways. It has a rectangular shape and is mostly settles in the corners and the edge. The middle is mountain for the most part. The south was like Minnesota, in that it has heavy mining of coal and copper. While the north would be more like West Virginia. It's heavily influenced nowadays with nationalism. Way more than the Irish or Scots. But more focused on the language and culture than either of the other two.
ReplyDeleteIf you do get to Wales try to see Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru or the international one. Early August and mid July respectively.
I would like to visit there also. I am part Welsh in lineage so it would hold a special interest for me for that reason.
ReplyDeleteWell, there's always Washington state or Washington D.C. if you're into museums. Wales does look lovely though.
ReplyDeleteI've read so many books set in Wales. It is definitely a place I would love to visit.
ReplyDelete@Kathleen01930
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#AtoZchallenge
Wales is indeed lovely, but man is their language a tongue twister. I could never figure out how to pronounce any of their streets, so asking directions always made the natives laugh. Oh well, I made some interesting friends who wanted to correct my Welsh.
ReplyDeleteSounds like an interesting place to visit.
ReplyDeleteI know a good joke about three ladies from wales. But I'm not going to repeat it in polite company
ReplyDeleteI hear it's a pretty country, but I'd never be able to learn the language. Fortunately, I understand many there speak English.
ReplyDelete... a good place to visit.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Well, I have been to Wales and loved it. :-) It did rain a lot when we went, in summertime six years ago but it was worth it. We stayed in Cardigan, west Wales, near the coast. Look it up. It has probably the best pub I have ever eaten in in the UK. Great grub and lovely, friendly staff.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
I love Wales! Have done for ages, since I was a little kid. Hmm, maybe having seen How Green Was My Valley at a young age had something to do with that... Or maybe that also can be linked to TOlkien :-)
ReplyDeleteLast year or the year before they opened up the entire west coast of Wales as a walking path. I'd love to walk that someday!