History
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| Celtic warriors |
The
history of Wales begins with the celts 3000 years ago, they spoke a
language called Brythonic which later became Welsh. The Saxons
followed the Celts in the year 500 en up to 1066, Wales was regarded
as a free sovereign territory, separated from England. In that year
the Normans invaded England, but the Welsh people proved to be pretty
resistant. For the next 500 years there were periods of relative
tranquility and peace interspaced with frequent battles and
subsequent loss of land to the English, which finally led to the
signing of the act of union in 1536. This made Wales politically one
with England and gave rise to the name Britain.
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| Ddraig Goch |
There
are many legends about the mysterious Celts; one legend has is that
Merlin, the great magician, was born in a place called Caerfyrddin
(Carmarthen) in Wales. King Arthur also has a Welsh connection since
the word ARTH means bear. Furthermore ,Llyn Llydaw in Wales ,is
believed to be the lake where Excalibur, Arthur's sword was thrown.
The national flag, with the red dragon (Ddraig Goch) is said to have
been used by King Arthur and other leaders from ancient times.
Wales has many of these legends and sites, including castles and
graves of giants and sorcerers, that still today have a magical
atmosphere about them. These locations take us back to a time of
wonder and awe. So “ ddod i ymeld” or come and visit!
The
language
Wales
has 2 official languages, which are Welsh and English. Welsh or
Cymraeg is a language that is spoken by almost 20% of the population
and is still taught in schools. People are proud of their cultural
heritage and want to preserve it.
There are Welsh radio and t.v
shows, the weather forecast is presented in Welsh, and there are
Welsh magazines to keep the language thriving. To give you a brief
sample of the Gaelic language, here are some expressions, Bore da
means good morning and Nos da is good night, but Pob Iwc or good luck
with the pronunciation, because it is quite difficult. If you are
interested, here is a link to listen to the spoken language. ( Welsh )
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| Both languages coexist |
The
5 regions
There
are 5 regions to be found in Wales, they are:
- North West, with Mount Snowdon, Wales' highest mountain and the town with the weirdest and longest name in the world Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch,
The Regions of Wales North East, the region where the UK airbus is assembled, and home to Castell Dinas Bran, the resting place of the Holy Grail.- Mid Wales, where we can visit many small towns and beautiful and tranquil lakes to fish or row a boat and discover nature.
- South Wales, land of Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta Jones. We can visit Pembrokeshire coast, to observe seals, tortoise and even dolphins.
- South East, where we find the capital city Cardiff and its international airport.
The
food
Wales
is home to a large fish industry, so fresh fish is usually on any
menu be it from the home made to the finest three star restaurant. We
have the pembrokeshire potato and mackerel salad or the pan-fried
salmon and curried mussels. Try the Laverbread, which I not actually
bread, but seaweed and eggs and cockles (click for recipe Laverbread).
.jpeg) |
| Roast Welsh Lamb |
Or
for meat lovers there is the Roast Welsh Lamb or the Slow Braised
Welsh lamb shoulder and for dessert Chocolate Truffle with Welsh
Whiskey Liqueur or a more homey Welsh Cake made with also sorts of
fruit and toppings.
Restaurants
to pay a worthwhile visit to are The Felin Fach Griffin Inn, located
in Mid Wales. It serves local food and does so in a simple and
charming manner. There is also The Bell at Skenfirth, a completely
restored 17th century inn, which has won several awards.
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| The restored Bell at Skenfirth |
Sports
Rugby,
winning the nations cup 4 times, and soccer are the most popular
sports in Wales at the moment. For rugby we can stop by at the impressive Millennium stadium in Cardiff. (click to view Millenium Stadium)The FAW or Football Association of
Wales, established in 1876, is one of the oldest in the world. The
teams from Cardiff City, Swansea City and Wrexham are the most
popular currently.
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| "swimming in a bog" |
There
are the alternative “sports” such as the world bog snorkeling and
the man vs horse marathon for those who crave a different kind of
excitement. The world bog title is held at the moment by Dineka
Maguire , 18 years old from Northern Ireland, which proves that
you're never too young or old to become whatever you want to be.
Climate
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| Winter in Wales |
Wales,
like all the countries of the British Isles, has mild summers and
mild winters.
The weather can change quickly, since there are coastal
flat areas, valleys and mountains; all in a relative small area. The
wettest period starts in Autumn and may end in January, so dress
accordingly.
If you love snow, stop by in winter, as the Welsh
scenery offers spectacular views; especially mount Snowdon looks
enchanting.
Traditions
Welsh
people have many traditions that date back to olden times and
commemorate legends and important times in history. We have the Nos
Galen races, a yearly race held on new year's eve, in honor of Guto
Nuth Bran (1700-1737), a legendary runner from Llwyncelyn , who ran
so fast that he could catch a bird in its flight!
Mari
Lwyd gives us the singing of Welsh rhyming insults; people go from
door to door with a horse figure made of a horse skull wrapped in a
white
sheet with reigns and bells. At the end of these song the
singing group is invited inside to enjoy some drinks.
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| The Welsh tradition of Mari Llyd. |
The
giving and receiving of “love spoons dates back to the 17 century,
they are decorated in a way that give them a special meaning, a
dragon would be protection and balls in a cage represented, the
number of children . Today they mark unique occasions such as births,
or weddings and are excellent souvenirs to remind you of the good
Welsh people and the amazing country that is Wales.
http://wales.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/safeguarding_the_natural_world/protecting_our_seas/fabulous_fish_recipes2/
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