Bore da, pawb! I have spent the last 8 days in wonderful Wales. My Welsh family wondered why I was traveling there in January, in the middle of winter, but the airfares are less than half the cost of summer flights, flights are less than half full and it's warmer and less snowy than New England!
Did it rain? Yes it rained. I think it rained every day at some point....but it didn't stop my mum and I doing anything on our list.
We drove through Snowdonia, via Betws-y-Coed for lunch and shopping for Welsh "things" that I just can't do without, stopped for photographs of the snowy mountain tops and steel grey lakes, through Capel Curig and Caernarfon and back home to Rhos-on-Sea on the North Wales coast.
Another day took us around the place of my Taid's ancestors, the isle of Anglesey, with lunch at the White Eagle in Rhoscolyn overlooking the Lleyn Peninsular and a drive around its' coast through Llanfaethlu, Bull Bay, Amlwch, and Benllech then back across the Menai Straits to the shores of Bangor and home.
Restaurants and pubs in Wales are increasingly noting the source of their meats, seafood and vegetables. Locally grown produce and local farm-raised meats are served on every menu. I enjoyed local beef, partridge and lamb. We watched a fishing boat trawling back and forth on the Menai Straits for Anglesey mussels while enjoying an afternoon tea of scones, bara brith and lemon curd mousse etc. Heaven? Close to it.
I'll see you on St. David's Day for our lunch and "Welsh traditions" presentation which promises to be wonderful.
Hwyl!
Susan Davies Sit, President