Fun Page
If you know
Peter Murphy, then you know his sense of humor is never
far from surfacing, even in the hilly terrain of Wales.... The Welsh word for fun is cellweiriau. Try
and say that three times fast, or even once at normal speed. We hope you
enjoy these tidbits.
• Have you heard of St. David's Day?
• Quick Guide to Welsh Pronunciation
• Mushy Peas Anyone?
• Famous Welsh Writers & Celebrities
• Shady Characters in Wales
• Ali G Investigates Wales
• Top 10 Reasons Not to Attend
Have you heard of St. David's Day?
St.
David's Day, the Welsh equivalent of the Fourth of July, is virtually
unknown to Americans.
Dewi Sant (a.k.a. St. David) is the patron saint of Wales, a place you
may already know is close to my heart. The custom is to wear a leek or
daffodil to celebrate the day, but no one will blame you for passing on
wearing vegetables to work on March 1st.
Take this fun quiz to test your knowledge of the Welsh national holiday.
Quick Guide to Welsh Pronunciation
Wales is a bilingual country and you will find signs in both Welsh and English. Although Welsh appears to be a
tricky language, much of it is phonetic. You certainly won't need to
speak Welsh to enjoy your trip, but you will have more fun if you give
it a shot.
Welsh place names are largely descriptive. The most famous example of this is the town shown below:
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwy
St. Mary in the hollow of white hazel trees
near the rapid whirlpool by St. Tysilio's of the red cave."
Bicycle Beano, a group that leads cycling holidays, has put together a neat pronunciation guide where you'll learn how to say Welsh words like cwm (valley) as well as the names of towns like Caernarfon and Llanberis. Visit their Quick Guide to Pronouncing Welsh Words to get started.
Mushy Peas Anyone?
When was the last time you ate Mushy Peas?
Don't worry, this menu was at a café in Beddgelert, not at Trigonos.
Famous Welsh Writers & Celebrities
| Christian Bale | Rhys Ifans |
| Shirley Bassey | Tom Jones |
| Richard Burton | Desmond Llewelyn |
| Charlotte Church | Ray Milland |
| Roald Dahl | Jonathan Pryce |
| Timothy Dalton | John Rhys-Davies |
| John Rhys Davies | Bertrand Russell |
| Dick Francis | Dylan Thomas |
| Ryan Giggs | Robbie Williams |
| Ioan Gruffudd | Catherine Zeta-Jones |
| Anthony Hopkins (pictured) |
Shady Characters in Wales
On a recent visit to Wales, we encountered the following suspicious characters. Approach with caution!
 |
 |
| Thugs | Gangs |
 |
|
| A Burglar | And a vagrant waiting to hop the next train |
Ali G Investigates Wales
Ali G, alter ego of English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, is up to his
usual antics when he visits "the Wales" and interviews a politician,
miner and language tutor and has a sing along with a male choir.
Top 10 Reasons Not to Attend the Wales Getaway
In the spirit of David Letterman. . .
10. You don't do nature.
9. Your On Demand is on the blink and you would miss your TV shows.
8. Life
is long enough.
7. You have plenty of time to write.
6. Castles are soooo boring!
5. Good food. Fresh air. Stimulating company. Beautiful landscapes.
Yuk!
4. You do want to leave it all to your children.
3. You've never been outside of New York City.
2. Wales. . .isn't that a fish?
1. Your latest book tour, paid for by your publisher, will have you
otherwise committed.
Can't wait to attend?
Join us for a transformative week of writing, relaxing and exploring this spectacular, lesser known Celtic gem. Take advantage of daily writing time, workshops, organic meals and relaxing by the lake.