By Marcia Abramson
Wales is also known to have one of Europe's largest concentration of more than 400 castles spread around the country. They were originally built as fortresses for protection against the invading British and Norman armies. I was particularly impressed with The Fairy Castle, (Castell Coch, Welsh for Red Castle). This could easily have been Cinderella's Prince Charming's Home. Actually, this is a true representation of the romantic Victorian Age designed by the renowned architect William Burges for the 3rd Marquis of Bute. It is located a short distance from Cardiff and is in a beautiful wooded hillside.Another must-visit is the Museum of Welsh Life at St. Fagan's. The museum portrays the last 500 years of Welsh history and tradition. It is on 100 acres of parkland with more than 30 of the original buildings from all parts of Wales. They were then erected in the glorious woods and illustrated how the Welsh people lived over the years. I could not leave the museum without purchasing a "lovespoon." This is still an important part of Welsh culture. It is a wooden spoon carved by a young man and presented to his sweetheart as a token of his affection (much less costly than a diamond ring). The earliest surviving spoon dates back to 1667. The spoon may be plain or finely designed with symbols of birds, hearts, wheels, etc. each representing a different meaning to the young couple.Your itinerary in Wales should include the Llandaff Cathedral, one of the earliest places of worship, dating back to ancient times before Augustine arrived in England. The Cathedral's colorful history is evident in its stones and different types of architecture. There is the ancient Celtic Cross, a prototype built in the 12th century as the first stone church. The cathedral suffered extensive damage over the years and reached a climax after massive destructive bombings during World War II. This necessitated a huge restoration and rebuilding of this important landmark.I also found the celebrity connections to Wales very interesting when pointed out to me. I particularly loved the scenery and Welsh people from the town of Llanrhaeadr ym Mochnant, where Hugh Grant filmed the charming "The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain." (The spellings are in Welsh, and not in error.) The declaration that the measurements of the hill were equivalent to those of a mountain was important to the townspeople and so an Englishman climbed the hill and brought back the measurements to qualify the hill as a mountain.The actor Pierce Brosnan is dedicated to fishing in Carmarthenshire and Dylan Thomas Country, former President Jimmy Carter is a big Dylan Thomas fan and visitor to the South-West Wales area and Mick Jagger is another devotee of Dylan Thomas and South-West Wales. Michael Douglas is said to love his wife. Catherine Zeta-Jones's native Swansea and South-West Wales. Anthony Hopkins is a frequent visitor to his place of birth in Port Talbot in South Wales. The rolling hills, stunning mountain ranges, open moorlands, lush wooded valleys and old market towns, quaint villages and a rugged coast line have been the locales for a good number of Hollywood films starring Sean Connery, Richard Gere and Meg Ryan. Wales is about a two-hour drive from London and easily accessible by rail from London's Paddington Station. As of May 19, Continental Airlines will fly directly from their New York-area hub at Newark Liberty International Airport to Bristol Airport in England, which is a better and shorter connection to Wales. Next week it's the English Countryside in the Cotswolds and Wiltshire For additional information you can visit www.visitbritain.org or your travel professional.
Copyright by Marcia AbramsonE-mail: mascribe@aol.com+
