Caernarfon is a good place too. I can recommend Caffi Maes.
Every time I’ve been in, they’ve been friendly. I think they would be very accommodating to Welsh learners. The top floor can get like an oven in summer, but I love their burger dishes - good portion sizes and I’m usually totally full afterwards! It’s a favourite of mine in Caernarfon. Down some of the little streets there are interesting ice cream places as well.
Baruch, you must go to the Ty Hwnt i’r Bont in Llanrwst. There are teatime selections where you get a mixture of dishes. Me and my mum made the mistake of ordering one where it includes bread, scones, bara brith and a cake. I think it came on 2-3 dishes it was so big! We actually couldn’t fit it all in, and all the tourists were staring at us! So, be careful what you order I guess because it’s easy to order too much in there . The scones are very good, so stick to them in terms of sweet things. I’m not sure if you’ll get to practice Welsh much there, but visit anyway. It’s a gem.
Also, if you want to buy local produce, always look at the back if you want to make sure if something is actually locally made in Wales. Tourists often want something locally made when it comes to food produce especially. However, they often don’t realise that it’s very common for companies to slap on their own label on the front of a jam jar and make it look cute or cottage-style, but actually it might be mass produced in a factory in England. Also, I don’t remember where you are from, but if you’re buying honey, check first if you can carry it back to your home country on a place. Some countries have restrictions on this,
If you manage to get as far South as Aberystwyh, I’d be delighted to meet you and share a coffi/cwrw with you **. Your appetite for railways (which I share) would be satisfied by a trip on our beautiful Devil’s Bridge Railway Rheilffordd Rheidol.
Aberystwyth is a coastal University town where there is ample opportunity to talk Welsh (predominately Southern dialect)
If you can travel a little less towards the South, there is another wonderful, historic narrow gauge railway which starts at Tywyn. Talyllyn Railway
There is a bus from Caernarfon to Aberystwyth (T2) which takes about 3 hours.
** I’m leaving on holiday about 15th September.
Huw
I would also be happy to meet for a chat while you’re down if I’m free . Did you visit the Llyn Peninsula when you were last down Baruch ? It’s beautiful down there and most parts of it are very Welsh . Also if you fancy a day on the beach and you’re lucky with the weather (September can quite often be a decent month for weather) I would recommend visiting the beach at Dinas Dinlle a couple of miles past Caernarfon . I went there for the first time the weekend before last and can’t believe I’ve never found it before. It’s really stunning and Welsh was by far the majority language spoken there (which isn’t the case in my experience on beaches on the Llyn Peninsula and Ynys Mon during tourist season) There are also a couple of cafes there where you could practice your Welsh
Apologies, @Baruch - it was me who started the hare running in the opposite direction by mentioning North Wales’s monolingual railway!
I’m normally a great believer in “sticking to the point” - I only mentioned this because I hoped you weren’t expecting a “Welsh language experience” on the railway!
Based on my own two holidays in North Wales, the places I heard the most Welsh spoken were Caernarfon (definitely), Porthmadog, Dolgellau, and a bit in Bangor. (And certainly nothing in Llandudno and surrounds!).
Do have a good trip, and hopefully speak lots of Cymraeg! You posted something before on visiting Llanwrst, didn’t you? . I hope you can repeat the positive experiences you had there.
Hwyl, Gavin
Quick PS for @henddraig: the “railway experiences” I mentioned took place less than twelve months ago.
Ha ha, showing my age now. The first time I visited Snowdonia, there was no problem finding Welsh speakers. In fact there were a few who couldn’t speak English
I’m staying just outside Betws-y-Coed from 6 - 13 September and getting around by public transport, so that more or less limits me roughly to Conwy Valley - Snowdonia - north coast areas, maybe as far as Caernarfon.
Apologies if someone has already mentioned this, but because I don’t know its official name I can’t be sure. There’s a lovely steam train that runs from Porthmadog across the cob to … Harlech? Perhaps stopping at Portmeirion on the way? I’m not a great enthusiast (sorry!) so I’ve never paid much attention to the detail, but last time we drove past it gave me a very cute ‘toot-toot’ (yes - of course that was specifically for me … don’t try to persuade me otherwise
Ah I see. I enjoyed Castell Conwy, however, I was starting to get quite castled out by this stage. I didn’t stay in Conwy for very long we headed along the coast to Llanelwy to see Emma’s Taid. However, I have seen a programme with Tudor Owen in Conwy and it seemed like quite a Welsh speaking town. Either way, I’m sure you’ll be able to find Welsh there. Unfortunately Betws - Rhuthun is just short of three hours by public transport, whilst its about 40 minutes in the car. If you do end up near Rhuthun, it’s a lovely town and Dyffryn Clwyd is a beautiful area.
Both the Ffestiniog Railway and the Welsh Highland Railway have stations in Porthmadog, but the one that runs along the cob (the Ffestiniog) doesn’t go to Harlech - that’s the main line only (Arriva diesel!). None of the trains go to Portmeirion, although the Minffordd station (the main line and the Ffestiniog go through here) is not too far away. @Baruch as a railway enthusiast you well have seen this already ;-), but in case you haven’t (and for anyone else curious!) there is a zoomable map of the routes of the Ff and WHR here: http://www.festrail.co.uk/route.htm
Yes, I can do that and on those dates, just a short car journey away. Will look forward to meeting, I’m really flexible so can be any time/day to suit.
As my trip to Wales, which I’m undertaking for the purpose of trying out my elementary Welsh, draws closer, I’d like to ask again if anyone is willing to meet up with me and have a chat in Welsh!
I will be in Wales from Wed 6 - Wed 13 September, staying in a rented apartment just outside Betws-y-Coed. I will be using public transport (I don’t drive, out of choice). Therefore, the areas I can comfortably travel to are roughly along the Conwy Valley from Llandudno/Conwy to Blaenau Ffestiniog, along the north coast from (say) Bae Colwyn to Caernarfon and west as far as about Beddgelert.
It would be a pleasure for me to meet anyone!
Aran: I’m planning to be in Caernarfon. Let me know; I’d indeed like to meet up.
. The scones are very good, so stick to them in terms of sweet things. I’m not sure if you’ll get to practice Welsh much there, but visit anyway. It’s a gem.
. Did you visit the Llyn Peninsula when you were last down Baruch ? It’s beautiful down there and most parts of it are very Welsh . Also if you fancy a day on the beach and you’re lucky with the weather (September can quite often be a decent month for weather) I would recommend visiting the beach at Dinas Dinlle a couple of miles past Caernarfon . I went there for the first time the weekend before last and can’t believe I’ve never found it before. It’s really stunning and Welsh was by far the majority language spoken there (which isn’t the case in my experience on beaches on the Llyn Peninsula and Ynys Mon during tourist season) There are also a couple of cafes there where you could practice your Welsh 