Today I received a very thoughtful gift from a good friend of mine.
On my first Bwtcamp experience @Iestyn took us for a drive from Y Sioe Aberteifi to a place on the coast. It was one of those Bootcamp mornings where you’d tried to talk to loads of people and had noticed more of your mistakes than successes (in other words, a very productive morning that had done loads for your language you just hadn’t realised it yet). So I was feeling exhausted. We wound our way down the country lanes (like most days in West Wales) and pulled up in this Cove. The sun was beaming. In the middle of a field next to an outcrop was this beautiful white capel. Iestyn told us the story of the Capel’s bell (i won’t drop any spoilers) then a few of us climbed to the top of the outcrop and saw a small pod of dolphins. All tiredness disappeared. I even managed to chat to Iestyn about Brexit and the Valleys, all in Welsh of course! From then on Mwnt will always have a very special place for me.
Rhossili Gower or Fall Bay also ‘in’ Rhossili! Only link with learning Welsh is that Gower was gained by the Norman King of England in about 1150 ish, so is very anglophone apart from the extreme north east . I kept learning Welsh and forgetting it for lack of use. We had classes in the village but no ‘original villagers’ came! One ofo my friends told me her teacher at Gowerton told her no students from our area ever actually learned any Welsh. It took moving to Argyll and the subsequent hiraeth to get me wanting to give it another go!
I have so many “favourites”; but if I had to choose one, it would be Bedd Gelert. I didn’t want to risk infringing on anyone’s copyright, so the pic below is my own (taken with a phone, so it doesn’t do it justice):
Sadly, it really doesn’t have any connection to my learning Welsh. I just find it the most beautiful, peaceful spot on the earth (and I’ve been to a fair few spots). Standing by Gelert’s grave (if you don’t know the story, you really HAVE to Google it) and looking at the mountains all around is just breathtaking!
From Barclodiad y Gawres, Bae Trecastell (Cable bay) Ynys Môn on a good day you can see all the way down the Llŷn Peninsula and Ynys Gybi in the other direction.
Ysbrydoledig.
Sitting on (almost) top of Mwnt the dolphins were out of my site. I believe even if they’d jump onto my head I’d not see them … but, yes … apart from climbing up there (to which I was aided exactly by you and thank you for this) I felt so peaceful there.
However … being in Cymru just once and all visits were more breef than not … I simply can not have the favourite place yet. The whole Cymru is the favourite place to which I doubt I’d be able to come one more time …
Oh that’s a part of Sir Gâr I’ve not been to! I had a quick Google and apparently there are two Iron Age Hill Forts. I’ll add that in the “Places to take my parents” list.
I’ve only been to Ynys Môn once and that was to Biwmares. My mum’s grandfather was from Amlwch and apparently was a Cymro but Mum never met him and he didn’t pass the language on to my Grandfather. I’d love to spend more time up there.
Pen Llŷn as a whole. 4 bootcamps, several holidays and an untold number of days out mean that Pen Llŷn has seen every stage of my learning journey. I really do feel at home there.
Castell Y Bere. Very close to Llanfihangel-Y-Penant and Craig Y Deryn. As kids on holiday, before we moved to nearby Bryncrug from Portsmouth, we played hide-and-seek around the Castle, but I’m more interested in it’s history these days. There is one window/doorway that looks straight down the valley and one of these days I’m going to create a picture of Y Tywysoges Coll (Gwenllian) standing looking through it. It didn’t happen of course, but it’s something I would like to have happened, instead of what did…
I can’t find a link with my Welsh journey, except that it’s probably my favourite place among many others that I love, respect and cherish memories of around Wales.
I love Castell Y Bere! I love where I sits, I love the drive behind Cadair to get there, love that it was Llewelyn’s, ayyb! If I could buy the farm there I would. I would also host Bootcamps there.
The farm was owned by the Lord High Sherriff of Sir Feirionnydd during the 70s. I worked for Rhoslefain Farm and during shared-labour stints spent some time in the hay-fields of that farm. It’s not the only farm, though…
It’s an amazingly-sited place and gave a wonderful view of the valley. Last time I was there I was listening to a tractor working hard in the late evening.
One other place that struck me almost as hard is Cwm Idwal near Eryri, but Y Bere has a depth to it…so many unanswered and unanswerable questions…
My favourite place at the moment is y traeth at Dinas Dinlle. I like how undeveloped the place is and therefore how flat everything is. After nearly 50 years of city life, this flatness is beautiful to me. Can’t wait to visit again.
