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"On the western fringe of Europe
lies Wales--surrounded by water on three sides, mountainous, and
dramatically beautiful. Geologically, it is one of the oldest parts
of the world, and such is its nature and history that it sometimes
seems like the first place God created."
--Jan Morris in "Wales, The
First Place"
It's a shame more travelers don't make the journey to
fascinating Wales, located just a short drive or train ride from
London. It is a small and quirky land, with four sheep to every
human and more castles than any other country in Europe. Not only
that, but half the signers of the Declaration of Independence and
five of the first six U.S. presidents had Welsh ancestry. Wales has
a strong identity, its own language, and plenty of sights to see.
Here are three of the most fascinating.
Museum of Welsh Life
at St. Fagans, just outside Cardiff
One of Europe's largest folk
museums, this center was established in 1948 to collect and study
materials that illustrate the character of Wales. It is as popular
with locals as it is with tourists. Over 40 diverse buildings were
moved here from around Wales, including a bee shelter and a circular,
surprisingly tidy pigsty. The village is alive with craftsmen
demonstrating their skills, and some houses warmed by wood-burning
fireplaces allow visitors a chance to feel their coziness--providing
a special comfort on drizzly days. Galleries display costumes,
traditional love spoons, and quilts, and both St. Fagans Castle--a
16th century Tudor manor house--and a beautiful medieval church with
extremely rare wall paintings can also be toured. Additionally, a
restaurant, several tea rooms, and an oak-fired bakery are on site.
Hay-on-Wye
in the scenic Wye Valley bordering England
This medieval market town claims to
be the used-book capital of the world. Composed of winding streets
and alleys lined with atmospheric shops purveying used and new books
alike, it presents a delightful way to pass a day. Some shops sell
antiques along with their tomes. In cool weather, a few charming tea
shops figuratively beg you to sit down and recharge, while in warm
weather Shepherd's Ice Cream Parlour is a must for a
refreshing treat made with local sheep's milk. Perhaps the
most interesting venues are Hay Cinema, located in a former movie
theater, and Hay Castle, a 17th-century Jacobean mansion that keeps
bookshelves in its open-air courtyard available round-the-clock for
browsing. The Guardian Hay Festival of Literature is held in town
annually. Featuring poetry readings and literary events galore, it
draws the likes of Tom Wolfe, Paul McCartney, and Bill Clinton. This
year, the 15th festival is scheduled for the first week in June.
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The first national botanic garden to be created in the U.K. in 200
years, this magnificent facility opened in 2000. Dedicated to
conserving threatened plant species, it is twice the size of Kew
Gardens in London and gets twice the rainfall--56 inches each year.
Visitors can explore a variety of microclimates and see an unusual
18th-century double-walled garden (with a brick inner wall and stone
outer wall) as they make their way to the Great Glasshouse--a
contemporary interpretation of the ornate Victorian glass
conservatories seen in Kew Gardens. Measuring approximately 325 feet
long by 195 feet wide, this gigantic curiosity is the largest
single-span glasshouse in the world. Highly engineered ball and
socket joints allow precise movement of its glass panels, which
permits coddling its collection of endangered Mediterranean plants
hailing from South Africa, Chile, Australia, and California in the
U.S. A great gift shop and pleasant cafe are on the grounds.