Visiting Wales for the first time!

Welsh
#26

I know this was directed at anabel, but I’m also in Chicago and would love to find someone I could practice with!

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#27

HI fellow Chicagoan!! Thank you so much for this! I really appreciate the info. :smiley:

Any chance you’d like to practice speaking with me, since we’re in the same city??

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#28

Wow, thank you so much for this!

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#29

Thank you @sandralanewillis and @margaretnock for the suggestion! I’m not sure I’ll have time this trip but will absolutely keep in mind for next time!!

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#30

Wel dw i di ffeindio bo fi angen ymarfer mor aml a phosib. Felly nes i cyfarfod pobl newydd a dw 'di siarad cymraeg efo nhw.

Dylet ti fynd. Mae’n neis i fynd ac mae pawb yn neis hefyd.

Pob lwc. Mwynha dy wyliau.

#31

If you ever visit for long enough not to mind visiting places where virtually no one speaks Cymraeg, Gower is glorious! Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty! Ancient tombs, cairns, caves occupied before the ice age…castles…are you into history? prehistory?.. but only a few still speak Cymraeg, all in North Gower, except 2 I know of in south Gower who have moved from Gogledd Cymru.

#32

I’d love to. I’m in the north suburbs - where are you?

I’ve also got a ton of tourist brochures that I can give you if we meet in person that might help you narrow down what you want to see/do.

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#33

An update: I will be in Wales Oct. 3-8, staying in Llandudno for the first couple of nights and then in Caernarfon. If anyone is in that area and would be interested in chatting please let me know, or if you have any suggestions for things I absolutely must see/do/eat while I’m there!

I’m so excited to visit Wales for the first time and hopefully be brave enough to use my Welsh!

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#34

Would love to. I am about 30 minutes from Llandudno so if you fancy a chat let me know.

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#35

We’re about ten minutes south of Caernarfon - Carmel - and you’d be very welcome to come round for a panad and a chat in Welsh… :slight_smile:

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#36

I work in Caernarfon so can be in town any weekday lunchtime, and I’m only 5 minutes away - Caeathro - in the evenings. So panads & chats available on request! :smiley:

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#37

Hi Anabel:

You’re right in my old stomping grounds. I lived in Llandudno Junction as a child before moving to Llanrwst. You’re in for a treat! This is without a doubt the prettiest place in the world (although I may be just a tiny bit biased).

Things to do in and around Llandudno: DEFINITELY, you have to go to the walled town of Conwy and visit the castle there. Don’t restrict yourself to only the castle, though. Walk on the town walls - the views are amazing - and visit the town itself - it’s really lovely. Visit the smallest house in Britain, tucked away on the quay. Visit Plas Mawr (which my auntie used to swear was haunted), and visit the grave of “We Are Seven” in the churchyard. They’re all easy walking distances from each other. You’ll find plenty of opportunities to speak Welsh with the locals there, too.

In Llandudno itself, if the weather’s good, there’s the Victorian pier and, of course, the tram up the Great Orme (the Great Orme and the Little Orme bookend the harbour). The views from the top of the Great Orme can be breathtaking.

You can also arrange for coach day tours up the Conwy Valley from Llandudno. A couple of my favourite places to see in the valley are Llanrwst (Tu Hwnt i’r Bont tea house is a “must see”), Betws-y-Coed (Swallow Falls) and Beddgelert (if you don’t know the story of Gelert, you HAVE to read it: http://www.beddgelerttourism.com/gelert/ Warning: Have tissues nearby.) The further up the valley you go, the better chances to practice your Welsh. The locals will LOVE that you’re trying, so give it a go. Don’t be shy!

Please let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to know about that area of the country. I’d love to help.

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#38

Bydd rhaid i ti alw draw i’r goedwig os byddi di ochr Rhosgadfan/Carmel unrhyw adeg… :slight_smile:

#39

Bydd rhaid i mi - a sori do’n i ddim o gwmpas i helpu efo symud ty. Weithiau mae’n digon gymleth rhannu amser jest rhwng Caernarfon a Caeathro!

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#40

Duwcs, dallt yn iawn! Dan ni’n disgwyl gweld rhai ffrindiau lleol mewn tua pum mlynedd a dweud ‘sori, mae wedi bod fel ffair!’…:wink:

#42

It was nice to read your preparations - someday I’d like to visit Wales as well!

How was your visit?

And were you brave enough to use your Welsh?

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#43

Thank you for asking! And thank you to everyone who replied to this thread for your wonderful advice and offers of hospitality. I’m very sorry I didn’t reply sooner, and that I didn’t get a chance to meet up with any SSiWers. However, I absolutely LOVED Wales, and I did get to use my Welsh!

The main reason I didn’t get to meet up with anyone was that I was traveling with my sister, who was rather more… difficult than I had anticipated. I won’t get into the details, but suffice it to say that I won’t be traveling with family members again!! When I managed to get away on my own, though, I had a wonderful time. I even went and climbed Snowdon on my own and had a long, wonderful chat with a farmer while I was hiking. ALL IN WELSH! He was so impressed with my Welsh skills, and that I had been learning only for a short time. So, THANK YOU SSiW!

I tried to do everything I possibly could in Welsh, which ended up in some hilarious exchanges especially when I had to pay for something (I had so much trouble deciphering it when somebody would quickly say a price). But there was one exchange in Caernarfon of which I was particularly proud: I ordered a beer and paid for it, with exact change, entirely in the Welsh language. :blush: It was so exciting!

It took so long to make an update here because I had to immediately start teaching and writing my dissertation when I got back to Chicago, and honestly I’m a bit embarrassed… I haven’t had time to practice Welsh at all since then. :frowning:

Anyone have any tips on getting back into it? I was almost at the end of level 2 but I’m not sure how much I’ll remember after such a long gap.

I can’t wait to go back to Wales, this time alone, and experience more of the wonders of this amazing country. It was truly unforgettable.

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#44

That sounds like the gold standard right there… :star: :star2:

Jump back in with the last lesson you did and carry on from there - it’ll hurt a little for the first lesson or two, and then you’ll find you’re back in the swing… :slight_smile:

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#45

Thanks Aran! I’m a bit scared to do it, but I’ll work up my courage and try diving back in… :dizzy_face::grin:

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#46

The nice thing is that no-one ever drowned by jumping in at the deep end with a language…:wink:

Worst case scenario, you can always do 2 or 3 and then decide to go back - but it’s more likely that it will show you that you didn’t need the extra months of ‘working back up to it’… :slight_smile:

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