I have this strong desire to see Wales and the magic that this little country exudes. Aberystwyth, which I am sure I could never pronounce as I don't speak Welsh. But, that makes me want to travel to Wales and Aber (as it is commonly called) to experience it and see it maybe I could learn.
Since my very early days have I wanted to travel across the pond to England, Scotland, and Wales (and Ireland too!). There is such an old world feel to that part of the world, but there is something else. When I read the children's series call "The Dark is Rising" Sequence, written by Susan Cooper which is partially set in Wales, I was even more convinced that I should travel there. Everything that Lynne has told me about life in Wales and Aber just make my heart soar with the hills of the countryside, the coast of Aber (even after the nasty winter storms that rocked the coastline), and the places that Susan Cooper (the author of "The Dark is Rising") exist. In many ways the world of of Aber and Wales is like a fairytale, without the actual knights and dragons. The stories revolve around Arthurian legends and myths (that's also A topic).
Aber and the surrounding locales of Wales inspire something in me. It's most likely the writing. I am dying to put to words that this beauty of a town and land has known since the early days of civilization, with castles dated back to the 12th century: Aberystwyth and Cilgerran Castles, gorgeous coastlines, and spectacular hills. And I got this from pictures and details from my friend, imagine what it is really like!
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| Aberyswyth Castle |
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| Cilgarren Castle |
The pictures are complements of the fantastic site Welcome to Aberyswyth! Go and check them out. Visiting the site has made me want to finally work , on saving the funds to go there and getting my passport, finally!
Wales is a place where names don't have vowels that we (of the rest of the world know them) have. Cwmystwyth (Cwm-uss-twith), Bwlchgwyn (Bull-ch-gwin), Rhydymwyn (Ree-duh-moin), Ysbyty Ystwyth (Uss-butty Uss-twith), Mwnt (munt, rhyming with a northern English pronunciation of hunt) are just a few examples of this vowel-less language that has me stumbling over the names.
Blogging A to Z Challenge
So excited to meet you, Cindy (I hadn't heard of NaPoWriMo, only National Poetry Month). I adored Susan Cooper's books in middle school and have begun sharing them with my daughter.
ReplyDeleteAnother book you might enjoy, set in and near "Aber" as the locals apparently call it, is A STRING IN THE HARP by Nancy Bond, which was a Newberry winner in the late 60s. A 12-yo finds Taleisin's harp key, which gives him visions of Wales in the Bard's time.
Happy A-Z and wishing you a poetically prolific April!
Laurel
Laurel's Leaves