Thursday 28 February 2008

St David's Day









A flurry of googling for bara brith, indicates the coming of March 1st.

Some random pictures of a heart-warming Welsh sort.



Conwy Castle, which is on the opposite side of the river to where my Grandparents lived. Travellers til the 1980s will have fond memories of queuing through Conwy on the way to Holyhead and Ireland. My Welsh Grandfather - Taidy, spoke little, but was often heard to enquire after the traffic, which really dominated their lives. All fine now thanks to a tunnel. Before Edward I built it (the castle, that is,)there was an Augustinian monastery there. All Edward's castles are served by sea... The Welsh castle he dismantled was on the opposite side. There are still a few rocks left on some waste land and a road named after it.


The Great Orme in Llandudno. My Dad used to take me and my next brother there for running around of an afternoon before going back for Wales Today, the coal fire and Victoria Sponge. It felt like our own mountain. We used to make huge 'Hello' signs in rocks and then wave to coach parties of elderly people as they went by, which we thought was great. I seem to remember being taken with the idea of throwing rocks off, but this was not allowed as you can't always see it's safe. I'm sure the sheep would have moved quickly enough.... but maybe not the coaches. It's now a nature reserve and you have to pay to go on it. Probably not allowed to make 'Hellos' either.
The furthest west and north in the visitor league is Flint, or as my Dad calls it F-Flint.
So in an effort to press NW, here are some places for people to google and find me. Beddgelert, Llanrwst, Porthmadog, Moel Siabod, Cnicht, Tyfan, Penrynddaedrath, Deganwy, Mochdre. Sorted.

2 comments:

LizzieD said...

I like your blog, I've recently started one too. I love Bara Brith, (my mum's Welsh) and used to make it quite a lot - you've inspired me to get my recipe books out and look for the recipe again! I think there are two kinds you can get, one is made with yeast, and is a fruited bread, the other is more like a cake - which do you prefer?! Do you like welsh cakes too?
Now I'd better stop all this as I can't have any till after Easter, and I'm beginning to be tempted!
God Bless.

leutgeb said...

Great. Hallo.

I've made the fruit loaf in New Delia Book 1 for my Dad, for he is the real enthusiast and usually have it in tea shops in Wales. No yeast, but you do soak the fruit over night in sweet tea.

I should really google it and get a proper recipe for him. In the mean time he'll have to make do with Victoria Sponge and stuff..

Welsh cake are yummy too.

Hope that's not too much food talk.

I visited the Shambles when I was a student.