What Do You Think Of Wales?

A question for those that live outside Wales, what is the first thing that springs to mind when someone mentions Wales or Welsh people? (Nothing rude, or sheep related please ;o)

Comments

[Alex]

Well being english first thing that pops into mind is the ehrm sheep thing... but besides from that I think of Wales as a great rugby nation and of course Charlotte Church.

[mmChronic]

What I think of most about Wales since I holidayed in Snowdonia a couple of years ago was how rude they are to the English in North Wales. Painting out English roadsigns, purposefully giving wrong instructions, anti English graffiti etc etc. Of course when they've driven off the English tourists (and their massive contribution to the local economy) they can fall back on the thriving native industries like erm... mining. Oops.

Having said that one of the godparents of my child is from N Wales so obviously not everyone feels that way in N Wales. I also suspect it's probably different in S Wales as N Wales seems to be a bit more into Welshness.

Other than that it's a beautiful country - with possibly the second best ice cream in Britain available in Beddgelert. The best is available in Helmsley, N Yorks.

[Ferris]

Sheep cracks aside, I think of some of the most beautiful landscapes I've seen. Verdant, stunning hills and valleys.

While I haven't been in years, I've driven through most of the region, including one nice, long trip that ran from Swansea straight around to Rhyl, running along the coast. It's an absolutely beautiful region of the world.

[Tony]

Rugby, castles, crazy accent, better drinkers than the Irish

[Paul]

Great music, great rugby team, great sense of humour...oh and a funny accent!

[ILuvNUFC]

Sheep. :)
Actually , rain.
I went down to Swansea about 20 years ago for a football match and it did nothing but rain. And I mean rain.
I remember standing in a street in Swansea on a hill and it was like wading in a river as the great flood came towards us.
Inevitably the game was called off after 9 bloody hours on a coach to get there. Never again would I come to Wales I thought at the time. Funnily enough, I hav'nt either. Although that is more down to Welsh football teams being crap and never being in Newcastle's division for many a year.

[Mrs ILuvNUFC]

I prefer dolphins!

[Jernej]

3 days stuck in a tent with virtually nothing to eat (2 Mars bars) due to a terrible storm at Tallybont reservoir.

Hitchhiking on boats in the canal from Brecon to Tallybont

Awesome back roads in the middle of nowhere!! Love them, next time I'm driving my own car.

People trying to have a conversation with me in english... I didn't understand a word ;)

Names that are impossible to pronounce but sound (and look) great.

Slate mines and fabulous landscapes

Ability to put up a tent pretty much wherever you want and waking up to sounds of... rockclimbing sheep that obviously have a touch of chamois in them ;)

Absolutely useless public transport

People trying to get a tan that always turns out to be a bright shade of pink or even red ;)

Nobody willing to pick up a hitchiker with a large backpack

what can I say... I love Wales and I'm going back soon with my dog and a car.

[John Reinert Nash]

Si Hei Lwli Mabi, the lullaby my mom sang to me and I sing to my kids.

Sausage rolls. Good ale.

Mountains with sheep-trimmed grass. Very different from, say, the Appalachians in the US, where you only really get to see the view from the top because of the trees. (I guess that's why there are fewer fire towers in Wales!)

Resurgent rugby. Awesome 6 Nations win. Max Boyce happy again.

Most of my family beyond my brother and parents.

Cymru am byth.

-John in Prior Lake, Minnesota, USA

[Morpeth]

As a Canadian I think of my heritage. My family "sides" hailed from Scotland and Wales. I also think of the flag, and the shape of the country. Pretty deep, huh?

[Lee]

Wales, is that in Europe?

[joanne]

I think of that politician guy who tried to fake his way through the Welsh National Anthem and failed miserably.

[Ean]

I live in Florida and I visited Wales in 2000. I stayed in Bangor for two days. My ex-girlfriend and I traveled by Virgin Rail from London.

It was absolutely beautiful. I loved the country and everyone was very nice.

I was actually suprised to see a KFC there as I thought Kentucky Fried Chicken would not have spread as far as Wales.

Overall I would diffinately return as I had a very amazing relax trip.

[Jacqueline]

I'm in Canada...I've never really known much about Wales until last year in Social Studies at school. (Oh, how smart I am.) When I hear wales/welsh I think of food.

[Collin]

I think of "Welshie" the Welsh character that replaced Scottie on an eppisode of "Futurama" where they met up with the cast of Startrek (the first startrek), and i think of Cardif manily because of the Movie Human Traffic

[Branille Pinkfin]

I think of the flag, that cool dragon flag.

[DataAngel]

Manic Street Preachers, Catatonia, St David's Day, forests, filming locations, and one of the few places where you can surf in the Atlantic ocean. ... And Tom Jones.

[Adam Edge]

As an Englishman now living in North Wales I find most people to be extremely pleasant and the painting out of English road signs is only done by a small number of hardline Welsh. I can fully understand it though as Welsh is an official language of Wales.

I also think of the best ice-cream and pizza shop in the world in Beddgelert (obviously just edging out my hometown favourite of Rossi's, Southend-on-Sea).

The only thing I don't like is the narrow mindedness of some people who say that things cannot be done, just because we're in Wales. E.g. In North Wales, a very musical place, we have no local orchestra's for people to play in. I have to make a 120 mile round trip once a week, just so I can play.

Apart from that, I like Wales. (Except North Wales Police).

Iechyd da!

[dave owen]

wales reminds me of singing , rugby, childhood holidays friendly faces and a good sence of humuor, love your site , from a pom in australia

[John]

Hay-on-Wye, choirs, castles, beautiful landlady at a pub/B&B in Mertha Tydfil in 1986.

[Andrew Denny]

When I think of Wales, I think of feet and inches and pounds and ounces, and why, when I asked Plaid Cymru to help our campaign to support their preservation, the bastards refused to help. After that, I thought fuck their Welsh language, it's nothing more than random Scrabble letters!

[jain]

St David's Day, leeks, Richard Burton, great singing, and the fact that the usual costume for witches is actually the national dress of Welsh women.

[Siân]

Well well I know this was only meant for people from outside Wales but I had to "butt in here boyo"
A few comments actually annoyed me ..but I took in in jest honest mun ....grrrrrrrrrr
What I think about in wales is the nation wide pride in our country we are the smallest nation but we have the biggest hwyl anywhere in the world!
I think of wales as coal mines lakes waterfalls gold mines copper mines welsh famous Sir Harry Secombe, Tom Jones, Terry Jones from Monty Python's, Dawn French was born here too.
Tommy Cooper.
Rugby now we are back on track but we never did give up on the boy's
Glamorgan cricket team, Ian Woosnam captaim of the ryder team
Saint Patrick the Irish saint who was born in Wales ......lol sorry I am defending my beautiful wales
I love Wales with a passion.
Oh and if you are welsh you are bound to have seen the epic film ZULU TEAR IN MY EYE NOW THINKING OF THE SINGING!

[Nic Dafis]

Interesting question. You going to ask us sheepshaggers what we think of the English and their famous sense of humour? ;-)

[Ifan]

When I think of Wales, I think of a Welsh language culture almost inexplicably hidden from a world that does not, on the face of it, appreciate such beauty. I think of the ignorance with which this quiet bubble of history is treated. I also feel pissed off at my inability to articulate my feelings for this place; it's not patriotism, because that is nothing but the supporting of a particular team for no real reason. I love Wales because I find myself defending an age old, three thousand year old culture which I see dying. I'm sure I'd love any other culture if I were more familiar with it. But the loss of any culture is akin to the death of a species; so much of what is good is taken from the world. Imagine, English speakers, if all that is written and spoken in English were to disappear forever; Shakespeare, Beowulf, Ulysses, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter... this is the threat facing the Welsh and its Welsh language culture today. And Wales is inseperatable from that ancient culture; it's in every rolling 'r' and every rolling mountain. Wales must be preserved.