Just so Welsh!
Everything’s so Welsh in Wales. Including this Welsh B&B where Martha the dog might “Gorwedd!”' for you, but she mightn’t understand “Sit!”
Whenever I’m talking to friends about favorite vacation experiences, I can pretty much divide their preferences into two categories: one is lying on a beach with a cold beer or martini by their side; the other, exploring a new country and getting to experience local life.
Wales, I would say, definitely falls into that second category! You absolutely have to explore our national parks and some of 641 castles. Visit towns and villages. Take a Welsh language lesson. Drop by to listen to one of our 300 male voice choirs rehearse. Visit our free national museums including amazing art collections, the Big Pit coal mining museum and National Slate Museum. But, most importantly, chat it up with locals in a village pub; join a hiking or cycling trip lead by local guides; and ask lots of questions… we’re a friendly bunch!
Many hotels, holiday cottages and bed and breakfasts have made a special effort to offer a very Welsh welcome. For example, they cook with Welsh ingredients, and feature Welsh crafts, furniture and artwork in the property itself.
Here’s one I love the sound of: Y Goeden Eirin B&B. Just the name of this bed and breakfast suggests that everything will be perfectly Welsh. Located near Caernarfon, this is a perfect base for exploring North Wales, and the owners even offer evening meals. The building is a renovated cowshed, now offering five-star luxury… we’re talking slate floors with under-floor heating, Welsh oak dressers, and a carafe of sherry, fresh fruit and biscuits or Welsh cakes on arrival! What’s more, the cost is from just £80 a room including bed and breakfast for two people sharing and all taxes.
We asked John, one of the owners of Y Goeden Eirin, to tell us a little about their B&B…
“Y Goeden Eirin is totally different from anywhere else. The building materials are all local, the books on the heaving shelves are mainly in Welsh, the paintings are by modern Welsh artists, and the furniture is a mixture of traditional and modern. Of course the food is local and freshly cooked on the Aga. As you enter the main stable-type doors, you are immediately in the kitchen, which is the hub of the place. You’ll probably be welcomed with tea and homemade Welsh cakes or bara brith, and we will do our utmost to make you feel at home. …You might hear a hum in the background… possibly a program on Radio Cymru, our Welsh-language radio station, although the volume will be turned down so that our conversation has priority. You will be spoilt silly by Martha, who will appreciate if you can say ‘Gorwedd!' instead of 'Sit!'. But learning Welsh is not mandatory. Most visitors seem to have a natural curiosity about it.”
To find out more about Y Goeden Eirin B&B, check out their website: www.ygoedeneirin.co.uk
Visit Wales blog readers who book to stay can request a special thank you from the owners… book in advance to have dinner there on the first night, and they will offer you a complimentary bottle of house wine with your meal; just be sure to mention this blog when you’re booking!
So there you have it. Just one of our many, very Welsh, B&Bs in Wales.