In the capital of Cardiff, the legendary medieval buried treasure of fairytale-like Castell Coch is reportedly guarded by two men-turned-eagles in a subterranean tunnel; several attempts to extricate the booty were apparently foiled when the eagles took flight – even an exorcism and silver bullets proved useless against the ferocity of these stalwart sentinels. Strange noises, mysterious figures, spooky tours and tales are part of the fun exploring the deepest, darkest, loneliest parts of the Cardiff Castle. There are special tours to the Summer Smoking Room at the top of the Clock Tower, reputed to be the most haunted room in the Castle. www.cardiffcastle.com. As recently as the 1990’s, Boots –the Chemist’s Shop – in Queen Street – was the scene of an alleged otherworldly encounter … an air conditioning engineer happened upon a wraithlike Victorian lady on a secluded staircase on the shop’s top floor. www.cardiff.gov.uk for more info.

Throughout the year, the one-hour Creepy Cardiff Ghost Walking Tour begins outside the National Museum of Wales, Cathays Park Cardiff. Wending your way through the beautiful white stone buildings, you’ll hear stories of hauntings, dragons and reincarnation. History, mystery, myth and legend are woven into a tangled tale – you decide which is which. And check out the Halloween Special … www.creepycardiff.com.

Nearby Caerphilly hosts several ghosts. The Green Lady, Princess Alice, is said to jump from turret to turret at Caerphilly Castle in a never-ending quest for her lost lover, Tew Teg, from whom she was forever separated in the 14th century when her cuckolded husband banished her to France. llancaiach Fawr Manor may be inhabited by no fewer than 8 former residents – soldiers, children and a maid – who freely roam the house and gardens. Sightings include a cradle that rocks on its own. Access www.caerphilly.gov.uk.

At the 875 year-old Skirrid Mountain Inn near Abergavenny, shadowy helmeted figures have been spotted skulking across the windows and a lady customer, who was taken ill, was found to have rope burns to her neck: The pub’s stairwell was used as a makeshift gallows during the Monmouth Rebellion in 1685, where a mass execution of 182 traitorous soldiers took place. www.skirridmountaininn.co.uk

The ruins of ancient Conwy Castle, glower over Conwy. Accommodations at the nearby Castle Hotel are – well – super…natural – a great place to start off on a ghostly candlelit tour. The hotel sits on the site of a Cistercian Abbey and has its own resident specter. www.conwy.com.

Are the bones interred within the walls of Bodelwyddan Castle (near St Asaph) the cause of the paranormal activity there? Guests at one of the most haunted buildings in Wales have reported many ghostly happenings: Aside from the usual: unexplained voices, sounds and light, and shadowy figures drifting down corridors and through walls – including a mysterious lady in a flowing dress in the Sculpture Gallery, visitors have had their hair pulled. The fearless can reserve a room at www.bodelwyddan-castle.co.uk/paranormal.html.

The brave of heart are welcome at the George Borrow Hotel in Ponterwyd, Ceredigion. Built in the 18th century, the hotel was renamed after intrepid traveler George Borrow who featured it in his 1854 book “Wild Wales.” Former 20th century landlady, Miss Withers, regularly rearranges the furniture and china and uses the keys…going so far as to lock the current landlord’s dog in a room! Book at www.thegeorgeborrowhotel.co.uk

Log on to www.visitwales.com/ghosts to check out the other ghostly delights Wales has to offer.

Within this rural Communities First Area there is a pressing need to create new employment opportunities; the approach is to find inovative and sustainable ways of using local resources to seed new enterprises. One of the current projects, The Seed Building aims to showcase just that: how locally sourced raw materials and traditional building skills can be creatively combined to construct contemporary workspaces for appropriately scaled rural enterprises.

All of the varied building and landscaping projects underway at the centre have been carefully designed to create skills learning opportunities at every stage. Felin Uchaf offers a broad range of volunteering and training activities from organic gardening to eco-building, heritage skills and renewable energy projects and provide a varied programme of cultural and social events aimed at regenerating, empowering and enriching the lives of our local communities. Through encouraging an exchange of traditional rural, land and home skills the centre has helped create bridges between the older generation and younger people keen to redefine themselves and their roles in the community.

PHOTO – The Inspired Leadership of  Dafydd Davies Hughes

The charity’s ethos is simple: they believe that through providing inspiring, hands-on learning and sharing opportunities within a nurturing environment, people develop a positive “can do” attitude towards their own lives, their communities and our natural environment.

The Felin Uchaf Project is an opportunity to learn new skills, to share experiences and to contribute to the community and cultural life of a very special part of Wales.

CURRENTLY UNDERWAY

- Providing a wide range of volunteering opportunities aimed at bringing together people from different age groups and backgrounds

- Providing training and courses in practical rural skills, heritage skills, eco-build methods and sustainable agriculture. We offer short and week long residential courses, working holidays, local and international volunteer work opportunities with residencies from between 2 days to 3 months

- Providing Community Arts courses and weekly sculpture workshops in the magnificent subterranean earthouse

- Conserving and Enhancing the Habitats and Biodiversity within the existing farm and beyond, for the benefit of wildlife; the farmland is home to a number of rare plants and animals such as barn owls, hares and otters

- Reviving the oral tradition of storytelling and music in the community with regular events in and around the centre.

- Providing an outdoor- field study resource for schools and colleges in Gwynedd on such themes as ancient technologies, Celtic heritage, sustainable land use, ecological and traditional building methods and biodiversity

- Growing food on the centres 23 acre Community Organic-Biodynamic Farm and providing the local community with wholesome Organic-Biodynamic Vegetables through the Weekly Box Scheme and Farm Shop and establishing a community alotment scheme

- Establishing a Wild Pharmacy – community herb garden to revive the growing and use of indigenous herbs

- Providing support and training for a wide variety of probation service users such as young offenders groups and probation service clients on community service placements and host young people on John Muir and Duke of Edinburgh Award Schemes

- Providing a vital support for Educators and promoting holistic educational methods inspired by the Rudolf Steiner educational approach

- Hosting international volunteer youth camps and student work experience opportunities.

There are many ways you can get involved with the project from participating in the skills courses to volunteering or through helping to support the charity financially and becoming a member.

Detailed information for prospective volunteers is available as downloadable PDF documents.

www.felinuchaf.org

It also includes tickets for a West End Show and a three-course dinner in London as well as breakfast daily, airport transfers, a sightseeing tour of Conwy and Llandudno in North Wales, and a Travelcard for unlimited travel on the London Underground and buses. Priced at $1,490 CAD, DHTour’s expert travel planners have created a perfect royal-themed holiday.

Paul Chibeba, Director—North America for Visit Wales said: “We’re seeing unprecedented interest in travel to Anglesey and Wales. Our close proximity, less than two hours from London, makes it very attractive to pair Britain’s capital with touring castles and seeing stunning scenery in Wales. This new package offers the chance to see a more-undiscovered side of Prince William’s life in Wales as well as the iconic sights in London.”

While in London, visitors can tour Kensington Palace, the childhood home of Prince William; Hampton Court Palace, once owned by Henry VIII; and The Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels.

Visit Wales highlight’s the country’s royal connections at www.visitwales.com/royal. Visitors can shop for jewelry made from rare Welsh gold, just like Kate Middleton’s wedding ring; visit royal castles such as Caernarfon Castle where the Prince of Wales is invested; or dine in former homes of kings and queens such as Ynyshir Hall, once owned by Queen Victoria and now a fine-dining restaurant and hotel.

For travelers preferring a fully-escorted holiday, DHTour also offers a selection of small group tours throughout the year which really explore off-the-beaten-path in Wales. While the locals are keeping tight-lipped about the exact location of Prince William’s lodgings on Anglesey, they certainly offer a warm welcome to Canadians with Welshman Idwal Jones leading DHTour’s special tour of the year ‘Land of my Fathers’.

Sherry Fraser, Product Development Manager at DH Tour, said: “We’re seeing more and more clients asking about Britain’s royal connections with the upcoming royal wedding. We’re offering more Wales tours this year than ever before. With Prince William making his home in North Wales, it’s become an essential part of the Britain experience.”

More information on DHTour’s exclusive packages can be found at www.dhgrouptours.com or by calling their travel consultants toll-free on 1-888-597-3519.

1) Visit a castle, or two or three — Wales has 641 of them – many haunted and all historic. Having stood for centuries and survived wars, the castle walls are indestructible, making them ideal for active families. King Edward I’s Iron Ring – Caernarfon, Beaumaris, Harlech and Conwy -in North Wales is great for serious castle collectors. http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk.

2) Experience reality tourism at its best. The lessons of the industrial revolution come to life in a most thrilling way when you go underground to discover limestone, formed a mere 315 million years ago at the National Showcaves Centre for Wales in the Brecon Beacons National Park, or don a miner’s gear and travel back in time and 300 feet down a shaft at Big Pit National Coal Museum or traverse some of a 25-mile underground network at the slate mining Llechwedd Slate Caverns. http://www.showcaves.co.uk, http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/bigpit and http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/slate

3) Follow the trail of King Arthur & the Knights of the Round to Table and decide for yourself if this story is fact or fiction. Either way, the trail enchants with places such as Caerleon, reputed to be home of the Round Table (sure looks that way), Carmarthen, said to be Merlin’s birth place and the Dovey Valley, where Arthur is said to have fought his last battle. For suggestions on searching for the Holy Grail in Wales, you should check out itineraries at http://www.visitwales.com.

4) Stay in ultra-cool accommodation. Under The Thatch’s affordable, sustainable, authentic options are ideally suited for families. Just about everything has been converted to accommodation from gypsy caravans and barns to mills and cowsheds. . http://www.underthethatch.co.uk. Reserve a yurt at Graig Wen – a stellar option in magnificent Snowdonia. http://www.graigwen.co.uk .

5) Lower the family’s carbon foot print. Learn how at Wales’ Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT), a hands-on learning center that attempts to offer solutions to some of the most serious challenges facing the planet. Built in an old slate quarry in the foothills of Snowdonia, way before ‘green’ was fashionable, CAT puts sustainable living to the test with self-sustaining electricity and gardens built on grounds with no natural soil. Families can dig in and learn about organic gardening, energy conservation and the not-so-sexy subject of waste management. http://www.cat.org.uk.

6) Take on the Family Tree Top Challenge in Pembrokeshire National Park, West Wales. This high-flying family vacation includes a self-catering cottage with onsite tennis and swimming and the chance to swing in a high ropes course – tree top trails – that includes crossing rope bridges, balancing on beams and sliding down a zip wire. http://www.activitywales.com.

7) Experience negative G-force with the family on Europe’s tallest wooden roller coaster, Megafobia, at Oakwood Theme Park in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. Consistently ranked in the world’s top five wooden coasters since it was built in 1996, families are assured shared air time. http://www.oakwoodthemepark.co.uk

Discover the Great Little Trains of Wales. Originally designed to transport Welsh slate from the quarries to the sea, the narrow-gauge steam trains travel through some of Wales’ most stunning scenery at a decidedly leisurely pace. http://www.greatlittletrainsofwales.co.uk.

9) Check out the cultural center and capital city of Wales, Cardiff. Among the family attractions are Cardiff Castle, a real stunner that is decorated to the nines, the Museum of Welsh Life at St. Fagans and Techniquest, a hands-on science museum in Cardiff Bay. Cardiff is also the home of the Dr. Who TV series. http://www.visitcardiff.com.

10) Go to Wales with the family for a rugby match and tour at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium, for a music festival in Llangollen, for a literary festival in Hay-on-Wye, for a storytelling festival at St. Donat’s Castle, for a Dylan Thomas Festival in Swansea. Families seeking more quirky adventures can partake in the World Bog Snorkeling Championship or the Man vs. Horse and Man vs. Train competition.

Check out the year-long events calendar at www.visitwales.com

Visiting Welsh castles beat out other top tourist activities like: touring Buckingham Palace (32%), staying overnight in a Scottish castle (29.1%), and watching the sunrise at Stonehenge (28.9%). Visit Wales finds these survey results no surprise. “This survey confirms that castles in Wales are a must-see for any Britain itinerary. With the great variety of castles to see in Wales, there is something for everyone,” said Paul Chibeba, Director—North America, Visit Wales.

Boasting 641 castles, Wales is the castle capital of the world, with more castles per square mile than any other destination. Four Welsh castles collectively form a UNESCO World Heritage site: Harlech, Beaumaris, Conwy and Caernarfon. Edwardian invaders left these imposing fortresses, still some of the world’s most striking examples of medieval architecture. With so many one-of-a-kind castles, Visit Wales suggests our top ten castle-hopping experiences:

1. Follow in royal footsteps at Caernarfon Castle where Prince Charles was invested as the Prince of Wales in 1969.

2. Celebrate the pending nuptials of HRH Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton with your own fairytale celebration at Castell Coch.

3. Search for the sleeping King Arthur and Knights of the Round Table at Chepstow Castle.

4. Go ghost hunting for the green lady at Caerphilly Castle.

5. Stay at Ruthin Castle, once owned by King Henry VIII and later by Queen Elizabeth I.

6. Dine at a lavish medieval banquet, and tour elaborate Victorian salons at Cardiff Castle.

7. Golf beneath the stately Harlech Castle at Royal St. David’s, a links course.

8. Take a train ride over the moat and around the castle walls at Conwy Castle.

9. Stroll through lavish formal gardens, and view rare plants at Powis Castle.

10. Re-live a medieval fair at Beaumaris Castle on the Isle of Anglesey.

Visit Wales offers planning assistance, itineraries and travel resources for consumers and travel trade. Visit our website at www.visitwales.com or www.trade.visitwales.com for more information. Follow Visit Wales on Twitter – @visitwales.

The 2010 Nation Brands Index interviewed adults aged 18 and up in: Canada, UK, Turkey, India, USA, Sweden, Egypt, China, Mexico, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Argentina, France, Australia, Italy, and Russia.

For more information, visit: www.visitbritain.com

Visiting Welsh castles beat out other top tourist activities like: touring Buckingham Palace (32%), staying overnight in a Scottish castle (29.1%), and watching the sunrise at Stonehenge (28.9%). Visit Wales finds these survey results no surprise. Boasting 641 castles, Wales is the castle capital of the world, with more castles per square mile than any other destination. “This survey confirms that castles in Wales are a must-see for any Britain itinerary. With the great variety of castles across the country, there is something to satisfy everyone’s travel tastes,” said Paul Chibeba, Director-North America, Visit Wales.

Four Welsh castles collectively form a UNESCO World Heritage site: Harlech, Beaumaris, Conwy and Caernarfon. Edwardian invaders left these imposing fortresses, still some of the world’s most striking examples of medieval architecture. With so many one-of-a-kind castles, Visit Wales suggests our top ten castle-hopping experiences:

Follow in royal footsteps at Caernarfon Castle where Prince Charles was invested as the Prince of Wales in 1969.

Celebrate the pending nuptials of HRH Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton, and plan your own celebration fit for a King at the fairytale Castell Coch near Cardiff.

Search for King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table who are said to be sleeping beneath Chepstow Castle.

Go ghost hunting for the green lady at Caerphilly Castle.

Enjoy a luxurious overnight stay at Ruthin Castle, once owned by King Henry VIII and later by Queen Elizabeth I.

Dine at a lavish medieval banquet and tour elaborate Victorian salons at Cardiff Castle.

Golf your way between Harlech Castle and the rugged ocean coast at the Royal St. David’s links course.

Take a train ride along the Conwy Valley Line over the moat and around the castle walls at Conwy Castle.

Stroll through lavish formal gardens of rare plants at Powis Castle.

Re-live a medieval fair within the castle walls at Beaumaris Castle on the Isle of Anglesey.

Visit Wales offers planning assistance, itineraries and travel resources for consumers and travel trade. Visit our website at www.visitwales.com or www.trade.visitwales.com for more information. Follow Visit Wales on Twitter – @visitwales.

The 2010 Nation Brands Index interviewed adults aged 18 and up in: Canada, UK, Turkey, India, USA, Sweden, Egypt, China, Mexico, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Argentina, France, Australia, Italy, and Russia.

For more information, visit: www.visitbritain.com

On St. Dwynwen’s Day, some lovers continue to make a pilgrimage to Llanddwyn, Welsh for “the church of St. Dwynwen,” located off the coast of Anglesey in North Wales, home to the modern lovers HRH Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton.

The Welsh landscape seems to insist that people slow down and savor the moment, and on the days marked for lovers, it entreats couples to linger just a little bit longer. At the Brecon Beacons’ Sgwd yr Eira waterfall, the water whispers, and sometimes seems to shout, kiss already!

While love is certainly not prescriptive or predictive, there is a high certainty that the following places will rekindle the spark that St. Dwynwen devoted her life to: a visit to the fanciful Italianate village of Portmeirion in North Wales, not just for its whimsy, but because it shows that dreams can come true; a stroll through the stalls and antiquarian book shops at the book town of Hay-on-Wye and a visit to just about any local eatery that serves warm Welsh Cakes.

Love is accommodated at every price point in Wales with romantic bed & breakfasts, remote cottages, charming coaching inns, sumptuous country house hotels and luxury hotels with spas. And almost every hotel offers significant winter savings. Who doesn’t love that?

For more information about celebrating life and love in Wales, please visit www.visitwales.com and www.facebook.com/visitwales. Follow Visit Wales on Twitter – @visitwales.

Wales’ amorous and royal connections:

Ø Anglesey’s royal connection dates back to 1295 when King Edward I built his largest and last castle, Beaumaris. A UNESCO World Heritage site, imposing Beaumaris is the most sophisticated example of medieval military architecture and the ultimate concentric castle.

Ø Gold from the Clogau St David’s mine in Wales is traditionally used for royal wedding rings:

Ø Visitors can stay at Llwynywermod in Carmarthenshire – the Welsh home of Their Royal Highnesses Charles, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall

Ø Plas Maenan Country House Hotel is owned by James Burt, a former member of the Queen’s staff at Buckingham Palace.

Ø Ynyshir Hall – now a 5-star hotel – was once owned by Queen Victoria.

Ø Wales has 641 castles – arguably more per square mile than anywhere else in the world. Some are fairytale castles; some you can stay in.

Separated from mainland Wales by the Menai Strait, Anglesey is a far cry from the bustle of Buckingham Palace. Known as Ynys Mon in Welsh and long associated with the Druids, Anglesey is as tranquil and down-to-earth as a place can be.

For those who want a taste of the tranquil Welsh life that Prince William and Kate Middleton enjoy year-round, here are some suggestions for a visit to Anglesey.

Anglesey’s royal connection dates back to 1295 when King Edward I built his largest and last castle, Beaumaris. Named a UNESCO World Heritage, the imposing Beaumaris Castle is considered the most sophisticated example of medieval military architecture and the ultimate concentric castle. It is a must-see.

Enjoy the royal treatment at the award-winning Plas Maenan Country House hotel, owned by James Burt, a former member of the Queen’s staff at Buckingham Palace. http://www.plas-maenan-hotel.co,uk

For a great photo op, visit the train station bearing Britain’s longest place name: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Translation: “St. Mary’s Church by the white hazel pool, near the fierce whirlpool with the church of St Tysilio by the red cave.” Do ask a local to pronounce the village’s name. “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” is a breeze by comparison.

Foodie or not, a stop at the Anglesey Sea Salt company, Halen Mon, is worth its salt. Do visit the gift shop and bring home some world-class sea salt, used by top chefs like Gordon Ramsay. http://www.seasalt.co.uk

Anglesey is a haven for walkers. For the ambitious rambler, there is a 125-mile long coastal path that takes about 12 to 14 days to travel crossing farmland, coastal heath, dunes, salt-marsh, cliffs and woodlands. The circular route starts in Holyhead, but walkers can begin and end at their choosing. 95% of the Path runs through areas of Outstanding Beauty with abundant birdlife – puffins, guillemots, razorbills, terns and cormorants, and marine life including dolphins.

Some of the exceptional places to stay in Anglesey Include:

Hotels:

Cleifiog Uchaf a 16th century Anglesey longhouse, turned into a country house hotel in 2008, is now renowned for its restaurant as well as its superior hospitality. (www.cleifioguchaf.com).

Ye Olde Bulls Head in Beaumaris has been welcoming guests since the 15th century -including Charles Dickens and Samuel Johnson. In the English Civil War it was commandeered by one of Cromwell’s generals, now it’s the haunt of food lovers. (www.bullsheadinn.co.uk)

Neuadd Llwydd began life as a Victorian rectory before becoming a country hotel with excellent food. (www.neuaddlywd.co.uk)

The Townhouse is a stylish boutique hotel under same ownership as the Bulls Head. www.townhousewales.co.uk

Tre-Ysgawen – country house hotel and spa, Demi Moore’s refuge during a recent film shoot.

www.treysgawen-hall.co.uk

http://www.visitwales.com

With the recent opening of seven new art galleries at the National Museum Cardiff, part of a 6.5 million pound investment in the National Museum of Art for Wales, the world’s second largest collection, second only to Paris, of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art can now be displayed in all its splendor.

The Davies sisters of Mid Wales, granddaughters of Welsh industrialist and philanthropist David Davies, are to thank for Wales’ prominent 19th-century French art holdings. The two sisters, Gwendoline and Margaret, were among the first to purchase works by Corot, Honore Daumier and Millet, quickly establishing themselves as highly-regarded art patrons. The sisters collected the equivalent of $12-million worth of art before stopping in 1913 to pursue other charitable activities, including volunteering with the Red Cross in Troyes, France.

Not content to be mere collectors, they established a center at Gregynog Hall “to bring art, music and creative skills to the people of Wales in the aftermath of World War I. The house was full of music, fine furniture and ceramics, hand-printed books from the Gregynog Press and the sisters’ collection of Impressionist art. Personalities such as George Bernard Shaw visited for concerts and conferences –or simply to enjoy the beautiful gardens and woodland walks.” (http://www.wales.ac.uk/en/UniversityConferenceCentre/History.aspx )

Throughout their lives, the Davies sisters remained steadfast in their commitment to advancing the study, practice and appreciation of art in Wales. To this end, they donated 260 paintings and works on paper to the National Museum of Wales including works by Turner, Millet, Corot, Manet, Monet, Renoir, Degas, Rodin, Pissarro, Van Gogh, Modigliani, Magritte and Cezanne.

The National Museum Cardiff is one of the National Museums of Wales. All of the National Museums of Wales have free admission. Please check out http://www.museumwales.ac.uk and plan to be surprised and delighted.

Two newcomers to the Welsh cooking school scene that are committed to the concept of terroir are the eponymous Cooking with Angela Gray and the Chef’s Room, Fish & Cookery School founded by Michelin-star chef Franco Taruschio and Lindy Wildsmith, food writer and cooking instructor.

Cooking with Angela Gray provides the quintessential Welsh culinary travel adventure. Food writer, broadcaster, consultant and former chef to the rich and famous, Angela Gray chose three locations right out of central casting in which to offer her cooking classes: Slebech Park, a gorgeous Georgian mansion house in the heart of the Pembrokeshire National Park; the 13th-century Fonmon Castle, outside of Cardiff, where participants harvest herbs from a medicinal and culinary walled garden and Ffin y Park country house and art gallery in Llanrwst in Snowdonia National Park. “They are historic buildings, sited in outstanding food producing areas making each course a never-to-be-forgotten gastronomic experience,” says Gray, who is at the forefront of the Welsh modern food scene. www.angelagray.co.uk

The Chef’s Room, Fish & Cookery School, founded by Michelin-star chef Franco Taruschio and food writer and cooking instructor Lindy Wildsmith, is a full-out cooking school housed in the test kitchens of Vin Sullivan, purveyor of gourmet food to restaurants and caterers in Britain and Europe. Guest chefs, including Giuseppe Silvestri from Harrods, Welsh Chef and cookbook author Nerys Howell and Michelin-star chef Shaun Hill of The Walnut Tree join Wildsmith and Taruschio to offer one-of-a-kind classes. Travelers can learn Welsh-Italian fusion cuisine – dishes such as crescente with tomatoes; Glamorgan sausages (meatless and made of delicious Welsh Caerphilly cheese and fresh herbs encased in homemade breadcrumbs), laverbread cockle fritter, tagliatelli with squash and walnut sauce and gratin of oyster with laverbread. (Laver is a form of edible seaweed.) www.thechefsroom.co.uk.

Wales’ organic farming tradition goes back a good long way – to local farmers who could not afford to buy commercial fertilizer and passed their natural farming methods on down through generations. As a result, present day travelers can benefit and enjoy a true taste of Wales.

Foodies can forage for the ingredients of their home-cooked meal and then slip, contented and sated, into a comfortable bed at The Foxhunter, near Abergavenny, www.thefoxhunter.com

They can savor ice cream, homemade from the palest of gorse flowers plucked by hand with tweezers from local gorse bushes – a unique treat at Cookery School Prydwen Parry at Cleifiog Uchaf on Anglesey www.cleifioguchaf.com.

Other noteworthy Welsh cookery schools worth checking out are Drovers Rest, Llanwrtyd Wells www.food-food-food.co.uk and Culinary Cottage, Abergavenny, www.theculinarycottage.co.uk.

For information about the varied experiences to be had on a vacation in Wales, please visit www.usa.visitwales.com or www.visitwales.ca