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| Wales has
one of the most temperate climates in Britain, year-round, so it's no surprise that
gardening has long been one of our passions. The unique beauty of our gardens is due in
part to their settings. We have coastlines to the south, west and north, mountains in the
center and rolling hills throughout. This makes for a naturally dramatic backdrop for all
sorts of arrangements of indigenous and exotic plants, trees, and flowers.
Spring
is the time to experience the blooming of primrose, bluebells, azaleas, and narcissi
including the classic daffodil. Our rhododendrons are world-renowned and some
rhododendron gardens stretch out over several acres. Many gardens host "sensory days"
when the gardens are at their most fragrant, "watercolor weekends," and music
performances on garden stages and in amphitheaters. And when you're ready to take a
break, places such as The Gardener's Café at Aberglasney Gardens offer inspired meals and tea
with a spectacular view - a rest stop to remember. Click
to read on…> | | |
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Do you have a story to share about your
visit to Wales? We'd love to hear it. And if it shows up in a future issue of Croeso!
we'll send you a $25 gift certificate as a token of our appreciation.
Tell us your story. | | | |
Look
out for Wales on the cover of the May/June issue of National Geographic Traveler magazine. It features a wonderful article
on the eminent Welsh author, Jan Morris, and the north-Wales region where she
lives. | | | | |
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|  | | | Touring by car is a great way to
garden-hop, but in Wales, the journey can be as interesting as the destination. Local
driver-guides are friendly, knowledgeable and affordable, so let someone else do the
driving, sit back, and enjoy the view. | |
| Guides' stories of local history, ecology and archeology bring the
scenery to life and help you get the most out of every day.
Dragon Tours founder Dr. Mike Davies, a historian and professor, has
been running driver-guided tours for 15 years. He'll develop a personalized itinerary for
groups of 1-8 people. Contact him at [email protected], mention Croeso!, and
you'll receive free pub lunches or afternoon teas for every day of your tour.
Country Lane Tours, based in Snowdonia National Park, also wants to buy
you lunch! A family-run business, they're known for their creative itineraries, and now
for Croeso! subscribers they're offering a complimentary lunch at Bodnant Garden when you
book a tour of three days or more. Contact them at [email protected].
Garden
tours are especially popular at this time of year, but most guides offer a choice of many
themes, either pre-planned or customized to include your personal favorites. For more
information on tours to Wales, visit our Escorted Tours
page. | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | |  | | | Bryn Davies
loves racing horses. He hasn't beaten one in over 20 years, but he keeps trying. "My
personal best time was 3:09 when I was 50, but last year, at 3:24 for the 22 mile cross-
country course, we came in first for relay teams."
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| 'Last year'
would have been when he was 58 - the youngster on a team of three whose collective age
added up to 190. And the race in question? The fabled "Man vs. Horse."
Llanwrtyd Wells in mid-Wales, the smallest town in Britain, is known
far and wide for more than a few quirky events. There's also the famous bog snorkeling competition -swimming two lengths of a 60 yard trench
cut 6' deep into the peat and filled with water. And the Real Ale Wobble; a sort of bicycle rally race where contestants down
half pints of ale at each checkpoint (full safety gear highly recommended).
But
horse-racing is Bryn's sport. He started in his 30's to raise money for the local school
and he's ready for this year's race, coming up on June 10th. He's been training since
last August. "Lots of hill work - that's the key." Two years ago, for the first time, a man came out the winner, but last year the horse took back first
place. These days Bryn is in it for the beautiful countryside and the company of his
fellow runners, who now come from around the world. As long as it's fun, he'll keep
running. | | | | | | | | |
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