THE WELSH RIVIERA
Welsh weather to any foreigner is just cold and wet. Surely that’s why the land is so green and the people are so hardy. This is the law is it not?
When you look at the landscape, particularly, the rivers, valleys and gorges – all this has been carved out by water. Even the River Ystwyth, whose length from source to the sea is only around 25 miles, has a distinct mature valley look and feel, carved out by 10,000 of years of water pouring over its soil and rock.
I moved from London to the rural idyllic village of Llanafan in West Wales over a year ago. The contrast in lifestyle has been immense. No surprises there. An Englishman from one of the most vibrant busy cites in the Northern Europe to a quiet remote area in Wales where, English is a 2nd language and the only other sounds you hear are the cows, the sheep and the occasional Red Kite soaring overhead.
What has been surprising though has been the weather. We English apparently can talk the hind legs of a donkey when it comes to this subject. Well here goes the donkey.
Sort out your roof. The roof will leak so make sure it is solid and strong. From day 1 I was expecting disasters. Drips in every room and floods whenever a dark cloud was overhead. But from day 1 in February it was cold, very cold but very little rain. April showers? Not really. A little rain came and went and then suddenly, in May, weeks of dry, warm and settled weather.
My mother visited in May before going on her annual trip to Majorca. When she eventually got to the island, her friends commented on her tan and asked
“Where else had she been on holiday?”
“Wales”
“Wales? Come on. Just look at your tan. Must be southern France? Perhaps Italy?”
“No honestly, on my son’s patio in Wales”
Ok we had a little rain in July and August and I did eventually get one small leak from a crumbling eave, but overall am happy.
The weather men announced that 2010 was the driest on record for some parts of Wales.
I know further evidence of the warming of the planet but at the risk of being politically incorrect, it has its advantages
So far so good, now on we should call West Wales, THE WELSH RIVIERA, but don’t tell the English, otherwise they will all move here!
About the author
Phil is the owner of the Penrhiw Vegetarian Bed & Breakfast located in the peaceful village of Llanafan, Wales. Image by Natural Retreats
