Snowdonia
Eryri
I fell in love with Snowdonia (Eryri in Welsh), the first time I visited in 2019. I was completely lost for words on several occasions at just how beautiful a place it is. Wales is blessed with a stunning coastline, particularly along the west coast, but I have always been drawn to mountains and hills. I like taking on the challenge of cycling up testing mountain roads and I’m equally happy swapping two wheels for climbing boots and hiking for hours on end. Snowdonia ticks so many boxes for me, not just for cycling and walking, but also being able to enjoy the diverse wildlife and nature on show.
Dw i’n caru Eryri
There is just something almost humbling about seeing untouched mountain ranges that have taken millions of years to produce their peaks, which dominate and pierce the skyline. Being able to see snow-capped mountains when the weather around you is t-shirt temperatures is also a treat that is etched into the memory. Snowdonia is a special place and one that I hold very close to my heart and always will. The scenery in all directions is utterly breathtaking, and even the occasionally harsh weather extremes cannot take that beauty away.
Behold the sweeping valleys
Where the heathered slopes do lie,
With rugged peaks that reach
Unto the ever-changing sky,
Where Snowdon stands before me now
As clouds begin to break,
Llanberis still the morning light
Now rests upon the lake.Snowdonia by Andrew Blakemore (excerpt used with permission)
The mile upon mile, or kilometre upon kilometre for those brave enough to embrace the metric system, of unspoilt land as far as the eye can see makes Snowdonia the perfect place to appreciate the great outdoors. With roads and the occasional hamlet or pub being the only man-made distraction, one can drive, cycle or walk for hours on end free from the distractions and non-stop rush of modern life.
The gallery contains just a sample of my photographs taken in Snowdonia. Feel free to check out the full gallery.
Each time I go back to Snowdonia, it somehow manages to get even more magical. I find more summits to climb, more roads to cycle, more lush scenery to photograph and even more reasons to keep going back.
Sut dach chi?
On one occasion, I met an ex-pat named Tony whilst on a hike around Llyn Crafnant and Llyn Geirionydd in Gwydyr Forest. He was casually standing on the lane outside his house enjoying the view over Cefn Cyfarwydd, hands in his pockets, wearing a bucket hat and whistling to himself. It was like a scene from Last of the Summer Wine! Tony was waiting for furniture to be delivered by a company having trouble finding his house. Amazingly, our conversation started with Tony expressing concern for a lamb in the field opposite his house. It didn’t look good tbh, it seemed lifeless and it didn’t stir at all whilst we chatted.
I took this photo a few seconds before meeting Tony. The poor little lamb is the closest one in view (click to enlarge):
Poor lamb / Oen gwael
Tony had taught himself Welsh when he moved to Llanelli years ago. He said he made loads of mistakes with pronunciation, but no one gave a fuck and this helped him, so he stuck at it.
When we parted ways, we shook hands and I told him that I’d be back to buy him a drink at his local rugby club…using Welsh.
Ga i ddau beint o gwrw os gwelwch yn dda?
Nailed it!
Dysgu Cymraeg
I was inspired to learn Welsh! I already knew some very basic words and phrases which Lucy and Oliver had taught me, but I had little understanding of the grammar and pronunciation rules such as the mutations and digraphs that are features of the language. Before I discovered mutations, I thought that Wales had 3 unique places called Bangor, Mangor and Fangor. There’s me thinking about how confusing that must be to the locals, then I learned why and when the mutation occurs.
I’m making good progress, but studying time is shared with other commitments such as my science degree . That said, I am capable of having brief conversations in Welsh, and I can get by ordering food and drinks in West Wales and North Wales. I can read some Welsh text with competence and can watch Welsh-language television and be able to follow parts of the conversation without relying on subtitles. I’m pretty confident with pronunciation and letter sounds, but mastering the alveolar trill which produces the rolled ‘r’ is a work in progress. I’m now convinced Marmite is taking the piss out of by spontaneously purrrrrring when he sees me 😉 In my defence, I was born in Essex which uses a version of English that features just half a dozen letters, a few sounds and the excessive use of acronyms and none of them involve a rolled ‘r’ 😁
Byddaf yn rhugl!
However, there is still so much of the Welsh language to learn, so I still have a long way to go, but I am determined to speak this beautiful language fluently.
The best national anthem in the world…
For anyone who hasn’t experienced hearing anything in Welsh, I cannot think of a better example than Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, the Welsh National Anthem. This is what it sounds like when it is being belted out by the Welsh rugby team and the home fans at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Now, that’s how an anthem should sound and what one should be about! How can anyone hear that and not be moved? The video was taken from the 6 Nations match against England in 2019 which Wales won 21-13. Wales went on to complete the Grand Slam.
Here are the lyrics to the version sung above which is the first stanza and chorus:
Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi,
Gwlad beirdd a chantorion, enwogion o fri;
Ei gwrol ryfelwyr, gwladgarwyr tra mâd,
Tros ryddid gollasant eu gwaed.Gwlad, Gwlad, pleidiol wyf i’m gwlad,
Tra môr yn fur i’r bur hoff bau,
O bydded i’r heniaith barhau.
Click here for the full lyrics presented with side-by-side translations plus a pronunciation guide.
GSTFQ…
It boils my piss that the English national anthem is about the head of state. The idea of a Royal Family in modern Britain carries the stench of the British Empire which resulted in bloodshed and misery around the world. I can’t think of a single positive reason for having a Royal Family in a so-called developed democratic country. As a nation, or group of nations, the UK has serious issues with poverty, racism and greed but hey, lets celebrate that by throwing millions of pounds of public money at a family borne to immense wealth and privilege. At the same time, lets all sing a prayer to celebrate our country by asking that she be saved and can reign over us for a long time.
I’m kinda tempted to run the lyrics to the North Korean national anthem through Google translate as I’m pretty sure it would look something like this:
God save our gracious Kim,
long live our noble Kim…
See what I mean?
An anthem should unite the people…
Instead, we’re revering someone born into comfort that is not afforded to 99% of her subjects, and then asking for divine intervention to keep things that way. The choice of God is not flexible either. It’s the same Christian God that supported the British Empire and helped to ‘scatter out enemies’. This alone doesn’t really encourage people of other faiths, or those without faith to get behind the anthem.
As for sending the Queen victorious, victorious in what exactly? The next illegal war, or helping family members escape prosecution for their alleged depraved indulgences, or when attacking in-laws of mixed-race?
One verse includes the request for her to defend our laws. No wonder the Tories have such a boner for the royal family. If you have the stomach for it, check out the full lyrics. The more I read it, the more it seems like a mixture of totalitarian fascist propaganda and a church advertisement from the days of the Crusades.
Time for a change?
I used to think Jerusalem would make an ideal national anthem for England. It’s way more uplifting and moving than GSTQ, but it also has overt religious connotations.
Rule Britannia is another song that is frequently mentioned as a potential national anthem, but no fucking way. Let me just remind you of the second line of that song:
Britons never, never, never shall be slaves
These lyrics were penned in 1740, which was ironically the height of the slave trade years. Which was also somewhat ironically a time when Britain was a fundamental part of that permanent stain on our history. The song also drops in references to heaven, guardian angels as well as obvious undertones of battle.
Whilst the title of Elgar and Benson’s Land of Hope and Glory offers some hope, it again mentions God as well as references to the Empire so that’s fucked too.
Fucking hell, apologies if this comes across as a rant, but GSTQ just epitomises divisiveness to me. I can’t sing it and do not agree with the message it sends. The people of England deserve an anthem which has a real meaning and connection to them.
One possible alternative that would reduce quite a bit of administrative work is sticking with GSTQ, but going with the Sex Pistols‘ version instead.
Back of the net!
There we go. That should please the majority, although I expect Lizzie is turning the air blue at Windsor Castle and has just booted a corgi across one of the many gardens!
Anyway, I do sometimes wonder if that little lamb was ok, and if Tony got his furniture delivery.
- Photographer: Nick Thompson
- Location: Snowdonia, North Wales / Eryri, Gogledd Cymru
- Camera(s): Samsung SM-N960F
- F-stop: 1.5/2.4
