Vacations in England, Scotland and Wales

Normally the venue for the worlds greatest pop and rock stars, for one week only, last week, the crowds that came to our O2 Arena here in London came to see not the great stars of rock/pop but of tennis in action, and it proved to be a treat for all involved with a number of worthy and breathtaking matches on show from the worlds top eight single and double tennis players who qualified for the final of the Barclays ATP World Tour Series.

Picture yourself slipping your hand in to your partner’s as you stand at the head of a deserted loch whilst a gentle breeze rustles the heather on the glen…

A perfect destination for your honeymoon vacation, Scotland holds an air of romance just waiting to be absorbed. Perhaps it comes from the historic tradition when young English lovers would elope across the border to Scotland’s Gretna Green, declaring their love in marriage. Or perhaps it simply comes from the ruggedly beautiful scenery and Scotland’s rich history and tradtions. Either way, Scotland boasts an array of destinations where you can share new experiences and create perfect memories which will last your entire married life. In Scotland you will walk in the footsteps of Kings and Queens at the nations ancient castles, see rare wildlife thriving in its natural habitat along the coastlines, experience ultimate tranquility on the deserted Scottish Isles and sample the rich flavours of traditional food and drink.

Scotland is a land of contrasts combining the old and the new, the rural with the urban. A land of unspoilt and unrivaled landscapes, of rugged mountains and lochs, yet possessing vibrant and modern cities such as Edinburgh and Glasgow, it manages to successfully combine these two contrasting sides. It holds a rural backdrop of awe inspiring scenery, villages and towns of unique local history and culture all the while possessing a modern and young urban landscape with cities of the calibre of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen that can rival the best in Europe. Scotland is  a land for many tastes, both young and old. From the intrepid trekker, the nature enthusiast, the history buff to the young trendsetter and music fan, Scotland holds a bit of everything.

Britain is home to an endless history of myths, legends and unexplained tales.  From the famous standing stones of Stonehenge to the murky depths of Loch Ness to the gruesome lives of our  murderous monarchs throughout the middle-ages, there are ghost stories and mysteries to be unraveled in every corner of Britain.  At this time of year, in the run up to Halloween (Oct 31st) the paranormal is ever nearer so where did this ancient festival come from and how do we celebrate here in the UK?

Broadband – we can’t get enough of it. What was stunningly quick last year is now mind numbingly slow. Most of us will remember dial up internet connections that cost the earth and always lost the connection 10 minutes into an important 11 minute download – meaning another 11 minutes of waiting and paying. In this area of South Wales many homes can get 20Mb broadband meaning some pretty fast web speeds. And of course we all have mobile phones sprouting from our ears.

Surprisingly it’s not the same everywhere as there are some isolated areas of Britain where broadband looks to be many moons away. For instance one of the b&b’s that we use for those of our guests that want to get away from the pressures of the mobile phone and the PC Is The Lion Hotel in Gwytherin.

This weekend is a massive sporting weekend on both sides of the Atlantic. You’ve got Superbowl XLII in Phoenix, Arizona .We’ve got the opening matches in the 2008 six nations rugby tournament involving Wales, England, Scotland, Ireland, France and Italy. In both events the media hype for the games is massive with players taking on the status of warrior gods in these clashes of titans.

The build-up is very much the same both sides of the pond and will remain so until a few minutes prior to kick off when it’s time for the National Anthem. In Colorado the crowd will unite with Jordin Sparks (sorry I don’t know her either but she won “American Idol” if that means anything to you) and stand proud in the singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner”. In the rugby matches a sub competition occurs at this point when each nation involved sings its own anthem. It’s a proud moment with the power to bring tears to the eyes. I know I’m not the only one.

British Airways have ordered two Airbus A318 aircraft to operate the route from London City airport in London Docklands to New York. This all business class will be a twice daily flight for 32 passengers. Willie Walsh, BA’s chief executive said “We will offer a 15 minute check-in for customers in both London and New York. London City’s size means that it is a quick and easy airport to use and, with a maximum of 32 passengers onboard, getting on and off the aircraft will be a smooth process. Once onboard, customers will experience all the benefits of our business class cabin including a fully flat bed.”

The long awaited exhibition of Russian and Russian owned French art from the period around the Russian Revolution opened in London this week. For months the Russian Government threatened to pull the plug on this exhibition until guarantees were put in place by the UK government that would prevent the seizure of some of these paintings by individuals who claimed that they were obtained illegally by the Communists during the revolution. Whatever the origins of some of these paintings, the exhibition is without doubt the Art Highlight of the year for London.

Renoir, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Matisse, Kandinsky, Tatlin, Malevich are all represented in this exhibition and with highlights such as The Dance by Henri Matisse it is sure to draw in the crowds.

To celebrate Burns night and before we log off for the weekend here’s the Scottish Poet’s ode to the Haggis:

Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o’ the pudding-race!
Aboon them a’ yet tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o’a grace
As lang’s my arm.

As a Welshman I can’t say that I understand much of what is being said above any more than I understand why people eat haggis. Washing it down with a wee dram though is a splendid tradition. To all of you celebrating Robert Burns’ birthday, have a great night.

The 25^th of January is St Dwynwen Day here in Wales, Dwynwen being the patron saint of love and friendship, and our equivalent of St Valentine. As with all these old Welsh folk tales passed down by word of mouth over the centuries there are a number of versions. Here’s one.

Dwynwen was the prettiest of the Celtic King Brychan Brycheiniog’s 24 daughters (he also had 11 sons!). At one of the parties that King Brychan held regularly Dwynwen fell in love with a handsome prince called Maelon Dafodrill. However her father refused her permission to marry him as he’d arranged for her to marry another. Maelon was so angry that he raped Dwynwen and left her.