ROTARY FRIENDSHIP EXCHANGE TO WALES (DISTRICT 1150)

At the March 31 meeting of Emmaus Rotary Club, members heard a report from three of the participants in the September 2015 Rotary Friendship Exchange to Wales.

 

Cindy Hornaman provided an overview of what a Rotary Friendship Exchange is all about, as well as some information about the country of Wales – including several words and place names in the Welsh language which is not at all intuitive to do for English speakers.

 

 

Burt Duren shared highlights from the southwestern part of Wales including the team’s visits to Swansea – hometown of the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, Laugharne – site of a pre-Norman invasion castle and Thomas’ home and writing shed, and Llanelli – where the team gave two presentations and visited several interesting sites including the fabulous Aberglasney House & Gardens and the Kidwelly area.  During this part of the trip, the team enjoyed a lunch with District 1150 Governor Chris Williams.

 

 

 

Cindy described the team’s visit to the Dolgellau area in the northern part of Wales.  This portion of the trip included visits to the Centre for Advanced Technology in Corris, Caernarfon Castle (where the Prince of Wales is crowned), the National Slate Museum in Llanberis and several beautiful drives through the mountains in Snowdonia National Park.  Many of the early Quakers in Pennsylvania emigrated from the Dolgellau area.  So, the local Rotarians arranged for a visit to the local Quaker meeting house and a walk on a portion of the Quaker Trail.  The team also heard a fascinating presentation on the local Quakers from the headmaster of the local school at a meeting of one of the two Dolgellau area Rotary clubs.

 

 

 

Finally, Eileen Prokop spoke about Cardiff, the last area visited by the team.  Highlights included visits to Cardiff Castle - which included a hearty dinner and show by Welsh singers, the Big Pit National Mining Museum  - where the team descended 300 feet underground to tour a former coal mine, and the Guardian sculpture in Abertillery, a 66 ft tall memorial to the 45 miners that died in the Six Bells mine disaster in 1960.  During this portion of the trip, the team also visited the Penderyn distillery where fine single malt Welsh whisky is produced and St. Fagans National History Museum – a 100-acre site where over forty buildings from various periods in Welsh history have been reconstructed.