Wales Traveller's Guide
An aspect of Welsh life that is immediately obvious is that road
signs and other signs are invariably displayed in both Welsh and
English; the Welsh are rightly proud of their ancient language and
it is taught in school, alongside English. Two of the country's
significant cultural associations are with the sport of rugby,
which elicits fanatical support, and with music and singing; hence
Wales nickname 'the land of song'. Any opportunity to hear a Welsh
male voice choir singing live should not be missed.
Unlike other European countries, Wales lacks an easily-defined
cuisine although there are several specialities which originate in
the country. These include laverbread, a gelatinous paste made from
boiled and pureed seaweed which is traditionally rolled in oatmeal
and fried; bara brith, a fruit loaf or tea cake also known as
speckled bread; cawl, a Welsh stew of lamb and leeks and Welsh
Cakes, a type of fruit scone cooked on an iron griddle. Despite its
name, there is no hard evidence that Welsh Rarebit, a variation of
cheese on toast, originated in Wales.