DONE: No. 36 - Llanfairpg Cream Cracker Challenge and Talking Welsh

Challenge No.36 : Llanfairpg Cream Cracker Challenge - the one which nobody had a clue about!   Looking at loads of other birthday challenge lists there are tons of things which crop up time and time again on everybody's lists.   Indoor skydive, Velocity zipwire, run a 5k, climb over the O2, bake cupcakes, go on a Segway - these are all things that we're all trying.  What you don't see - EVER - is the Llanfairpg Cream Cracker challenge.  This is mine, this is personal, this is bonkers!  Or, as Stewart has said, this is actually puerile. But do I care - do I heck!!!

So, Lllanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch - it's the longest place name in Europe, second longest in the world beaten only by one place name in New Zealand.  It's actual meaning is Saint Mary’s Church in the hollow of the white hazel near the rapid whirlpool and the Church of Saint Tysilio of the red cave. So now you know!

I'm going to intersperse the written part of this blog with each of the three videos I made, pronouncing this place name in a different 'way' each time. This, the cream cracker version.

I've lived in Wales for nearly 5 years now, but having met Stewart (who is actually from Pontypridd in the valleys) 24 years ago, I've actually had that Welsh connection for some time now.  But, I can't speak Welsh.  Well, I know a few words.  A very few words - mostly garnered from driving on roads and through towns so - ARAF - slow, GWESTY - hotel, DIM PARCIO - no parking.....You get the gist. And then that absolutely mythical place, a bit like the Scottish Brigadoon - GWASANAETHAU - this is the place or town in Wales that you actually never, ever reach.  Why - because GWASANAETHAU in Welsh actually means 'services'.  You'll always have another one in front of you. 

Folk are often absolutely terrified of the Welsh language because of the seeming lack of vowels - however, the Welsh language actually has 7 vowels - A, E, I, O, U - W and Y!  And it also has 28 letters.  Confused!!!????  Well, I'm not a linguist, nor a Welsh speaker so I'll stop this lesson now in case I'm wrong and I offend.  The gist of the story - it's bloody hard to figure out!  But, I've tried in a tiny way.

Just before I moved to Wales I decided that it might be an ice-breaker if I could learn how to say 'Llanfairpg' in the correct way.  So I broke it down phonetically and tried and tried, and believe that I managed it, maybe, perhaps.....  For this challenge though, it wasn't enough just to finally visit the place, though I've wanted to for such a long time, but I wanted my own Lesley twist.  This video, my second attempt - the gargling version:

Below are a few of my favourite 'perhaps' Welsh words - though I do accept that for all there is debate whether they are genuine or not - it would be great if they all were:

1) Microwave - 'POPTY PING' - there is a general consensus that is real, or at least should be real, even though as far as I know the actual word is 'meicrodon' which is actually just as fun.

2) SMYWDDIO - which would be pronounced - smoothio - apparently the Welsh for ironing!  Again, it's difficult to discover whether this is urban myth or not.  I'd love it to be true.

3) PYSGOD WIBBLY WOBBLY  - now pysgod is Welsh for fish, the rest you can pretty much imagine, put together makes 'JELLY FISH'!!!!  Now, I think I do know that this word is urban myth but it's cracking urban myth and better than the real word - sglefrod.

Anyway, after building up confidence on every platform of Llanfairpg - basically there was nobody about, we'd managed to miss the coach loads - this final version, my slightly Scottish version, is probably my most relaxed effort!

So, hope you've enjoyed this challenge.  Probably the most bonkers, most individualistic, but I SO terribly wanted to do it.