Travel with Joyce James to Wales, April 26^th - May 8^th, 2013

Highlights of the 2013 Wales Tour:

• A unique itinerary; offered in 2013 in response to many requests.
• Accommodation in Llandrindod Wells, Llandudno, Newcastle Emlyn and Cardiff in comfortable hotels with ensuite facilities.
• Small group, limited size.
• Private visits with talented craftspeople: knitters, weavers, spinners, quilters, textile designers, mills.
• Opportunities to explore your interests: castles, music; bird watching; nature walks; museums and galleries; archaeological sites; gardens; crafts & culture.
• Welsh guides and talks by interesting local historians.
• Wonderful scenery.
• Relaxed time for knitting.
• Much, much more!

Tour price: $5195.00 CAD/USD

Click here for details of what is included in the price.

Download a Registration Form in PDF Format.

Read Responsibility Disclaimer

Complete Registration Instructions at the bottom of this page.

Itinerary: Wales, April/May 2013 – History, Heritage and Handicrafts:*

*Itinerary items subject to adjustment as trip details are finalized in the coming months.

CROESO i CYMRU  Welcome to Wales!

Come join us on this unique tour to the principality of Wales. The itinerary has been planned to answer your textile interests, but also to experience the proud heritage of this beautiful area. We’ll travel by private coach and stay in comfortable hotels.

Friday, 26 April:

Arrival at London Heathrow airport. You’ll be met by your tour escort and once your luggage is collected, we’ll meet our coach. En route to our first hotel, the Metropole, in Llandrindod Wells, we’ll make a stop at Hay-on-Wye, where the whole small village is a bookstore, with a treasure trove of used books.

After you arrive at the hotel and check into your room, there will be time for a short walk in the town before we meet for a pre-dinner reception to meet your fellow travellers.

Saturday, 27 and Sunday, 28 April:

Wonderwool Wales! This event as gone from success to success each year since its opening in 2006 and known as a ‘Wool and Natural Fibre Festival’. The 2013 exhibitor list has not yet been announced, but in 2012, there was a wide variety of yarn producers, weavers, guilds, workshops and talented craftspeople. http://www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk/home.html

Monday, 29 April:

After breakfast at the hotel, our first stop will be the border town of Montgomery for coffee and a stroll. Colinette has opened a shop here. One visit to Colinette probably won’t be enough and we will also visit her studio and workshop at nearby Llanfair Caereinion, with Colinette’s whole range of distinctive yarns and many discounted offers in the sale room.

We’ll stay for the next two nights near Llangollen, at the former coaching inn, The Hand at Llanarmon.

Tuesday, 30 April: A leisurely day in the Llangollen area.

One highlight will be a visit to Erddig Hall, a restored National Trust property. Erddig is unusual— it was owned by the Yorke family for 250 years and they were known as the family who never threw anything out. Consequently, there is an authentic collection of furniture, textiles and works of art. The Yorkes also placed an importance on their servants, who were shown a respect that didn’t usually occur in that era, with a number of servants’ portraits in the house.

The formal gardens are extensive and there is an interesting collection of outbuildings which supported the estate.

Wednesday, 01 May:

After leaving Llangollen, our itinerary takes us in a north-westerly direction, with a stop at Ruthin and a visit to the distinctive craft centre there.

We’ll travel north to Conwy, stunning walled town and a World Heritage site. The town is located on the Conwy estuary, overlooking the sea. We’ll visit Conwy Castle, one of Edward I’s fortresses, built to contain the Welsh.

Our hotel for the next two nights is the Gwesty Portmeirion located in the Italianate fantasy village of the same name. Portmeirion was the setting for the TV series, The Prisoner.

Thursday, 02 May:

A leisurely day to enjoy this idyllic setting. There will be time to take a ride on the narrow gauge railway of Ffestiniog. This historic, single track railway was originally used to carry slate and travels through Snowdonia National Park.

We’ll also be privileged to attend an evening rehearsal of a Welsh male choir. Always a highlight on previous tours.

Friday, 03 May:

We leave our hotel after breakfast and travel south to the coastal city of Aberystwyth, located on Cardigan Bay. The city is the site of the University of Wales Aberystwyth and the National Library of Wales.

We’ll be staying for the next three nights at Gwestyr Emlyn in the market town of Newcastle Emlyn. Our hotel is a 300-year old coaching inn and has been sensitively restored to an attractive hotel with modern facilities.

Saturday, 04 May:

Our location at Newcastle Emlyn means we are ideally situated to explore south-west Wales. We’ll visit Fishguard to see the amazing Last Invasion Tapestry, a hand-embroidered creation, 30 metres long. The tapestry took two years to complete and was the work of 70 talented women. It is based on the last attempted invasion of mainland Britain in 1797 which had a large comedic aspect.

Before returning to our hotel, we’ll visit the shop of Jen Jones in the countryside near Llanybydder and her Quilt Centre in nearby Lampeter. We are fortunate to be in Lampeter at this time, as Jen’s 2013 exhibition features the quilts of Kaffe Fassett.

Sunday, 05 May:

Today we visit St. David’s, the smallest city in the U.K., which carries this distinction as it has a cathedral. We’ll arrive at St. David’s in time to attend morning matins in the Cathedral—a stunning example of architecture. We’ll see the prehistoric burial chamber and the Celtic Cross at Nevern Church.

Before returning to our hotel, we’ll be able to visit the beach and a walk on a section of the Pembrokeshire Coast Long Distance Footpath.

Monday, 06 May:

We depart Newcastle Emlyn for Carmarthen. Before arriving at today’s destination of Cardiff we’ll stop at the National Botanic Garden of Wales.

We’ll meet our Blue Badge Guide at St. Fagans National Museum, a distinctive open-air museum and a collection of over forty buildings which were brought to the site from all over Wales. The site showcases Welsh culture and architecture and is well worth a visit. The land was initially a gift from the Earl of Plymouth and included St. Fagans Castle.

Cardiff, the national capital is our venue for the next two nights. Our hotel is the Hilton, centrally located and within easy walking distance of the art gallery with its collection of French Impressionist paintings and across the street from Cardiff Castle.

Depending on what is scheduled at that time, you may wish to take in a concert or live theatre in the evening.

Tuesday, 07 May:

Free time to sightsee in Cardiff. This is an ideal city for easy walking and there is excellent shopping along a pedestrian street nearby.

This evening is our special dinner to relive the many sights we’ve seen and our experiences in this special corner of Great Britain.

Wednesday, 08 May: After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll depart for Heathrow, just two hours away, for your return flights to your home cities.

As an option, a stopover in London is also be available.

Read a Shirley Scott article/review about the May 2011 Wales trip (PDF format)

Tour price: $5195.00 CAD/USD

Tour price: $5195.00 CAD/USD. Deposit: $1000.00 CAD/USD per person. (Non refundable)
Due as early as possible as space is limited. Balance: $4195.00 CAD/USD due MAR.01, 2013 (Non refundable). Single supplement: $625.00 per person CAD/USD.

How to Register:

1) Read and understand what is included in the price.

2) Download, Print and Fill Out the Registration Form
Click to Get the form in PDF Format.

3) Fax or mail your registration and payment details to my accredited travel agency partner:
Highlight Travel & Cruises

Payment can be made by either cheque or credit card.
If paying by Credit Card include your details in the registration form and FAX the completed registration form to: Highlight Travel & Cruises, FAX 613.691.1132 (or send by post to the mailing address below.)

If paying by cheque, please mail the registration form and cheque to:
Highlight Travel & Cruises, 6577 Marina Drive; Manotick, ON, K4M 1B3, Canada.

Read Responsibility Disclaimer

Email for More Information:knitting@joycejamestours.com

Click here for details of what is included in the price.

Read Responsibility Disclaimer

| Go Home | Go 2013 Trip to Scotland | Go Top |