WHAT DOES IT MEAN.....SURELY NOT THAT!

On a recent trip to Wales I learnt what a 'cawl' was.  What about other Celtic/Gaelic words, (that is, assuming they are not  local dialect, and if they are, how would I know?).

In an old fashioned tea room, there on the board as a specialty of the day, under the heading SOUPS, was lamb 'cawl'.  Here you have to imagine a lovely South Wales 'sing-a-song' cadence, if you can.  I had to  ask  what 'cawl' meant.  And the answer, "Well....yes...some people call it a stew and others say it is a broth...that's what it is".

I cannot think of a similar word for this sort of nourishment in my part of the country, Scotland.  A soup is a soup, a broth is a broth.  Broths I have had, usually include some sort of beans or barley, to make the bowly o' soup thick 'n more fillin' .  Both would have either a meat based stock and bits of meat in them, or the soup, may, these days, be  based on a vegetable stock.  A stew without meat, would, it seems to me, be a version of a rustic minestrone.

On a meander around our small town this week I noticed an advert for a 'Blas' .  Could this be the equivalent of the Welsh 'Blysh' I stumbled upon - pronounced like blush - when I visited Wales.  What is a 'Blysh' ? I asked the organisers, they shook their heads; I asked a native Welsh speaker from the North of Wales, she did not know.  She explained that there were some differences in Welsh vocabulary between the north and the south, though, on reflection she thought it was possibly a made up word.

 
The first thing to know is that Blas is masculine. There are eight meanings attributed to the word, two of the spellings should be accented; where, is not clear,  however, I presume, the accent would affect the one vowel in the middle of Blás...like so. You could have hours of  vocal fun playing with a grave accent or an acute one.

Okay, back to Blas and Blysh.  I am assuming of the eight possibilities with the Scottish/Gaelic 'blas', the meaning for the advertisement in town, is that there is an experience being announced.  It would neatly match what I saw and heard at the Welsh Blysh, (coined word or not).  It was  an experience, it was the title of a festival of performing arts.  My hunch tells me that is what the upcoming blas is likely to be.

Cawl, Blysh and Blas seem to have at least one thing in common, they all appear to provide different kinds of nourishment to the body and the mind.

 

DESIRABLE DARK AND SHADY PLACES

This porker had the right idea, finding a dark place to snuffle around in and keep cool.  Outside, the humidity levels were very high and the temperatures settled around 32-34 degrees Celsius from about lunch time till very late in the day.   

A notice on the door of another pigsty gave very clear instructions to visitors in two languages.

These two young lovelies appeared to be well catered for.  They were not in the least bit interested in being attracted  away from the goodies at the base of their trotters.

Their nursery mates couldn't be bothered with anything much.  But, then, who could blame them, it was just too hot to make an effort of any kind.

That shiny blue ball looked like an over-sized decoration bauble. I wonder if it was safe to play with.  If so, when cooler, do you think the kindergarten played fore-footed piglet football?

N.B
In case you have not recognised it, one of the two languages on the instructional notice is Welsh.

THERE'LL BE A WELCOME IN THE HILLSIDES...MAYBE

I enjoy people watching; without fail something of interest arises. Yesterday, was no exception. Two Welsh ladies,(the accents were immediately recognisable) who were tourists, were in a small cafe. One busied herself with her requirements and took semi-control of the other lady who had need of a walking stick. They were such different personalities; the moment the 'busy' one was asked by the counter assistant if the two of them were together,   a firm loud 'no' confirmed their status.  The woman quickly separated herself  from the other one and scuttled to a table, which she settled at. 

The other lady, a quiet sweet-mannered person, did need assistance, so I gave it, both with relating back prices, (she said she had two hearing aids) and carrying her tray. It seemed to me, this sweet soul wished to have space of her own. The lady's hesitation at where she might sit was her undoing. The first woman half stood to tell me very loudly they were staying in the same hotel, therefore, they would sit together. The two ladies were Welsh language speakers. One spoke Welsh like a song, the other was coarse.

They got up to leave as I did. 

We're Welsh, said the loud one... have you been to Wales?
Yes .... I replied.
Where did you go? I listed a few places.
That's different .......and continuing at a higher pitch than before she stated....
most people here don't know where Wales is!

As I closed the cafe door, I looked at the three members of staff, two of whom were grinning, and if looks were anything to go by, the third one was ready to toss the caber and give her best shot!