"Bilder aus Wales"

Name of traveller

Karl Blind (1826-1907), Friederike Blind (b. 1819) and their children

Reason for travel

• holidaying, leisurely travel while living in exile in London

Date of travel

summer 1862

Der Snowdon ist ein komischer Kauz. Sonnenschein unten trügt meistens den Wanderer beim Anlangen auf der Höhe. ([Blind] 3)

Content

• agriculture: stallions are frequently named "John Jones" and mares "Jenny Jones"
• industry:
  • frequently hears reverberations of blasting work carried out in the slate quarries near Llanberis
  • a few notes on slate mining in Llanberis
  • industry identified as the enemy of poetic feeling
• language:
  • commentary on Welsh nicknames, the complexity of Welsh personal names and their simple English counter-parts
  • florid character of the Welsh language
  • comparison of Welsh with indigenous languages of North America
• people: travels together with his wife Friederike Blind (b. 1819) and their children
• recreation:
  • ascent of Snowdon with the help of an English-speaking tour guide, a Welsh speaking boy and a hired pony for the children
  • expensive snacks offered in the wooden huts on the summit of Snowdon
• terrain:
  • landscape of Snowdonia identified as the home of the legendary Merlin; magical character of the mountains
  • rapidly changing weather during the ascent of Snowdon
  • detailed, romanticised description of the landscape features seen during ascent of Snowdon from Llanberis; view from the summit reaches as far as the Isle of Man and Ireland
• compare with a later edited and republished version about the same journey
• click here to read the full account

Nationality of traveller

German

Language of publication

German

Gender of traveller

Male, Female

Type of publication

essay; travelogue

Citation

[Blind, Karl]. "Bilder aus Wales." Neue Freie Presse (2 June 1865): 2-4. Print.