"Mitten ins Herz"

Name of traveller

Reiner Luyken (b. 1951)

Reason for travel

• delayed train forced author to make a detour through south Wales

Date of travel

undated, ca. early 1990s

Bei dem Fahrplan des Bummelzuges scheint es sich eher um einen Annäherungswert als um ein feststehendes Muster zu handeln. (Luyken 29)

Content

• customs: references to wide range of music tradition in Wales with hymn singing, choirs, the National Eisteddfod, singers Bryn Terfel (b. 1965) and Tom Jones (b. 1940)
• language:
  • general division of the territory into a Welsh-speaking Wales in the north and an English-speaking Wales in the south
  • notes recent resurgence of the Welsh language as the only native minority language in the British Isles
• literature:
  • rates the radio play Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) as the best example of its genre
  • brief sketch of Dylan Thomas, his work and reception in Wales
• recreation: recollects an excursion on horseback during a previous visit
• people:
  • character sketches of the people he meets on the train
  • references to his wife who is of part-Welsh descent, her childhood memories and her mother's nationalism
• politics: notes weak support for Welsh independence in current political climate
• terrain: views of romantic, rural landscapes from the train window
• transport:
  • mode of travel: train
  • travelling on the "Heart of Wales" line in four hours
• compare with an earlier description of the same journey

Nationality of traveller

German

Language of publication

German

Gender of traveller

Male

Type of publication

travelogue

Citation

Luyken, Reiner. "Mitten ins Herz." MERIAN 10 (20 Sep. 2012): 28-9. Print.