Celticos/AmeriCymru Trail Tour - Latest News

AmeriCymru spoke to Janet Folatjar, who has recently signed up for the Celticos/AmeriCymru Trail Tour, about her background in Wales and her expectations for the forthcoming trip. We are sure that Janet will be delighted with the experience and we hope to do a follow up interview with her when she returns. Check back for part two of this feature.

AmeriCymru: Hi Janet and many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by AmeriCymru. You are visiting Wales and will be experiencing the Celticos/AmeriCymru Trail Tour. Is this your first visit to Wales and what is your ancestral connection?

Janet: Yes this is my first visit to Wales. I never really knew my grandfather a mining engineer for Johnstown Coal and Coke Company. Hedied when I was 3, but I feel a connection to him having followed a similar career path. His father and mother..my great grandfather Hugh Hughes and great grandmother Annie Jones immigrated to the USA from Wales in 1886 and 1887. They landed in New York, married in 1888, started a family and settled in Ebensburg, Cambria County, Pennsylvania. Recently I found some information my Aunt gave me about her trip to North Wales in the 1980's. This inspired me to visit.

AmeriCymru: Can you tell us a little about your trip and your Celticos/AmeriCymru itinerary?

Janet: We are spending a total of 5 days in North Wales. Llandudnowill be a base from which totake day trips.I chose Llandudno due to thevariety of landscapes the city has to offer such as the mountain and sea views and the proximity to nearby towns. I hope to be able to spend some time hiking Great Orme, bird watching and walking the beach.Two days will be spent enjoying the hospitality of Alwyn Griffiths of Celticos Tours on the AmeriCymru Trail tour. Alwyn has planned two days of travel and walking throughout North Wales and Anglesey.The tour will take us to places which link the USA to Wales. Coincidentally some stops are places my ancestors once lived so the tour will include a bit of information regarding their life and times Alwyn has been very attentive tomy specific interests andI think is planning something very special for us. I am also looking forward to walking component of thetour.

The remaining3 days will be spent relaxing and enjoying the beautiful sceneryin North Walesin LLandudno, Conwy and also the Conwy Valley and searching for local traditional Welsh food.

Great Orme Tramway, Llandudno

AmeriCymru: What do you most hope to get out of this trip? What are your main expectations?

Janet: Well Ceri this trip for me is primarily to see where my ancestors came from. I am a big fan of the TLC series "Who Do You Think You Are?" where a celebrity researches their family history and follows the ancestral trail wherever it takes them. I know very little about Wales so I hope that the tour will be an introduction to North Wales and will provide me information onthe hardships that forced my ancestors to leave their family to move to the USA.I hope this trip will make my family history come alive. I think that Celticos Tours will give me agood start and will expose me tosome unique places that most tourists don't see. I hope toreally experience the Welsh first hand. It would be great to see places that are off the beaten track and away from regular touristy places to make ourtrip special and unique.

AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?

Janet: It is remarkable how friendly everyone has been to me so far.Prior to discoveringCelticos Tours I wasstressing over planning our personal itinerary.When I discovered the AmeriCymru Trail tour I was so relieved becauseit eliminated the need for further planning and the need forusing pubic transportationto reachthe places I want to visit. Thesavings in planning and travel time will nowtranslated into maximized enjoyment. I would encourage anyone new to visiting Wales to consider taking a tour to simplify, relieve stress and create more enjoyment!