Teithwyr Ewropeaidd i Gymru

Am ganrifoedd, mae Ewropeaid y cyfandir wedi dod i Gymru. Yn ystod y cyfnod Rhamantaidd, daeth rhai i chwilio am hafan wledig, ac yn ystod Oes Victoria teithiodd eraill fel ysbiwyr diwydiannol.  Ar adegau o ryfel bu i lawer o ffoaduriaid ddianc i Gymru i geisio lloches rhag cael eu herlid. Mae Ewropeaid y cyfandir nid yn unig wedi gadael eu holion ymhlith y Cymry drwy ymgartrefu yma, maent hefyd wedi ysgrifennu'n helaeth am eu profiadau mewn dyddiaduron, llythyrau, llyfrau a chylchgronau.

For centuries, continental Europeans have come to Wales for numerous reasons. During the Romantic period some came seeking a rural idyll, whilst others in the Victorian era travelled as industrial spies, and during times of war many refugees escaped to Wales to find shelter from persecution. Not only have continental Europeans left their traces among the people of Wales by settling here, but they have also written extensively about their experiences in diaries, letters, books and magazines or novels.

Possibly M. Nestor Demoulin of Antwerp whose family were refugees living in Laugharne. However, many injured Belgian soldiers were treated in Carmarthen Red Cross Hospital and continued to recuperate locally.

Ieri m’è preso un momento di estrema stanchezza e subito la mia mente è corsa ai riparti portandomi, almeno apparentemente, in viaggio in Galles, più precisamente sulla Llyn Peninsula, ad Aberdaron, uno dei luoghi del mio cuore. Non appena ho visualizzato l’immagine di me stessa sulla mia scogliera preferita, ho subito capito una cosa: ho scritto varie volte su quello specifico luogo del nord del Gallesma non vi ho mai consigliato chiaramente cosa fare o cosa vedere lungo la Llyn Peninsula. Rimedio oggi. Così il venerdì è più bello.

Bydd cofnodion hanesyddol gan ymwelwyr o Ewrop i Gymru’r gorffennol ar gael i ymwelwyr Ewropeaidd y dyfodol, drwy wefan newydd sydd i’w chwblhau'r flwyddyn nesaf.

Bydd arian dilynol gan Gyngor Ymchwil y Celfyddydau a’r Dyniaethau (AHRC) yn galluogi i ymchwilwyr sy’n gweithio ar broject llwyddiannus ‘Teithwyr Ewropeaidd i Gymru’ rannu peth o’r ysgrifau taith hanesyddol y maent wedi eu darganfod gyda thwristiaid i Gymru’r oes hon. Gwneir y gwaith dan arweinyddiaeth Prifysgol Bangor, gyda Phrifysgol Abertawe a Chanolfan Uwchefrydiau Cymreig a Cheltaidd Prifysgol Cymru, ac mewn cydweithrediad â Chomisiwn Brenhinol Henebion Cymru a Visit Wales. Ar ôl cwblhau’r gwaith, bydd ymwelwyr i Gymru yn medru dilyn ôl traed ymwelwyr o’r gorffennol gan ddilyn teithiau awgrymedig, gan ddarllen eu geiriau a hefyd gweld darluniau hanesyddol o gasgliad Y Comisiwn Brenhinol a chasgliadau eraill.

European tourists visiting Wales will be able to read historical accounts of visits to Wales through the ages via a new portal to be completed next year.

Follow-on funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) means that researchers working on the successful ‘European Travellers to Wales’ project will be able to share some of the historical travel writing that they have unearthed with modern tourists to Wales. Following completion of the work led by Bangor University with Swansea University and the University of Wales, Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies (CAWCS), and in collaboration with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales and Visit Wales, visitors will be able to follow in the footsteps of historical travellers by  following suggested modern ‘itineraries’,  and reading their writings,  enhanced with historical images from the Royal Commission and other historical collections.

Name of traveller: Peggy Le Bihan (b. 1977) Reason for travel: work; learn Welsh and get to know the country Dates of travel: undated, ca. 2009

Name of traveller: Ви́ктор Ива́нович Зару́дный (Viktor Ivanovich Zarudny) (1828-1897) Reason for travel: return from Ireland; study of modern infrastructure Dates of travel: September 1860

Julia Constantinou is 36 and originally from Germany. She came to the UK when she studied at university in Portsmouth and has lived in Cardiff for around 10 years.

Julia admits to feeling upset at the outcome of the vote, even comparing it to going through a break-up.

She has three children, has bought a family home with her husband in the capital city and has set up her own business.

The mum and businesswoman explained how, while she feels mainly European, she was also starting to feel a little bit Welsh.

Name of traveller: Björgvin Sighvatsson Reason for travel: interview with a Welsh Development Agency official Dates of travel: 1996

Aimé Félix Tschiffely, Swiss adventurer who previously rode from Buenos Aires to New York, now rides the whole length of Britain on his horse Violet and making a detour into Wales

Les Servini, immigrated from Italy as a child together with his widowed mother, reminiscing about his time playing theatre while enrolled in university as a mature student

Armand-Louis-Bon Maudet, Comte de Penhouët, refugee from French Revolution on a pedestrian tour in south Wales