A wonderfully odd trawl through 19th century Cymru by leggy eccentric George Borrow, who describes everything he sees and talks to almost everyone - albeit in a kind of condescending manner. Definitely worth a read if you're interested in Cymru and its history. Be warned, at one point he is massively racist towards a black man and expresses pro-slavery opinions. ( )

This account of a lengthy walking tour in 1854 is an absolute gem- and I have no massive fascination with Wales! In 109 short chapters (I read a couple a day- any more would be too much) the author describes the miles he covers, the sundry folk he meets en route- locals, Irish, gypsies, English...even an Italiian barometer-seller. They have conversations on all manner of things, and Borrow interjects with thoughts on religion and linguistic trivia (he was a philologist and fluent in Welsh). He opines on Welsh poets; he recounts interesting stories; he visits places of interest, describes the scenery, the hostelries...
I was impressed by the miles he covered, and found myself googling places mentioned.
Ansolutely brilliant read and utterly recommended! ( )

I bought this in Betws Y Coed in the tourist office before I started learning Welsh, must have been 1999. George Borrow must have been a remarkable man. I enjoyed it thorougly, and I found his attitude to the Welsh and their language endearing. ( )