I had a great excursion planned for today: a bus or train to Beddgelert, a sweet little village in Snowdonia, where I was to take a short, very pretty walk, visit the copper mine, return to Caernarfon to visit its castle and look about the town. Plans were rained out. I COULD have done it—after all, on the bus was a group of hearty Germans and they were all set to get on with it—but I didn't want to. So I visited the copper mine—cannot imagine how anyone can work in a mine, any mine. It is a cruel cruel existence.
Then the castle at Caernarfon, one of the quartet in Wales, now three of them seen, only Harlech remaining to be seen, and a big heavy castle it is, too. Part of the castle functions as a muweum of the Royal Welch (yes, that is the spelling used) Fusiliers:
I cannot get started on how absurd it is that so much human thought, work, creativity, engineering, resources, organization, money, lives, etc. has been devoted to war and its glorification.
The most interesting bit of information about the regiment had to do with St. David's Day. "March 1st is the feast of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales. The Regiment celebrated this day all over the world [all over the world??] wearing a leek in the cap and eating leeks at dinner.
The youngest soldier in each company, and the newest officer would stand on a chair after dinner with one foot on the table. They would eat a leek while a drummer played a roll, then make the toast, 'And Saint David,' while drinking from a loving cup."
It is enough to make you want to join up!
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