A family reunion with Welsh appeal

My sister suggested the trip. Our parents’ 60th anniversary was looming, and we wanted to make it memorable. She called me in Los Angeles and told me about an interesting-sounding spot in the heart of the Welsh countryside where the entire family -- four generations of Smiths and Penlands, 18 of us in all -- might gather for a week of celebration.

“It sounds ideal,” she said. “Barlings Barn in Llanbrynmair, mid-Wales. About 10 miles from the ancient capital of Machynlleth. It has a heated indoor swimming pool, squash court, sauna and self-catering accommodation for all of us, including the children.”

Ideal indeed. Wales, a land of legend and the mystical world of the Celts. An intriguing language of virtually unpronounceable names, though just about everyone speaks English too. A place of intrinsic beauty and infinite variety.

From homes in California and South Carolina, family members arranged a date to congregate at my parents’ home in Manchester, England, and when the time came a year and a half ago, we set off in a convoy of vehicles. Following the directions sent to us by the owners of Barlings Barn, we crossed into Wales in less than an hour.

The sun poured down from a clear September sky as we meandered along quiet, winding country roads. On the slopes of distant mountains and rolling hills, thousands of grazing sheep looked like tiny white dots painted onto a vast green canvas. Glassy lakes reflected the meadows and the forests.

Llanbrynmair is a village of 900 consisting of a post office-general store and a pub surrounded by neat houses and cottages. A couple of miles away we found Barlings Barn and a warm welcome from the owners, Terry and Felicity Margolis, who live in an 18th century cottage across from the barn.

Our accommodations included seven bedrooms, a spacious L-shaped lounge and dining area with oak beams, a long mahogany Victorian dinner table, a wood-burning fireplace and a piano. The kitchen’s double doors led to a patio with a barbecue grill, a table and chairs beside a tree-lined field with a gurgling stream, which poured over stones to form a small waterfall.

We were near the heart of Snowdonia National Park. All around were mountains and streams. Trout, salmon, deer. Great golf courses. Hiking, riding, bird-watching. Beaches and coves and fishing villages to match any pirate’s wild imaginings. What a lovely hideaway.

“Let’s take a peek at the pub,” announced my father hopefully. At 86, he believes that the secret to his good health and longevity lies in a good daily “gargle.” I didn’t need much persuading.

Leaving the others to unpack the suitcases, food hampers, baby strollers and enough toys to stock a warehouse, I drove Father and Mother back down the lane to the Wynnstay Arms Hotel, arriving a few minutes after the stroke of noon for open doors at its restaurant.

“You be staying long or just passing through?” inquired the jovial landlady in a lilting, singsong Welsh accent as she poured my father’s gin.

“About a week,” I explained. “Eighteen of us, including children. You can expect their imminent arrival.”

“You must be staying at Barlings Barn,” she chirped. “A charming spot, to be sure. Welcome!”

The Smith-Penland clan duly arrived. The landlady and the local people could not have been more naturally pleasant or hospitable. The adults gently poked and coochy-cooed the babies, tickling their tummies as they rolled and crawled all over the place. Highchairs were provided. Fish and chips, Cornish pasties and steak-and-kidney pie were brought to the table.

Busy market, country calm

Something about pure country air made sleep that night much more restful. I awoke early the next morning filled with vigor. I donned swimming trunks and headed for the indoor pool, only to find Father there completing his customary 10 laps.

The day was bright and beautiful. The family conferred and unanimously decided to visit Machynlleth, then the seaside town of Aberdyfi for a picnic.

The history of Machynlleth goes back a long way. The well-preserved Parliament House dates to 1404. A rebellious character, Owain Glyndwr, proclaimed himself prince of Wales and briefly made the town the capital of Wales before losing the last major attempt to escape English rule. There were all sorts of boundary disputes, assassinations, uprisings, English expeditions against Owain, rebellions, wars.

Market day in Machynlleth dates back even further, to 1291. Merchandise is a combination of the ancient and the modern. Every Wednesday the market bustles with customers browsing herbal medicines, bargain art and furniture.

The Smith-Penland clan swept its way through the pastry shops, the teahouses, the pubs. Father found the coziest bar in town on Maengwyn Street at the Wynnstay Hotel, an 18th century coaching inn. Guesthouses in the area abound. The rooms here, on the small side but well appointed, average $80 for two people, breakfast included. Gareth Johns, the head chef, has taken the Wynnstay into the prestigious “Good Food Guide.”

We moved on in the afternoon to Aberdyfi (also spelled Aberdovey), about 10 miles west, where we commandeered three long benches fronting the Irish Sea. To the cacophony of wheeling, screeching, impertinent gulls looking for handouts, we tucked into sandwiches, cake and hot tea. Dessert consisted of 13 ice cream cones bought from a local shop. The Smith-Penland clan was in fine spirits.

Our luck wasn’t quite so good the next day on our way to Lake Vyrnwy, recommended to us by the owners of the barn. Halfway there my niece’s husband, Frank, stopped to buy film, and on arrival at the lake he discovered he had lost his camera.

“I think I left it on a wall outside the store,” he told us forlornly.

We agreed to look for it on the way back and in the meantime enjoyed the view of the lake, 4 1/2 miles long and half a mile wide. About 24,000 acres surrounding the lake -- formerly a private estate, now owned by the government -- is stunning scenery, set in the foothills of the Berwyn Mountains. Nature trails are plentiful, with some specifically designed for the disabled. Picnic spots and a bicycle path circle the water.

After a fine afternoon tea at a tiny place called Ty Uchaf, we headed back for Frank’s camera. No sign of it on the wall, so we went into the shop.

“Oh, we’ve been waiting for you all day,” the woman in the shop announced happily, bending down behind the counter and producing the camera. “We were about to call the police and ask if they might take a run up to the lake to look for you. But here it is.”

Group and solo pleasures

Back at Barlings Barn I took a pre-dinner swim, sat in the sauna, showered and changed. In the kitchen, Mother had prepared two huge meat and potato pies, stewed for hours in beef stock and onions and covered in pastry. She served them with French red country wine, and we finished with homemade gooseberry pie and ripe Stilton cheese.

The next day, the rest of the family set out with the children to ride the Talyllyn Vintage Train, a steam locomotive that takes passengers from the coastal town of Tywyn past old quarries and mountain waterfalls to the Nant Gwernol station, about seven miles inland. I struck out alone.

Randomly following an unmarked road out of Llanbrynmair, I drove up and around for 20 minutes or so until I chanced upon a serpentine foot trail that wound toward a plateau half a mile away. Perched on a boulder on the plateau, I drank in deep gulps of mountain air and admired the glorious view. I looked down between two mountains into a vast valley. The sun burst through billowing white clouds, making the yellows, the browns and the greens of the earth especially brilliant.

I found more colorful life in the town of Pwllheli, reached by a lovely drive on a peninsula that sits west of Snowdonia. Shops and cafes are many, but I landed in the Blue Moon on Gaol Street.

The cafe is run by two characters, Rufus and Perry, large men with large hearts whose friendly and eccentric dispositions and warm hospitality would make royalty feel at home. Afternoon tea is a splendid affair. Teas from around the world are presented with hot scones, delicious pastries, homemade jams and honey for about $8 to $10 a person.

Our last day in Wales was splendid too. I awoke to the mooing of a cow, quacking of ducks and the whimpering of a baby. It happened to be my birthday, and my sister brought me breakfast in bed. Oh, to be spoiled occasionally.

My parents’ anniversary and my birthday required something special. My sister, a master of suggestion, came up with the Penrhos Arms Hotel in the village of Cemmaes, midway between Machynlleth and the barn.

Owner Tom Liggett, a tall, slim man who looked as if he ought to be a British army officer, was instantly likable. He welcomed us in a way that showed he understood the essence of understated hospitality.

We relaxed in the Old World comfort of the place. For dinner I chose the duck in brandy and orange sauce, served with fresh vegetables and slender French fries. It was fine. As the wine flowed and our cheeks became rosier and rosier, I observed the four generations of the Smith-Penland clan. The babies were sleeping deeply, the children unusually quiet and content, my parents as proud and happy as can be.

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Wales details

GETTING THERE:

From LAX, nonstop service to London’s Heathrow airport is available on Air New Zealand, American, British Airways, United and Virgin Atlantic. Restricted round-trip fares start at $776.

Trains make the trip from London’s Euston Station to Bangor, Wales, in about four hours. BritRail sells open-ended round-trip tickets to Americans before they depart; prices start around $115. Contact BritRail, (877) 677-1066, www.britrail.com. Travelers also can purchase tickets from National Rail in Britain; advance-purchase fares for round-trip travel start around $40. Contact National Rail, 011-44-8457-484-950, www.nationalrail.co.uk.

TELEPHONES:

To call the numbers below from the U.S., dial 011 (international dialing code), 44 (country code for Britain) and the numbers below.

WHERE TO STAY:

Barlings Barn, Llanbrynmair, Powys SY19 7DY; 1650-521-479, fax 1282-511-414, www.barlbarn.zetnet.co.uk. Booked through Country Holidays, Spring Mill, Earby, Barnoldswick, Lancashire BB94 0AA, England; 8700-781-200, fax 1282-844-299, www.country-holidays.co.uk. A seven-bedroom house with pool, sauna, squash court. My family made much use of the kitchen, equipped with an eight-burner stove, two ovens and a separate grill. Rates range from about $885 for a two-night stay to a high of $3,100 for seven nights in summer.

Penrhos Arms Hotel, Cemmaes, near Machynlleth, Powys SY20 9PR; telephone/fax 1650-511-243. Four rooms tastefully furnished with antiques. Doubles with private bath from about $95 a night including breakfast. Classic British food is excellent; entrees about $9-$23.

Lake Vyrnwy Hotel, Llanwddyn, near Welshpool, Powys SY10 0LY; 1691-870-692, fax 1691-870-259, www.lakevyrnwy.com. An elegant property with lovely views of the lake. Doubles from $180 a night. Fine dining room serves dishes such as wild boar and venison; $43 for a three-course dinner.

WHERE TO EAT:

Wynnstay Hotel, Maengwyn Street, Machynlleth, Powys SY20 8AE; 1654-702-941, fax 1654-703-884, www.wynnstay-hotel.com. Superb cooking at this 18th century coaching inn. Hotel’s two-course meal is $23; three courses, $39. Pub’s main courses, $11-$17.

Blue Moon, 12 Gaol St., Pwllheli LL53 5RG; 1758-701-502. Popular spot with great afternoon teas, snacks, pastries. Lunch runs about $11 per person.

TO LEARN MORE:

Wales Tourist Board, Brunel House, 2 Fitzalan Road, Cardiff, Wales CF24 0UY; 2920-499-909, fax 2920-485-031, www.visitwales.com.

VisitBritain, 551 Fifth Ave., Suite 701, New York, NY 10176; (800) 462-2748, www.travelbritain.org.

-- Geoffrey Dean-Smith