S T A N F O R D T R A V E L / S T U D Y

Wa lk ing through Br ita in’s Celt iC h istory

Ju ly 5 to 17, 2014

a program of the stanford a lumni assoc iat ion

Wales Walk

S T A N F O R D T R A V E L / S T U D Y

HighlightsW A L K along the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path and take in its stunningly beautiful and unspoiled coastline.

M A R V E L at the rolling sheep pastures and open moorlands of Brecon Beacons National Park’s magnificent terrain of mountain, river and forest.

E N J O Y two nights in thevillage of Portmeirion, noted for its fantasy Italianate buildings, designed to be “a light opera approach to architecture.”

Walking programs in Great Britain are a favorite of our travelers, but we haven’t offered a walk devoted exclusively to Wales—until now. A mystical land and relatively untouched by tourists, this peninsula is blessed with long stretches of dramatic wild coastlines, soaring mountains and lush green valleys. Then there’s the man-made influence: grey stone castles; ancient monasteries; a unique Italianate village; Victorian seaside resorts; and historic coal, gold and slate mines. Above all are the hospitable people who welcome us to their charming towns and stately hotels. Come with us for some healthy walking and learn about these Celtic people—their long and diverse history, their culture, their unique language and especially their breathtaking countryside. Croeso i Cymru! Welcome to Wales!

BRE T T S. ThOmPSON, ’83, D IRECTOR, STANFORD TRAVEL /STUDY

COVER: PORTMEIRION

snowdonia national ParK

Conwy Castle

SATURDAY & SUNDAY, JULY 5 & 6U.s. / ManChester, england / Conwy, walesDepart the U.S. on overnight flights. After arrival at the Man-chester airport, drive across the River Dee to northern Wales and transfer to our lodgings near the Irish Sea. This evening, join fellow travelers for a wel-come reception and dinner at our elegant country house. hOTEL BODYSGALLEN hALL (7/6: D)

MONDAY, JULY 7Conwy Cross the Conwy estuary and drive into the hills overlooking the Isle of Anglesey. Our walk today heads west to explore the mystical land of Gwynedd, the ancient home of warriors, bards and druids. hOTEL BODYSGALLEN

hALL (B,L,D)

TUESDAY, JULY 8Conwy / PortMeirionToday’s journey takes us south through Snowdonia, a land of incomparable mountain scenery and the heartland of medieval Welsh identity. Our walk begins near the vast slate mines of

Balenau Ffestiniog and winds down toward the Irish Sea. After a picnic lunch, continue west to Portmeirion, a tiny fantasy village created by a Welsh ar-chitect during the 1920s in the Italianate architectural style and situated on Tremadog Bay. Our hotel is one of the most elegant and unusual in all of Wales. hOTEL PORTmEIRION (B,L,D)

WEDNESDAY, JULY 9PortMeirionWe drive south today to a rocky outcrop known as Tre’r Ceiri and topped with an Iron Age hill fort. After our morning walk and a picnic lunch we drive to Lla-nystumdwy, the boyhood home of Prime Minister David Lloyd George. Walk along the scenic coast to Criccieth, a charming Victorian seaside resort near a headland with a medieval castle perched upon it. Return to Portmeirion for dinner and overnight. hOTEL PORTmEIRION (B,L,D)

THURSDAY, JULY 10PortMeirion / llangaMMarChHead south past the sacred mountain, Cadair Idris, to Dolgellau, once a gold mining center, and to Tal y Llyn Lake. Our walk takes us past Castell y Bere, the impressive ruins of a

stone fortress built by Llywelyn the Great in the 13th century. Continue past Machynlleth to Llangammarch Wells, where we spend two nights in a Victorian country hotel with lush gardens. ThE LAKE hOTEL (B,L,D)

FRIDAY, JULY 11llangaMMarCh wellsThis region of Wales is a peace-ful and scenic area, famous for its ribbon lakes and reser-voirs as well as the scene of the death of Llywelyn, the last native Prince of Wales, and the end of the Gwynedd dynasty. Climb from valleys and pastures into the high moorlands. After a picnic lunch, return to our hotel by road. ThE LAKE hOTEL (B,L,D)

SATURDAY, JULY 12llangaMMarCh wells / st. david’sToday we admire the Brecon Hills and walk to the great castle of Carreg Cennen that sits on the western edge of the moors. After a picnic lunch, continue to St. David’s, home of the patron saint of Wales and the smallest city in Great Britain, dubbed a city because of its cathedral. Here St. David established a monastery in the 6th century. WARPOOL COURT hOTEL (B,L,D)

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Conwy

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Llangammarch Wells

Crickhowell

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SUNDAY, JULY 13st. david’sSpend the morning in St. David’s exploring the great ca-thedral and, across the brook, the remains of the 14th-century Bishop’s Palace. Later we visit the lovely Pembrokeshire coast that boasts some of Britain’s finest scenery and is just a short walk from our stunningly located hotel. WARPOOL COURT

hOTEL (B,L,D)

MONDAY, JULY 14st. david’s / CriCKhowellExplore the coastline around Laugharne, which was an important inspiration to Dylan Thomas, perhaps the world’s best-known Welsh poet. Con-tinue east to Brecon Beacons National Park with open hills that form a superb backdrop for our final country house/hotel, situated on the River Usk. GLIFFAES COUNTRY hOUSE (B,L,D)

TUESDAY, JULY 15CriCKhowell After driving beneath Sugarloaf Mountain at Abergavenny, we begin our walk, with views in every direction. After our picnic lunch, walk to the small town of Blaenavon for a visit to one of the last coal mines to have

closed in the Welsh valleys: the aptly named Big Pit, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. GLIFFAES COUNTRY hOUSE (B,L,D)

WEDNESDAY, JULY 16CriCKhowellToday we drive a short distance to begin our walk in the Wye Valley, where our day’s destina-tion is the 15th-century Norman castle and fortified manor

house with its splendid Tudor hall. After enjoying our final picnic lunch, return to our hotel. This evening, say “hwyl fawr” to fellow walkers and friends at our farewell reception and din-ner. GLIFFAES COUNTRY hOUSE (B,L,D)

THURSDAY, JULY 17CriCKhowell / Bristol or london / U.s.Travel by coach to Bristol or directly to Heathrow Airport for flights to the U.S. (B)

Carreg Cennen Castle

D a t e s :July 5 to 17, 2014 (13 days)

s i z eLimited to 32 participants

C o s t *$8,995 per person, double occupancy$10,845 per person, single occupancy*Association nonmembers add $200 per person

i n C l u D e D11 nights of deluxe hotel accommodations 11 breakfasts, 10 lunches and 11 dinners Welcome and farewell cocktail receptions Bottled water on excursions Gratuities to porters, guides and drivers for all group activities All tours as described in the itinerary Transfers and baggage handling on program arrival and departure days Minimal medical, accident and evacuation insurance Educational program with lecture series and pre-departure materials, including recommended reading list, a selected book, map and travel information Services of our professional tour manager to assist you throughout the program

n o t i n C l u D e DInternational and U.S. domestic airfare Passport and visa fees Immunization costs Meals and beverages other than those

specified as included Independent and private transfers Trip-cancellation/inter-ruption and baggage insurance Excess-baggage charges Personal items such as internet access, telephone and fax calls, laundry and gratuities for nongroup services

W h a t t o e x p e C tWe consider this to be a moderately strenuous and physically demanding program that involves a great deal of walking. Our walks range in length from five to 10 miles per day, with a daily average of about six miles. The terrain of Wales includes mountain ridges, rolling hills and valleys, and some open farmland and dense forests. Some of the trails may be uneven, rocky or muddy and may involve significant uphill or downhill grades. Sturdy, well-fitting and broken-in hiking shoes with ankle support are essential. To participate fully in this walking tour, you need to be physically fit, agile and used to moderate exercise. Several of our daily excursions might be considered by some participants to be hikes rather than walks. However, if you are in good shape and active, you should have no problem keeping up with the group. We welcome travelers 15 years of age and older on this program.

Trip Information

tal y llyn ChaPel BreCon BeaCons

st. david’s Cathedral

Deposit & Final paymentA $1,000 per-person deposit is required to hold your space on this program. Complete and return the attached reservation form or sign up online. Final payment is due 120 days prior to departure. As a condition of participation, all confirmed participants are required to sign a Release of Liability.

Cancellations & RefundsDeposits and any payments are refundable, less a $500-per-person cancellation fee, until 120 days prior to departure. After that date, refunds can be made only if the program is sold out and your place(s) can be resold, in which case a $1,000-per-person cancellation fee will apply. We recommend trip-cancellation insurance; applications will be sent to you.

insuranceStanford Travel/Study provides all travelers who are U.S. or Canadian citizens with minimal medical, accident and evacuation coverage under our group-travel insurance policy. Our group policy is intended to provide minimal levels of protection while you are traveling on this program. We strongly recommend that you to subscribe to optional baggage and trip-cancellation insurance. A brochure offering such insurance will be mailed with your confirmation about one week after

we receive your deposit. The product offered in this brochure includes special benefits if you postmark your insurance payment within a specified window: 15 days of the date listed on the confirmation letter for the Waiver of Pre-existing Conditions and coverage for Financial Insolvency; 21 days for the Cancel for Any Reason benefit.

eligibility We encourage membership in the Alumni Association as the program cost for nonmembers is $200 more than the members’ price. Parents and their children under 21 may travel on one membership. For more information or to purchase a membership, visit alumni.stanford.edu/goto/membership or call (650) 725-0692.

ResponsibilityThe Stanford Alumni Association, Stanford University and our operators act only as agents for the passenger with respect to transportation and exercise every care possible in doing so. However, we can assume no liability for injury, damage, loss, accident, delay or irregularity in connection with the service of any automobile, motorcoach, launch or any other conveyance used in carrying out this program or for the acts or defaults of any company or person engaged in conveying the passenger or in carrying out the arrangements of

the program. We cannot accept any responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in air or other services, sickness, weather, strike, war, quarantine, force majeure or other causes beyond our control. All such losses or expenses will have to be borne by the passenger as tour rates provide arrangements only for the time stated. We reserve the right to make such alterations to this published itinerary as may be deemed necessary. The right is reserved to cancel any program prior to departure in which case the entire payment will be refunded without further obligation on our part. The right is also reserved to decline to accept or retain any person as a member of the program. No refund will be made for an unused portion of any tour unless arrangements are made in sufficient time to avoid penalties. Baggage is carried at the owner’s risk entirely. The airlines concerned are not to be held responsible for any act, omission or event during the time passengers are not onboard their plane or conveyance. Neither the Alumni Association, Stanford University nor our operators accept liability for any carrier’s cancellation penalty incurred by the purchase of a nonrefundable ticket connected with the tour. Program price is based on rates in effect in June 2013 and is subject to change without notice to reflect fluctuations in exchange rates, tariffs or fuel charges.

TEl (650) 725-1093 FAX (650) 725-8675 EmAil TRAVELSTUDY@STANFORDALUMNI.ORG© COPYRIGHT 2013 STANFORD ALUMNI ASSOCIATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED ON RECYCLED, FSC-CERTIFIED PAPER IN THE U.S.

PavlovsK PalaCe

PeMBroKeshire Coast

Terms & Conditions

California Seller of Travel Program Registration #2048 523-50

MR. / MRS. / MS.MISS / DR. / PROF.

ADDRESS

CITY / STATE / ZIP

PHONE CELL / WORK / HOME

EMAIL ADDRESS

I/We have read the Terms and Conditions for the program and agree to them.

SIGNATURE

If this is a reservation for one person, please indicate: I wish to have single accommodations.

OR I plan to share accommodations with:

OR I’d like to know about possible roommates.

BED PREFERENCE: Twins Double

Here is my deposit of $________ ($1,000 per person) for _____ space(s).

Enclosed is my check (payable to Stanford Alumni Association) OR

Charge my deposit to my: Visa MasterCard American Express

CARD #

EXPIRATION DATE

CARDHOLDER SIGNATURE DATE Mail completed form to address on mail panel or fax to (650) 725-8675 or place your deposit online at alumni.stanford.edu/trip?wales2014. Submit your reservation only once to avoid multiple charges to your account. 10761

Reservation Form Wales Walk

NAME AGE STANFORD CLASS

NAME AGE STANFORD CLASS

MR. / MRS. / MS.MISS / DR. / PROF.

Faculty Leader

S T A N F O R D T R A V E L / S T U D Y

“Scott is a quintes-sential faculty lecturer, a fountain of information. He is a first-class thinker and a first-class person.”

S t e p h e n M i z r o c h , t u S c a n y Fa M i ly a d v e n t u r e , 2 012

SiGn up

online!

As a 6-year-old growing up in a small town in Wisconsin, S C O T T P E A R S O N was fascinated by geography. After mastering the state capitals, he shifted his interest to foreign countries and eventually to all seven continents. He joined the Peace Corps in 1961 and served in Nigeria, which strengthened his commitment to understanding and improving the lives of others less fortunate. Thereafter, Scott realized his childhood dream of experiencing the world and studying its people. During his career, he focused on international trade and development and now, during his retirement, on the rise and fall of empires. Since retiring, he has lectured on countless educational Travel/Study programs, and he is one of our most popular lecturers. Scott, who can trace his Welsh ancestry back several generations, has had a lifelong fascination with Wales (and with Scotland, his other ancestral homeland). During our program, he will discuss the cultural, political and economic history of Wales and the Welsh, from early settlement and the power struggles of medieval times to Wales’ roles in the British Empire and modern socio-economic adjustments within the modern United Kingdom.

— Professor, agricultural economics, Food Research Insti-tute, Stanford University, 1968–2002; served five years as director

— Dean’s Award for Teaching in the School of Humanities and Sciences, Stanford University, 1978

—MA, international relations, Johns Hopkins University —PhD, economics, Harvard University

S T A N F O R D T R A V E L / S T U D Y

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