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Home , Dylan Thomas, Dylan Thomas Boathouse, Dylan Thomas Centre, Falcondale, Fern Hill, Kidwelly Castle

: In the Footsteps of Thomas presents August 26 - September 5, 2013

In Anticipation of ’ 100th Birthday Wales: In the Footsteps Aug 26 - Sept 5, 2013 of Dylan Thomas

A unique tour of Wales designed exclusively for Smith Travel. Celebrate Dylan Thomas’ 100th birthday and then participate in a 2-day workshop at the Welsh National Writers’ Centre. Welsh Poet Menna Elfyn at Ty Newydd Monday, Aug 26th. Departure from your chosen US gateway city. Overnight: Plane

Tuesday, Aug 27th. We’ll gather this morning at Heathrow Airport, where we’ll be met by our guide and our tour bus. It’s a fast drive down the motorway and across the Severn Bridge to South Wales, but we’ll be stopping along the way for refreshments and to stretch our legs. On arrival at our hotel in , we’ll have time to relax, unpack and rest up from the journey before we gather for a welcome dinner. (D) Overnight: Swansea

Wednesday, Aug 28th. Swansea was where Dylan Thomas went to school and spent most of his early childhood, leaving in the early years of World War II. This morning we’ll have an exclusive program at the and then repair to The for lunch. There will be some free time this afternoon before we gather again for a tour of his birthplace museum. Dinner is included this evening in Dylan Thomas’ childhood home. (B, D) Overnight: Swansea

Thursday, Aug 29th. A day trip from Swansea today, takes us through the area that Dylan fell in love with as a boy and where he spent his family vacations at the beach (seaside holidays as he would know them). We begin by touring the Gower Peninsula, an area of renowned scenic beauty. On our way back to our hotel in Swansea, we’ll stop and visit . The evening is free in Swansea to sample a local restaurant. (B) Overnight: Swansea

Friday, Aug 30th. Today we take a second day trip exploring Dylan’s coastal haunts. Driving through , we cross over the river Towy to , where Dylan spent many summers at his Aunt’s farm, the eponymous . We’ll work our way around the estuary of the River Taf to visit Dylan Thomas’s village of , where he lived after the war. We’ll stop for lunch in Brown’s Hotel, where Dylan was a regular, and visit the Boathouse, where he wrote much of his later work. We return to Swansea in time to do a little shopping and enjoy a free evening. The Gower Peninsula (B, L) Overnight: Swansea

Saturday, August 31st. Heading north this morning we hit the Irish Sea and at . After delving into the many connections between Dylan and New Quay, we continue along the coast to the wonderful Georgian seaside town of , where we’ll stop for lunch. This afternoon we’ll make a brief stop at lovely Llanarchaeron Gardens on our way to . On arrival a brief walking tour will detail Dylan’s associations with the town. We’ll round off the day with a visit to the Welsh Quilt Center in Lampeter and then check into our hotel. Dinner is included at the hotel this evening. (B, D) Overnight: Lampeter

Sunday, Sept 1st. Leaving Lampeter we head north up the coast to , a thriving, seaside university city, where we’ll tour Wales’ National Library, home to some of the world’s most treasured manuscripts. From here our route north takes us through Dolgellau, a delightful market town with excellent shops and around the edge of the Snowdonia National Park. We’ll arrive at Tŷ Newydd with time to freshen up before dinner. (B, D) Overnight: Criccieth

Monday, Sept 2nd - Tuesday, Sept 3rd. Tŷ Newydd is Wales’ National Writers’ Centre and offers a wide variety of residential creative writing courses and experiences to people of all ages and backgrounds. We will be taking a two day course in this inspiring and nurturing environment for writing, located in a beautiful, historic house set in stunning surroundings with views to the Welsh mountains and the sea. Excursions to sites of local interest will be provided for anyone not wishing to participate in the workshops. Dinner on one night will be at the exceptional restaurant-with-rooms, Plas Bodegroes. (B, D) Overnight: Criccieth

Wednesday, September 4th. We wrap up our course this morning and head back through North Wales to our hotel near Manchester Airport. En route, we’ll stop in Chester, one of Europe’s top heritage cities, the city walls date to Roman times. We’ll celebrate with a farewell dinner at our hotel. (B, D) Overnight: Alderley Edge

Thursday, September 5th. Morning transfers to Manchester Airport for returning Kidwelly Castle flights to the U.S. (B) Overnight: Home The cost of this itinerary, per person, double occupancy is: Dear Smith Alumnae and Friends,

Land only (no airfare included): $3950 This summer, we invite you to join Creative Writing Lecturer Single supplement: $680 Pamela Petro, on one of our most exciting new trips, Wales: In the Footsteps of Dylan Thomas. Airfares are available from many U.S. cities. Please call for details.

The following services are included: We celebrate the 100th anniversary of Dylan Thomas’ birth with a journey designed exclusively for Smith Travel: a Hotels: 6 nights accommodation in first class hotels. tour of Wales that follows Dylan’s life and adventures and All hotel taxes and service charges included. concludes at Ty Newydd, the National Writers’ Centre of Courses: 3 night/2 day writing workshop at the National Wales, where you can work with acclaimed writers on your Writers’ Centre of Wales at Tŷ Newydd Coaching: All ground transportation as detailed in the itinerary. own poems, essays, and stories. Meals: Breakfast daily, 1 lunch, 7 dinners. Staff: Services of Smith lecturer and Discover Europe tour The trip begins in Dylan’s hometown of Swansea, where director throughout the tour. you’ll have dinner in his own exquisitely restored childhood Expenses: Porterage of one large suitcase per person. home; continues to Gower Peninsula, one of the most Entrances: Entrance fees to all sites included in the itinerary. beautiful coastal landscapes in Britain; and proceeds to Laugharne, the lovely seaside village where Thomas lived as an adult. You’ll then travel via Lampeter and New Quay to North Wales, where you’ll spend two days working on your writing with Welsh poet Menna Elfyn and American writer Pamela Petro.

We hope you will join us on this custom-designed itinerary created exclusively for Smith. For further information or to reserve your space call Liz Bigwood at Smith Travel on (800) 225-2029.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Manchester * Elizabeth Bigwood Director for Travel Alumnae Association Criccieth * Dylan Thomas’ Boathouse, Laugharne of Smith College * Aberystwyth Registration Form - Wales: In the Footsteps of Dylan Thomas

Flight Information: Rooming Requirements: Swansea * Would you like Discover Europe Please indicate either A. or B. below. to book your flights: Yes / No A. I will be sharing with: ______Flight details (if self-arranged)______We would like a double __ twin ___ bedded room Tour Accommodation: ______(Note: a double room has one large bed, a twin room ______has two separate beds). Swansea: The Dragon Hotel (www.dragon-hotel.co.uk) ______B. I would like a single room (supplement applies) Lampeter: The ______Signatures: (www.thefalcondale.co.uk) ______I have read and agree to the Terms & Conditions: Criccieth: Tŷ Newydd ______(www.tynewydd.org) Signature: ______Date: ______The Alderley Edge Hotel ______(www.alderleyedgehotel.com) ______Signature: ______Date: ______Please note that all hotels are subject to final confirmation Your Smith College Study Leader: Registration, Terms & Conditions Pamela Petro teaches Creative Non-Fiction GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS: Writing at Smith. She is also an award- 1. Make checks payable to DISCOVER EUROPE, LTD. winning writer who has a long association 2. Detach the bottom section and mail it to the Alumnae Association of Smith College with your regis- tration payment of $800 per person. The remaining balance will be billed and payable 60 days prior to with Wales. She trip departure. fell in love with 3. Please make sure that your name appears on this form exactly as it does on your passport. the country and TERMS & CONDITIONS: its language while Registration and payment waive and release Discover Europe, Ltd., and the Alumnae Association of Smith College, their affiliates, directors, officers, employees, including any person or entity employed attending a Master’s or utilized by them, from all claims arising from any injury, loss, damage, accident, delay or expense Degree program at resulting from events beyond their control, including, without limitation: natural disasters, war, strikes, incidents of politically-motivated violence, sickness or quarantine, government restrictions or regula- the University of tions, and in the absence of its own gross negligence, arising from the use of any vehicle or from any Wales, Lampeter, act of omission by any bus or car rental agency, airline, taxi or tour service, hotel, restaurant, or other Pamela Petro firm, agency, company or individual. and later returned to study the language. TOUR COST ADJUSTMENTS: Discover Europe makes every effort to guarantee that the published cost of your chosen tour will not Due to the difficulty of practicing Welsh in change - in fact we have not had to invoke this clause in the contract in 8 years of operation. However Wales-where everyone speaks English-Petro we do reserve the right to make adjustments in the following circumstances: 1. Exchange rates. Should the value of the dollar fall against the currency of the countries visited on embarked on a world tour seeking Welsh your tour by more than 10% in the year prior to trip departure. speakers. Her quest resulted in, Travels in 2. Group size. Your tour has been based on a group size of 15 participants. Should we end up with less than 15 people, Discover Europe will work with the group organizer to determine a course of an Old Tongue: Touring the World Speaking action which will involve either paying a surcharge to keep the tour as is, or making adjustments to the Welsh (Harper Collins UK, 1997). tour in order to keep the cost the same. REFUND POLICY: Since then Petro has written extensively 1. Participants who withdraw more than 60 days prior to tour departure will receive a refund of all monies received by Discover Europe, Ltd., less a $200 cancellation penalty. on Wales for publications such as The 2. Participants who withdraw less than 60 days prior to tour departure will be assessed the following Washington Post and The Atlantic Monthly, cancellation penalties: 59-31 days prior $1000 per person for which she covered the devolution 30-15 days prior $2000 per person movement, and in 2000 won the Bedford 14-2 days prior $3000 per person less than 2 days prior No refund Pace Prize for Travel writing on Britain for 3. Comprehensive travel insurance is not included in your tour package. Discover Europe, Ltd., strong- her article, “The Eloquent Stones of Wales,” ly advises that you purchase travel insurance for your upcoming trip. Smith Travel will be providing you with a brochure describing the services of a recommended insurance company, which fully details in The Sunday New York Times. Petro has the coverages, provisions, limitations, and exclusions of the insurance offered. also written two books of travel literature, 4. All cancellation requests must be received in writing (by mail or e-mail). 5. There is no provision for refund for any activities missed due to the participant’s absence once the and is currently working on a book about the tour has started. Welsh concept of hiraeth and a novel set in INCLUSIONS & EXCLUSIONS: Wales. 1. All inclusions on Wales: In the Footsteps of Dylan Thomas are listed on this itinerary. 2. The following are not included (unless specifi- cally mentioned in the itinerary): transportation to and from the participant’s home to their chosen Registration Form - departure airport, passport fees, excess baggage Wales: In the Footsteps of Dylan Thomas charges, drinks (other than water) with meals and items of a personal nature. Passenger Details: Special Dietary Requirements: ______Name(s): 1. ______2. ______Health Information: ______Return this form to: Address: ______Smith Travel ______Alumnae House, 33 Elm St. Northampton, MA 01063 City: ______State: _____ Zip: ______Are you planning to extend your trip? If so to where and or fax to: (413) 585-2015 for how long: ______Home Telephone: (______)______Work Telephone: (______)______

e-mail: ______Emergency Contact Name: ______Date(s) of Birth: 1.______2. ______Address: ______This program is operated by: Discover Europe, Ltd., Passport #:1.______Exp. Date:______City: ______State: _____ Zip: ______12 Oxbow Rd., Dublin, NH 03444 Passport #:2.______Exp. Date:______Home Telephone: (______)______Tel: (603) 563-7077, Toll Free: (866) 563-7077 Continued overleaf [email protected]