The diversity of UK, the vast emptiness of Wales, and the grand imagination of Tolkien

Is there a law limiting the use of vowels? When the names of the various places flashed in front of me after reaching Wales, there were not enough vowels considering the length of the names? How does one pronounce it? The turmoil created by the usage of vowel settled down quickly. Like the previous mental chaos created in my life by various events, this new one too ended without a closure. My mind is an energetic nomad traveling from one place to another while exhausting my body. Wales and her language have taken me another place. Last year, I was in Scotland. The Scots have a different language. So does the fourth part of UK namely Northern Ireland. So this tiny island is indeed a concoction of different languages and cultures! As an Indian, who has always prided in our uniqueness of "Unity in diversity", the diversity of UK comes as a surprise.

While traveling through Wales, you found barren mountains covered with dried grass. In many ways, Wales is similar to Scotland. There aren't many people around. The roads are good but wide enough only for two vehicles. Although we were well into Spring, the mountains have not shed their skin to reveal greenery. The sight was beautiful. At some places, the sky appeared to be touching the mountains. At other places, the mountains wrapped a white cloak of mist around them. I remembered two people while enjoying this beautiful sight. Peter Jackson and Tolkien. Peter Jackson could have shot his movies here in Wales. Why did he go to  New Zealand instead of Wales or even Scotland? Wales is full of nothingness. He could have built his expensive sets here. I used to wonder how Tolkien could have imagined such a world in his mind before writing it down. Everything is big. The mountains, castles, and the meadows are ginormous. They appear not only vast but also empty. It would have been easy for Tolkien To imagine something of this sort if he has visited this part of the world before. After all, it takes only a stroll in the evening or a lonely car ride among this vast emptiness to jump-start your imagination.

Tags: Musings, Car, Wales, Tolkien