Oh, the two places I chose to visit or actually one place with a few sites. I chose Cardiff the capital and a church to visit. The whole day was quite enjoyable despite being a bit overcast which I've come to understand is the norm in the area. I'll cover each area in more detail on other pages but suffice it to say Wales is a unique place with a history intertwined with that of England, which comes as no surprise. It seems to be a very independent area and I recall reading a bit of history where at one point it was controlled by three princes that would not give in to whoever was King of England at the time. Maybe that's the reason, I'm not sure but my impression is the people see themselves as Welsh and sort of their own country. The trip was enjoyable and I think you'll enjoy the pictures I took.
I managed to visit the capital city and a church among other things and here are the links:
Cardiff - I drove into Cardiff and easily found a place to park and as I recall it was quite reasonable as well. I drove into Cardiff and easily found a place to park and it was quite reasonable as well. The first thing I noticed was the feel and smell of the air. Cardiff is an old shipping town and was almost certainly quite active when it was at it's peak. A city on a sea, has a unique smell about it due to the proximity of the salt water and provides a unique, fresh aspect to the atmosphere.
It appears the city has moved away from shipping as the dominant industry and although I'm unsure what that is, the city appears to be alive with life. I walked into the city square, on the way passing what looked to be a castle and figured I would visit later. As I passed the pedestrian lanes I looked both ways and could see a mass of tourists and probably locals as well, shopping, eating and just enjoying the day. I made my way toward what appeared at one time to be the docks and as I approached I could see the bay.
The area is very nice and it's being re-tasked it appears as I see shops and other businesses in the places where I imagine activities associated with shipping once were. There was a large mall in this area so I wandered in to browse for souvenirs. Everything a tourist or local could want in the way of food, drink, trinkets and you name it, it was there. I'm not much of a shopper as a general rule and I normally just get in, buy something and get out. I figured I would purchase a trinket later as it was early and I didn't want to carry anything around all day. I came out and headed in the direction of the pedestrian area I had passed earlier. There were restaurants, and stores of every type designed to provide you with whatever it is you want. I saw some small bistro type restaurants and stopped in to eat something local and ended up having something I can't pronounce but tasted quite good.
I am of the habit of asking locals what I can eat that is unique to the area and this place was no different. I think I ended up eating Tatws Pum Munud (English: five minute potatoes). The people I spoke with at the church made a recommendation which consisted of intestines, blood and a few other ingredients but I couldn't remember the name by the time I made it to the restaurant. And as I recall, the women there told me to avoid it anyhow as it is disgusting and almost certainly not what I would enjoy for my first welsh meal.
So after that meal I grabbed a cup of coffee and worked my way to the castle I saw earlier. The castle absolutely dominates the central area in the town and is a centerpiece for the city. I grabbed a brochure for some background information and here is what I learned in an nutshell.
It is one of Wales’ leading attractions and also has some international significance. It is situated in some very nice parklands, and surrounded by enormous Castle walls with towers as impressive as I'd seen to date and have a history extending back 2,000 years
At one time this was a roman fort which was established at the end of the 50s AD. Turns out it was placed here for strategic reasons as it affords easy access to the sea. To make it even more interesting this castle is only one of four that occupied the area, each of course was a different size and remains of a roman wall are still visible.
As Wales is part of the same island as England, the Normans of course figure into the equation as well. The Normans came in and built the Castle’s keep, re-using the site of the Roman fort. The first keep was probably built of wood. Further medieval fortifications and dwellings followed over the years.
Nobles were a key part of history throughout the British Isles and Wales is no exception. This castle therefore passed through the hands of many noble families until in 1766 when it passed by marriage to the Bute family. The 2nd Marquess of Bute was responsible for turning Cardiff into the world’s greatest coal exporting port. The Castle and Bute fortune passed to his son John, the 3rd Marquess of Bute, who by the 1860s was reputed to be the richest man in the world.
The owners apparently had quite a bit of money to burn and hired an architect to redesign the place. So, gothic towers were created along with lavish and opulent interiors, rich with murals, stained glass, marble, gilding and elaborate wood carvings. Each room has its own special theme, including Mediterranean gardens and Italian and Arabian decoration.
The Bute family finally gave the Castle and much of its parkland to the city of Cardiff and for 25 years, the Castle was home to the National College of Music and Drama. And, since 1974 has become one of Wales’ most popular visitor attractions.
Enough about the castle though. I had spent so muchbn time wandering the city I didn't have time to get in and there was a line anyhow so I continued my tour of the town. Later on in the day I hopped in to my car and drove back to Huntingdon, having checked off another block on my to do list
Wizard of Where
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