Two nights ago we arrived in Cardiff. The hostel is so nice and one can easily see why it is considered the UK's best hostel. Best of all it is another small hostel so the atmosphere is very friendly and everyone talks to one another. We met a lovely mother and daughter from north of London who we hope to meet up with again later in the week when in London.
Yesterday our first stop was Cardiff Castle, only a leisurely 5 minute walk away. We had no idea that the castle was actually in the city and it really is imposing. The castle has been there since Roman times, though very much changed over the centuries. The walls remain and you can still see parts of the Roman era along the bottom of the walls. In one corner is the beautifully restored Clock Tower; along one wall is the mansion where one can see the fascinating mix of eras as it's facade was changed and built upon; and in the middle is the imposing keep upon a hill and surrounded by a moat.
We payed a little extra to get a tour of the Clock Tower and mansion house. Our guide was very lively and quite kooky. We learnt of the source of such beautiful interiors and artistic inspiration: 4 out of 5 people took opium back in the 1800s when the Bute family (the owners) began the Castle's restoration. Apparently the place used to look more like the Georgian room, but was transformed during the time of Gothic revival, shunning the Georgian era. Plus the architect and artist William Burgess was apparently mad and an avid opium lover. My favorite rooms were the nursery - which had 50 fairy tales painted on the walls. Burgess hated the British leaders of the time, Gladstone and Disraeli, so he painted them in to one of the fairy tales in a most unflattering way! The other favourite was the Pompeii Roof Garden with such intricate paintings on the tiles. I can just imagine how stunning it must have been, as the floor around the fountain and drains used to be covered in beautiful flowers and plants.
When we went back outside the sun had appeared after a rainy morning! It was perfect for ascending the Keep and seeing across Cardiff and beyond. Another great thing about Cardiff Castle is that the Bute family donated it to the people of Cardiff, meaning that if you live or work in Cardiff, you get free entry in the Castle. It's a lovely gesture.
We decided to get the water taxi/ferry down the River Taff to get to Cardiff Bay. It was a great decision as the boat stop is in Bute Park, the old grounds of Cardiff Castle turned into a public park. It was a beautiful place to sit and wait for the ferry. The ride itself was lovely in the sunshine and you can get a better look of Cardiff Bay by approaching it from the water. We had a lovely lunch and afternoon: finding the two Torchwood entrances and the character Ianto's memorial and wandering around the nice modern buildings which are actually tasteful, unlike so many attempts we've seen. We finished the afternoon/ early evening sitting up high at one of the restaurants with a glass of wine, enjoying the water and sunshine. It was a very different afternoon to our many whirlwind days of late.
Today we caught the bus over to Barry, home of the amazing TV show Gavin and Stacey! I was disappointed as I found out the day before that the tours were full, so I thought I'd missed out. However after a stroll through the town, we hiked up the very steep hill to the row of houses where Gavin, Stacey, Gwen, Bryn and Doris live in the show. We were then invited in to the home of Glenda, who's house was used as Gavin and Stacey's home! We got the full tour and lots of inside stories about the actors and the production of the show. It was all very exciting and Glenda is very generous with her time for letting so many people into her home.
We then walked around to Barry Island, where the lovely beach is. We visited Stacey's workplace at Marco's and Nessa's workplace at the Island Leisure Arcade. We had our best fish and chips so far and walked along the beach. It was all a bit tacky, but we had such a great time on another sunny day and it was so lively and busy there. I'm told that Welsh people flock there at the first sign of sunshine! It makes us feel lucky to live in a sunny country like Australia.
We got home in time to see the end of the 20th stage of the Tour de France with Cadel Evans taking the lead! We also went and saw the new and hilarious film Horrible Bosses in the evening.
Everyone here is so nice, happy and friendly. Bus drivers, ticket inspectors, old ladies we sat with in the fish and chip shop and almost every person in our hostel are just so lovely! We had a great chat with a Portuguese/American and Swedish couple, two young couple from New Zealand and Spain, and two girls from Brisbane and Perth. Cardiff has a great small town feel and is a very fun place to be. It will be a little sad to leave such a warm place and group people. We love Wales! Sorry Cymru in Welsh!