Easter weekend in Wales...
Bright and early on Good Friday morning we packed our bags and caught the train to Cardiff, Wales. After a pleasant trip of around 3 hours, we arrived just in time for a quick lunch before dropping our things at our hotel and
heading to Cardiff Castle (Castell Caerdydd).
We made the most of the beautiful sunny weather, spending several hours exploring the castle grounds. We also took a guided tour which was really interesting, and gave us the opportunity to see rooms that are usually locked
to the general public. The castle is made up of a Roman Fort, Norman Castle & Victorian Mansion. It was interesting learning about the original owner of the Victorian Mansion,the 2nd Marquess of Bute, who sounded like quite an eccentric man. He spoke 21 different languages, was incredibly wealthy thanks to the Welsh coal industry, and shared
a passion for animals. His love of animals is clearly reflected in the building.
Ready to put our feet up for a while, we headed towards the restaurant/pub district in the city centre. Jess was devastated to find a 'Retro 90's music' club in the main street, as she hadn't actually realised that 90's music had become 'retro'. Oh dear.

We woke the following morning to another warm, sunny day headed for a top of 27 degrees. The locals were quick to point out that this is not typically Welsh weather, and despite the sunshine, suggested we not venture out without an umbrella as it rains on average
167 days of the year in Wales! It was also obvious that the weather was unusually warm as the split-system heating/cooling system in our hotel room only worked as a heater and the windows were not able to be opened!
After a filling breakfast at a local cafe, we jumped on a bus and made our way towards the town of Cosmeston, just out of Cardiff. Our original motivation for visiting Cosmeston was that we had read about a medievil recreation village situated here. Keen to broaded our knowledge of all things Welsh, we thought this might be a fun and educational place to start.
It would be fair to say that the five pound entry fee to the Medievil Village was not the best investment we made in Wales. After walking through what appeared to be someone's back garden, we found a man waiting to greet us with a map and hand-held audio tours. He quickly gave us our safety instructions ('Feel free to have a go at anything, but if it looks sharp or heavy it probably is, okay?')
we pressed the start button on our audio tours and tentatively walked towards what appeared to be a couple of old sheds. Deciding that we had come too far to turn back, we walked a full ten minute lap of the grounds, trying to stay out of the way of some serious-looking medievil enthusiasts preparing for a battle recreation festival starting the following day.
The highlight of the village was definitely the opportunity to feed apples we found in the back of one of the sheds to the resident pig. Fair to say, it wasn't exactly the replica
1300s Welsh village we had been promised in the brochure, as was clear by the sight of a beaten up sedan driving down the main street or the staff member with the bright pink mohawk!
Lucky for us, the village was situated close to the breathtaking Cosmeston Lakes. After making our escape from the village, we followed one of the walking trails which took us around the lake and through some Welsh woodlands.

We returned to Cardiff in the afternoon to explore the city properly. After freshening up in an old library that had been converted into a pub, we wandered the streets taking in the sights and sounds of this very pretty city.
Towards the evening we strolled down to Cardiff Bay. There were people gathered everywhere along the bay, soaking up the warm evening sun and making the most of their long weekend. We strolled along Roald Dahl Pass, which is right
next to the Norwegian Church where the late Welsh author was christened.

On Easter morning, Jess was very relieved to find that the Easter bunny found her all the way in Cardiff! After indulging in a breakfast of chocolate and Welshcakes (a cross between a pancake, a cookie & shortbread-highly recommended!) we caught a bus to St. Fagans, the site of the National History Museum. This was everything that the medievil village wasn't!
We mainly explored the Open-Air section of the museum, which was set over 100 acres of woodland. This covered all periods of Welsh life from as far back as the Celtic Iron Age, through to the pre-fab homes built to rehouse young couples following World War 2. We saw lots of recreations and peopel in original dress,
as well as lots of original buildings dating back to the 1500's.
Whilst in St. Fagans, we also visited St. Fagan's Castle. The castle was built in the 1500's, and boasts an impressive garden and collection of furniture. It has also served as a film set for Doctor Who episodes.
After making our way back to Cardiff, our next stop was the Wales Millenium Centre. This is an impressive building that hosts all kinds of performing arts. We also looked around Millenium stadium, which is Cardiff's impressive sports stadium where all kinds of events take place.
In the evening, we treated ourselves to dinner by the bay, enjoying a good Welsh feed overlooking the water.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Wales. The people were really friendly and the countryside was amazing. We hope to travel back to Wales and explore more of this great country!

Hwyl fawr!
(Goodbye in Welsh!)