A Welsh Adventure

Cardiff, Wales. It seems like a place so mysterious, right? Probably because it is often forgotten in that little western corner of the British Isle, but only a two hour train ride from Oxford. The country is rather small, but it holds a grand landscape of wild, windswept beaches, cliffs, and mountains. The land is rugged, and beautiful. Sheep outnumber people, so I am told. The Welsh language is spoken, and on every sign (Welsh first, English second).

Cardiff is the capital city of Wales, and it is full of things to explore. We took a train from Oxford, changed at Didcot Parkway and had to wait for our delayed connection there, but still arrived in Cardiff Central only a little behind schedule. We were able to walk with our luggage from the train station to our hotel. The train station is so central. The central area with shops and restaurants and pedestrianized streets is bustling. We dropped luggage off, and headed out for exploring and a sandwich. We wandered into the arcades of Cardiff. It is known as the city of arcades, which if you don't know, are pretty covered hallways lined with shops and cafes, that offer a short cut through to a neighboring street. The arcades have lovely glass, rounded ceilings, large lanterns hanging, beautiful signs and windows in the shops. The arcades have been around for hundreds of years and are lovely to walk through. We found a sandwich in Barker's Tea House (gluten free bread!) and then browsed in a bookshop, Troutmark, popped into the Cardiff library, found a tiny local spot that makes Welshcakes (including gluten free), met up with a family friend from Florida living in Cardiff, had coffee with her, and went to dinner at a Mexican place she recommended to us. 

Next day we started with coffee of course, at Coffee Barker, and spent several hours exploring Cardiff Castle, which was very enjoyable. I climbed to the top of the castle keep, which offered amazing views of the city and parks surrounding, but Mum stayed below when she saw the tiny steps got more narrow, and then I same to the spirally stone steps to the very top. My eye was met with the flag of Wales quite often, emblazon with the dragon. We toured the castle apartments, and I greatly admired the beautiful library that was well stocked with classic literature.

The weather was perfect. Chilly and mix of sun and some clouds. Spring was blooming everywhere.
Cardiff was a quick two day visit, but we got to see most of the central city. Next time, I really want to get out of the city, and into the wild landscapes of the country. I caught glimpses of it from the train and now I long to see it.