Before I lament about the weather let me say I have earned mega points with the selection of our Cardiff Hotel. We learned today that the Radisson Blu is the newest hotel in the city. It is located just across the street from the almost new, multi-million dollar shopping area of St. David's. Nearby is the train station, bus terminal, M4 major motorway, Cardiff Bay, Castle, City Hall, Museum, University, Law Courts, Prison, Millennium Stadium, Millenium Concert Hall, major and budget hotels, countless bars, restaurants, shops , department stores and arcades (more about those later). The 15 minute city it is; one can walk or drive to anywhere important in the city in 15 minutes. Even better, this hotel is terrific. We thought our room was fabulous and then we experienced our complimentary breakfast. I have never seen a breakfast buffet so extensive. Yummy, fresh, delicious, varied - I can hardly wait for tomorrow morning. Our hotel is the tower in the background; foreground is the pedistrian mall leading to the shopping etc., library on the right.
We thought the best way to begin our exploration of Cardiff was to buy a hop on / hop off bus ticket. For the concession (seniors) rate of 8 pounds we got 48 hour ticket complete with historic commentary.
Yes, we did see the sun today along with blacker clouds, sideways rain, wind that trashed a multitude of umbrellas, mild temperatures and some that required tea mid-day just to thaw out. Remember way back, I mentioned the words of a wise old Scot , "you can have 4 seasons in one day." Today the rating was 3.5. You may get a sense from the next few photos - blue sky, heavy cloud, multiple raindrops. The wind is difficult to photograph but I removed my hearing aids because it was blowing the rain right into the receivers. Photo distinctive in that it showcases raindrops.
Our plan was to bus the entire 50 minute route and then hop off on the 2nd loop around. Fortunately the sun shone brightly as we enjoyed the leisure city loop. Unfortunately, the sun went AWOL the moment we decided to hop off. That is pretty much is how the bus trip went. Interesting sights pelted with rain, sun sparkling occasionally and the wind persistent. Photos - Cardiff Castle clock tower, Cardiff City Hall, Cardiff Bay
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We finally decided to explore the shopping arcades.
Cardiff, as a city, is not ancient. Although it has been inhabited since the Roman invasion in 300 AD it really just came into its own during the Industrial Revolution, as a port to export coal, iron and iron products throughout the world. We have noticed there is a major initiative happening to revitalize the old docks and Victorian buildings. The result is an impressive mix of old and new, particularly in the old dock area and on the outskirts of the city centre, which is our location. The shopping plazas are mostly pedestrian friendly. Many of the old lanes and alleys are now connected with overhead glass roofing. This makes for miles of meandering alleys of small businesses all protected from the elements. We even found a charming traditional market complete with hollering fish and vegetable mongers. Many of the modern department stores have a facade of the original old buildings. Not much shopping for us, however. Darned weight restrictions.
I mentioned earlier the combining old and new. The next photo taken in the bay area shows a modern loft style building adjacent to restored dock warehouse. How would you like to clean those loft windows?
Amazing work is being done to revitalize the bay area. Little is shipped out now so the docks have become entertainment, cultural, sports, recreational, residential and business areas. This city, which was once the most import coal shipping port on the world now imports coal from Russia and Poland. The council is,doing a remarkable job of making Cardiff a beautiful place to live and to visit. Photo is of the Millennium arts and cultural centre on Cardiff Bay. The photo does not do justice to the beauty of the facility. The writing appears to be etched in the stone but is actually glass. At night the letters are illuminated from within.
RP wants this photo in the blog. Notice his hand pointing toward the bus window. He was saying "OMG, that green freight truck is not more than 12 inches away." Yes, we are in the UK where space is at a premium and we are still not quite used to it.
Tomorrow we are still staying in Cardiff but taking the little black car to 3 ancestral spots.
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