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Last Wednesday and Thursday I escaped Uxbridge to spend two gorgeous days in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. My first trip to Wales was full of warm sunshine, some sightseeing, and relaxation in the park. Some places I explored:
*Cardiff Castle--Located in the city centre, Cardiff Castle contains 1,900 years of history. With parts built by the Romans and the Normans, the castle was restored in the 19th century by the third marquess of Bute. He hired the Victorian architect William Burges who transformed the inside into a series of stunning, themed rooms. The tour guide took us through several of the rooms (no photos allowed) and explained the intricate carvings, bold paintings/murals, and numerous languages used. After the guided tour, we were free to explore the rest of the grounds including the Norman Keep and museums.
*Bute Park--The warm, sunny, rain-free weather drew loads of people of all ages to the park. Complete with an ice cream truck, beautiful flowers, and grassy areas to sit, Bute Park was the perfect place to relax and enjoy the weather. It really made me wish that there was a park close to Brunel.
*Millennium Stadium--Built to host the 1999 Rugby World Cup, Millennium Stadium is the home of the Welsh Rugby Union. The stadium has a retractable roof (it was open during my tour) that takes 20 minutes to open or close and a removable pitch (field). The stadium hosts a variety of sporting events and concerts. Our tour took us through the changing room, the players tunnel, a luxury suite, and the Royal box. We also got to climb to the very top row which provided a breathtaking view of the stadium.
*Llandaff Cathedral--This Cathedral is located in the tiny city of Llandaff which is just inside the western boundary of the capital city. A 10th century Celtic cross is all that remains of the pre-Norman church. Used as a beer house and post office by Cromwell's army, a German bomb severely damaged the building in 1941. Postwar reconstruction provided the Cathedral with Sir Jacob Epstein's soaring sculpture Christ in Majesty. The ruin of the 800-year old Bishop's Palace has been made into a public garden. Even though the weather was lovely, the walk to the Cathedral turned out to be much longer than I anticipated so I opted to take the bus back into the city centre!
*Another interesting fact--All of the street signs in Cardiff (and the rest of Wales) are printed in English and Welsh as were many of the advertisements and and pamphlets I picked up. You can see this in the photo of the entrance to Millennium Stadium.
It was great to get away from campus and explore a new city for a couple days. I really lucked out with the weather and the friendly people I met. The coach ride was a bit long from London (over 3 hours) but for 8 pounds I'm not going to complain! Now all I need to do is get to Scotland and then I will be able to say that I've been to all parts of the UK. (I've been to Northern Ireland, England, and Wales.) I'm hoping to get there in May to cheer Julie on when she runs the Edinburgh marathon. Unfortunately, at the moment I must get back to finishing my Term 2 essays!
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