Our two days in Cardiff passed by in a flash. I won't go into too much detail, because the last time I tried to write a post, I got the end of a very large essay, and then the website crashed and it lost all of my finely crafted words!

We spent our one, whole day in Cardiff at Cardiff Castle. We had planned to take in the National Museum Cardiff or St Fagans open air museum as well, but we ran out of time, and just decided to send the entire day at the Castle. It was well worth it though. They had an excellent exhibition about the Welsh Regiment, and it's deployment around the world. We also got to look around the palatial apartments inside the castle, and the tunnels which were used as air raid shelters during the war (photo above).

We also filled our geek quota with a trip to Roald Dahl Plass, aka Mermaid Quay. This place was revamped a few years back, and includes the Wales Millenium Centre, but it's known to geeks worldwide as the Cardiff base for Torchwood. Also nearby is a shrine to one of the characters, Ianto Jones, who was killed off (prematurely, according to some fans). The shrine is a testament to the devotion (obsession) of sci fi fans, but also to the savvy Council and nearby shops, who have embraced the shrine, rather than enforced nitpicking laws and removed it. It was great to see.

Jaime and I also went to the movies in Cardiff. Normally, this would not be noteworthy. However, this was Prometheus. In 3D. On an IMAX screen. At the Odeon Gallery. There are quite a few IMAX screens round the world, even Auckland, and most will do 3D, but not all of them have a service quite like the Gallery. For a few extra pounds, you can access the Gallery - its a fenced off section of the Cinema, at the top, with the best seats for sound and image, fitted out in leather with heaps of legroom and table space for drinks and nibbles, and a private lounge area for before the film. Rather than dealing with screaming teenagers, you can lounge in peace and comfort, avail yourself of the licensed bar, the chiller of complimentary soft drinks, the complimentary popcorn, the complimentary nachos and lollies, all of which they will happily take into the cinema for you when they escort you in just before the trailers start. All very complimentary! It was a very nice, luxurious, exclusive experience. Definitely not something you would use for every movie, but perfect for a special movie experience. And the movie was great too!

Cardiff was great, and it was a shame we only had one whole day there. There were lots of things we could have done with more time, but that applies to pretty much every place. I guess it just means there's a reason to go back next time...