As we drove into Cardiff the first thing that struck us all was the crazy language! Cardiff for example, is Caerdydd in Welsh. And that’s not the craziest place name – good luck asking for directions to the Welsh town of...

llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch!

All the road signs are in both Welsh and English and apparently 40% of people under 20 years of age can speak the language. Kids here learn it up to aged 16.

We were met by Bill, our guide, at the Doctor Who exhibition first up. Most of us watched the show in the 80s as kids and I have to say that the Daleks are still scary! The exhibition is a must for Doctor Who fans giving you a chance to see costumes, recreations of the set, and plots throughout the series long history (did you know that the first show aired all the way back in 1963??).

The souvenir shop has everything you could ever want from autographed pics of the cast, to figurines, books, remote controlled Daleks and even masks that will convert your voice into something frightful. Hard pressed not to find a space in the luggage for that!

We then took a tour of the waterfront which really is beautiful and had a spot of lunch at Terra Nova while Bill talked us through the history of the area. Wales is apparently the Castle capital of the world with over 500 built in the country, of which over 100 are still standing. The big industry back in the day was coal and it made people here rich beyond belief, so much so that the first million dollar cheque was signed in Cardiff.

Then was time for an adrenalin junkie type activity in the form of jet boating around the harbour. We donned the highly fashionable yellow raincoats and life jackets. We headed toward the barrage, the contraption which keeps the water at a constant level, as the height between low and high tide can be as much as a whopping 15 metres! Once you reach the barrage the bridge above one of three entrances opens and you enter a loch. Water empties out and once you’re lowered (in our case by 10 m) you enter the sea. Our driver spun us around and did heap of doughnuts before we headed back to the loch and prepared to rise up to the harbour. Water absolutely gushed in to get us back to the harbour level.

A quick trip down memory lane with Roald Dahl books at the Norwegian church, restored and relocated thanks to the author (whose parents were Norwegian). There has been a high population of Norwegians in the area since the coal days as they needed wood too which the Norwegians could provide them with.

Then it was time to check into our hotel, Sleeperz. A great location in the middle of the city close to the Millenium Stadium and a short walk to shops and a large shopping centre. The rooms themselves are small but funky and perfect for a short stay in Cardiff.

Dinner at our little piece of home...Gourmet Burger Kitchen and then an early night ready for a big day tomorrow, off to London baby yeah!