Out And About Cardiff In A Day

Wales is another country in UK which has its own identity. My good Welsh friend, Wayne, is one of the reasons why I fall in love with Cardiff, the Welsh capital. I thanked him so much for willing to spend some time showing me around Cardiff and it was totally great day, with sunny and lovely weather.

Cardiff Bay Barrage

The first location I visited was Cardiff Bay Barrage. I thought it would be boring and nothing much to see or learn or inspired. I was wrong. I did learn something from Wayne about this place especially on the operation of this barrage. I have acquired a new technical meaning of 'locks' in term of maritime traffic. The view from the barrage itself was lovely. Need a bit of walking around to look for nice angles though.

Caerphilly Castle

I truly enjoy visiting castles, especially the  medieval castles. So this Caerphilly castle is a really nice place to see when visiting Cardiff. It is a large area with fortification and protected by several lakes. This beautiful castle and fortification are made of Pennant sandstone. There are several accessible sections  and i think one hour is just enough to see most of the sections here. Getting to Caerphilly from Cardiff city takes around 30 minutes by train. Admission fee is GBP 8.50

Castell Coch

Another interesting castle to visit which reminds me of the castles in the children's fairy tales. Castell Coch is Welsh which means 'Red Castle'. Originally, its architecture is Gothic Revival and most parts of the castle are built from red sandstone rubble and grey limestone, with addition of red Pennant sandstone in the 19th century. The first, older building was built in 1081. Unlike Caerphilly Castle,  which located in the town, this Castell Coch is located in the woodlands which is quite tricky to get to. It also means that there is no direct public transport access. Admission fee is GBP 6.90

Garth Hill

A perfect day was even better when my friend brought me to go hiking. We did not discuss about hiking prior to my arrival in Cardiff. It was sort of surprise and last minute activity and I enjoyed it so much. So we headed to Garth Hill, or some considered it as Garth Mountain. There is an interesting story behind the dispute of the name, and one should read the novel  The Englishman who Went up a Hill but Came down a Mountain, written by Christopher Monger. Later in 1995, this story was adapted for the film. Getting to the summit was easy though I had shortness or breath at the beginning of the climb, probably due to cold. Fortunately, the sun was out and that solved the problem.

St. Fagan's National Museum of History

Another great place close to Cardiff city is the St. Fagan's National Museum of History. I visited this place during autumn and I was so in love with the autumn colours displayed here. Not only that, it is also a good pace to know about traditional Welsh cultures which are totally different then the British and Scottish. Traditional houses, public buildings, grocery store and small factories significant to Welsh culture are on display. It is free to all visitors.

Llandalf Cathedral


Constructed in the 12th century, Llandalf Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral which is dedicated to St. Paul and St. Peter. It has a beautiful surrounding and contains a number of tombs of the Bishops of Llandalf, Lord of Llandalf and clergyman.

                 


Bute Park 

There are many places to visit in Cardiff. But if one just feels like strolling and taking fresh air, or maybe just sitting and relaxing, Bute Park is the place. There is also historic interest of the Roman and medieval times if acquiring some knowledge is preferred. According to my friend, this park is also nice for those who want to see, or observe several bird species and some other animals. One might get lost in time here and I guess it's a good way to make full use of time. You don't need money to spend time here.


Cardiff Castle

Just next to Bute Park, the Cardiff Castle is of course one of the main attractions. The 2000 years of history are concealed in this castle and apparently, one will learn a lot of things here. However, the entrance fee is way too expensive, GBP 13.00, excluding the house tour.

Cardiff City Hall

Like many other cities, the Cardiff City Hall building features an outstanding and majestic architecture. It is worth checking out the beautiful interior design, and if the camera still works after taking so many photos, of course it is a good place to get lovely photos. Entrance is free but observe the visiting hours.

Cardiff Market

This is perhaps the best place if a traveler wishes to but anything from souvenirs to food. Thankfully id did not plan to cook during my stay in Cardiff, otherwise would have been spending a lot on the fresh seafood and vegetables. Prices for souvenirs are a bit expensive but it is recommended to look around and compare the prices, if you have time.

Entrance to Cardiff Market (Credit to : designforeurope.eu

There are many other interesting places worth visiting in Cardiff, so I have made up my mind that I will be visiting Cardiff again, and this time, with spare camera battery and more days to spend.

Wonderful Autumn in Glendalough and Wicklow, Ireland

I'm in love with Ireland!! That's the first thing I have in mind when anyone mention about this beautiful country. I have a nickname for this country, it's the "Fifty Shades of Green". My visit to Ireland was in autumn, and some said it was already winter. But I guess I was lucky to be able to experience lovely autumn foliage here. In Ireland, I visited couple of places including Dublin (where I stayed throughout the trip), Galway and Kilkenny but my favorite places were Glendalough and Wicklow, which are both in County Wicklow. I didn't expect much for my Ireland trip because the weather forecast indicated that the days would be all gloomy and wet. But it turned out to be interesting and enjoyable especially to witness the wonderful autumn colours in Glendalough and Wicklow.

I joined the daily trip organized by Paddywagon Tours and the pickup was in Dublin city centre. I would recommend this company to anyone who wish to do day trips from Dublin. Shame that I didn't know about this company until I hop on the shuttle bus, otherwise I would have better whilst in Ireland. 

Approaching Glendalough, I could see the striking colours of autumn. This was a good sign for me despite the grey sky and drizzle. The shuttle bus was parked at Glendalough Hotel parking area. After passing the parking area, I was amazed with the view right in front of me, a hill with a mix of green and autumn foliage. I thought of dropping by the cafe and get some hot coffee or tea, but since I have to return to the bus 2 hours later, I thought it would be fine without the coffee or tea.

So I headed to the Gateway, which is the entrance to the Glendalough medieval cemetery. I have no idea that the trip for this day was going to be an interesting one. I didn't read much about this area from the internet and couldn't remember the itinerary. But I guess it was interesting to not knowing things until you visit the place, explore it and acquire the information on site.

The view after leaving the parking area

There are many monuments at the lower valley of Glendalough. Among them are the St. Kevin's Cross, the Round Tower, St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral, St. Kevin's Kitchen and several others. These monuments are located within the cemetery area. The whole valley was founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century. The cross was built by St. Kevin as to assist the pagans, who worshiped the sun and the moon,  to familiarize themselves to Christianity.  

St. Kevin's Cross

At some points, I felt a bit out of control when I couldn't focus on what I should be doing. The surrounding views were superb and I got distracted every now and then. I love autumn a lot so the autumn colours were just amazing here.

Medieval monastic cemetery of Glendalough

St. Kevin's Kitchen is actually a small church, several steps away from St. Peter and St. Paul cathedral. People have mistakenly think that it is a kitchen due to the round tower that somehow looks like a chimney placed on a stove. In fact, no meals was ever cooked here.

St. Kevin's Kitchen, or Church

Heading away from the church, a short walk to the Upper Glendalough Lake was another mesmerizing moment. I was so excited to look at the beautiful autumn foliages. Pity that the sky was cloudy, otherwise I would have got better pictures.

One of the views along the track to Glendalough Upper Lake

The head of this lake was a lead mine which occurred 160 years ago. The valley itself is located 491 feet above sea level. I took the chance to sit there and view the scenery and of course got my camera busy with its shutter.

Stunning view around the lake

I guess I don't really have much things to say but pictures play thousands of words. It would be a great idea to pack my own food and enjoy the views, but that didn't happen though.

Due to limited time, I had to make way to the parking area. I passed a smal river, or maybe a stream. It was super clean and I did think of dipping my feet for awhile. Then again, time didn't permit me to do so. Since it is already my habit to get something as a token of memory for my visit to Glendalough, I dropped by at a small shop selling tourist stuff. It was just several meters away from the parking area. Got myself a fridge magnet and a postcard

From Glendalough, we passed the Wicklow Gap which was half an hour away uphill. The weather was not getting any better and became darker. The pouring rain made me a bit restless as I knew it would be impossible to take any photographs without any protection to my baby camera. She is not waterproof. But when the bus was approaching the spot for quick photo stop, it was drizzling and thank god for that. 

Wicklow Gap is famous for being the filming location of several movies such as The Braveheart and several others. The views along this area were incredible too, despite the gloomy and grey sky.

There were remnants of a structure which most probably was a church. There is an information board close to the site but I didn't bother to read as I was too busy photographing the surrounding landscape.

A few minutes later, we boarded the bus and headed to Kilkenny . On our way, we passed through a village known as Hollywood, which marks the end of the Wicklow Gap road. This place acquires its name much earlier than the famous American well-known city. Correct me if I am wrong though.

Well, if anyone is kind enough to sponsor my trip to Ireland again, I wouldn't hesitate to return to these places again. 

Land of the Sunrise - Tokyo Disneyland

Our final day in Tokyo has enabled us to visit the most interesting theme park in the world, Disneyland. Our departure was at 23.30 pm so we have A LOT of time to spend. It was easy to get to Disneyland , thanks to the JR Tokunai pass where it really did save us time and money. The Tokunai Pass can be used until Kasairinkaikoen, so we need to disembark at this station, and purchase the 130 yen to get to Mahaima station, which is where Disneyland is accessed. Maihama station is only a station ahead of Kasairinkaikoen.

It took only 5 minutes (brisk walking) to get to the ticket booths. Of course before the ticket booths, there is an arch which indicates that we are on the right way. At the booth, we bought a ticket for 6200 yen (adult) and 5500 yen (senior citizen) each. It is a day pass which one can spend the hold day at Disneyland till closing time. 

You are on the right track when you see this

There were soooo many people here which we somehow spoiled our mood. Then again, which Disneyland does not have such a big crowd? On top of that, we need to line up at the important landmarks, and of course, famous figures such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse. So mum and I just walk wherever we can. Funnily, we saw many people, especially the youngsters, wearing various costumes resembling various Disney characters such as Cinderella, Princess Jasmine, Snow White and several others. We thought they might be the staff who would be participating in the events in Disneyland, but later we found out that the Disneyland park management was encouraging the visitors to put on costumes, at given dates. I forgot why exactly they have this thing going on. Seriously, the party was really great here. 

Fake Princess Jasmin and Cinderella...haha...sorry girls, but you look cute

How they blend themselves with other 'impostors'

Sweet friends The 'prince' looks cute with such haircut (or wig)

They came all the way from the Wonderland I guess

Owh, and by the way, the theme was Halloween, so the park decorations were all Halloween-ish.

A visit to any Disneyland is not complete without taking the glorious Disney castle. Well, this day was rather cloudy and I was hoping to get a picture of this castle with a nice clear blue sky. Reminds me of the weather when I visited Hong Kong 

Entrance to the Fantasyland

The most awaited time was the parade which all Disney figures would parade on a lavishly decorated moving vehicles, together with the performers and interesting musics. I never fail to love all theme songs in all Disneyland cartoon movies. The parade here was called 'Jubilation'. I could not recall what it was call in Hong Kong Disneyland. I really enjoy taking pictures during this parade, as much as I enjoy the parade itself. As for mum, she kept on saying that this was nothing compared to Anaheim Disneyland, but she seemed to enjoy the time here though she has been to Anaheim Disneyland before. So, she has yet to visit Paris Disneyland and I am not sure if she still wants to go to Paris.

Cool, colorful

Lively

The parade was really moving and I thought this was time I was busy with my camera. It was kind of hard to get a great shot when I have to stand behind the crowds and it was pretty challenging too. Thanks to my Nikon travel lens which made made my interest became doable. 

Sweet Cinderella

Beauty & the Beast

Princess Minnie

Pocahontas

Tigger and his friend

Lilo

Naughty Stitch

Donald Duck

Prince Mickey

Tinkerbell

Boo

Pinocchio

Simba

Everyone knows her...Minnie the Mouse

And everyone knows her too...Daisy the Duck

Princess CInderella

Snow White

Beauty

Seriously, I do not have any words to write here. In fact, I have hundreds of pictures which I wanted to post here but that was not a good idea at all. What I really want to emphasize here is that, it was simply awesome and I had such an enjoyable moment on our departure day back to Malaysia