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.

Cold and Windy Day at Antrim Coast, Northern Ireland

I was really excited to start the day trip to the wonderful Antrim Coast, Northern Ireland. It was a full day trip from Dublin city and I would recommend this tour organized by Extreme Ireland. As instructed in the voucher, I have to wait at The Old Stone Church and tour would start at 6.30 am. Since it is just a few minutes walking from Ha'penny Bridge to Suffolk St., I have no problem reaching the place except that it was raining and definitely cold enough for people from the tropical country.  

Well, apparently I was not the only person to feel excited because there were a number of people were already waiting to  the trip. 

On the mid-way, the bus stopped at a petrol station where we could get our breakfast there. From there, we were brought to the first stop, Dark Hedges. This is a terrific place for those who want to see something different in natural landscape.  The beech trees along Bregagh Road (located between Stranocum and Armoy), formed a canopy which made the place appeared dark (hence, the name) and a bit spooky in the photos if taken at the right angle. This place has gained its popularity as it was featured in the movie, Game of Thrones. I have never watched this movie though.

It was cold here so technically I was having difficulty taking photos of the surrounding. I refused to give in though . After 15 minutes, I returned to the bus. My fingers and toes started to feel numb already. There was heater in the bus, so problem solved.

From the Dark Hedge, we headed to the coastal area, ie the County Antrim. It was still raining so I thought it wouldn't be easy here too. So this place we were heading to is called Carrick-a-Rede which is one of the many tourist attractions owned by National Trust.

Before arriving the tiny island of Carrickarede, a walk of less than a kilometer is necessary. With rain and strong coastal wind, it made things even colder but I could see the glimpse of beautiful scenery around this area. I tried my best operating my camera without getting it 'soaked' and I would say I was glad to visit this place. It is  true what people have said about UK weather, unpredictable and surprising. I did not expect the sun to show up anytime but it just did. The land became a lot more beautiful and I took several deep breath to enjoy the fresh air and picturesque landscape.

The white limestone cliffs made the area looked lovelier. There were several islets but I have no idea what they are called, which made the view even more interesting. Every time the sun came out, I took every opportunity to get the nicest photo, and to warm myself a bit.

It was quite hard to control the exposure due to overcast weather. I still think I need to visit this place again when the weather is so much better and warmer. I think I can spend the whole day sitting here and enjoying the beautiful landscape.

Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge viewed from the higher elevation. 

Remember the saying "every cloud has a silver lining" or 'there is always sunshine after the rain"? Well, this day was absolutely perfect to apply these quotes. Not only sunshine, but there was rainbow too. AND THERE WERE 2 rainbows!! What a lovely moment.

After half an hour, everyone started to walk back to the bus, taking the other route. I was still looking for nice views to feed my camera. With the sun coming out as and when it liked, I had limited numbers of photos of this area. However, the fenced green field looked great. Probably looked better with a big group of fat sheep or goats or cows.

Before getting on the bus, I dropped by a cafe to get something for me, hot chocolate and souvenirs. The cafe was a cozy place to hang out too.

We stopped for lunch in a place which I could not remember exactly where it was. Had a big bowll of potato soup and could not finish it. What a waste.

I was so excited when the driver announced that we were approaching Giant's Causeway. But from a distance, I could see a dark grey cloud was covering the coastal area, which turned me off a bit. But positivity never fades when it comes to traveling. I was still hoping there would be sunshine. Would be pity if I couldn't enjoy the visit to Giant's Causeway even for a minute.

The bus driver did not drop us directly at the Giant's Causeway Visitor Centre. He told us that we could just walk a bit to Giant's Causeway for free, rather than passing through the visitor centre and required to pay for the entrance fee. 

Giant's Causeway is another UNESCO World Heritage site which I have been yearning to visit. The myth of Giant's Causeway is interesting but I am more interested on the geological formation. It amazes me a lot to learn about the formation of hexagonal basalt columns. It all started with cooling of the lava and later cracked to form the hexagonal shape.

For the first time, I saw a foam-like substance on the water surface and some were on the rocks. When the wind blew strongly, the wind would lift some foams from the surface and some got onto my windbreaker. It was quite smelly to be honest. Those foams formed due to the protein-based substances which coat the air bubbles causing them to stick together. This was another scientific knowledge acquisition for the day.

Just like what I have experienced at Carrick-a-Rede, the same happened in Giant's Causeway where the wind blew much stronger and nearly blowing away my beanie and MYSELF. All I need was a strong and steady stance on a flatter surface. The sun came out couple of minutes before I had to leave this magical place.

In less than 1 hour, the bus left County Antrim heading to Belfast, but it stopped briefly close to Dunluce Castle for a quick photo stop. This ruined medieval castle is located on a cliff with steep slope around it. This castle is featured in the popular TV series, Game of Thrones. Well, I have never watched this TV series but I have a thing for old castles.

While the bus headed to Belfast, I could enjoy the view along the route and I could say the views along the route were quire impressive and not boring. A combination of grey sky with a little bit sunshine seemed odd but it looks cool enough to me.