Cardiff - Day 2 and 3

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Friday night, when Judd and I tried to go to Cardiff Bay to find that jazz club (a 40 miniute walk), we found it to have been closed for a month due to repairs, so we ate dinner at this fancy pizza place and walked back. The next day we went to Caerphilly Castle (20 minute train ride from Cardiff), which was really cool. They pretty much let us go anywhere in the castle we could get to that was safe. Unlike some of the previous castles we have been to, like Neushwanstein and even Cardiff castle in some instances (it was heavily remodeled during the late 1800s for the use by a wealthy, royal Welsh family), Caerphilly was actually built as a defensive stronghold. It is the second largest castle in Europe (largest is Windsor, which I have also been too, and is now used sometimes by the English royal family), and has amazingly well defended. It has 2 moats sorrounding it, as well as a several series of drawbridges and portcullis' to get to the inner ward and up to the keep. I believe it was never part of any large battle since the 13th century, which is when its main defenses where built.

We got back to Cardiff, and, after finding that most of the buses we wanted to take to go anywhere else (like Brecon Beacons National Park or Chepstow Castle) were too far away and we wouldn't be able to get back that night, we decided to go see Star Wars at the local theatre since it was really cheap (only £3.70), yet we still had at least an entire evening as well as part of the afternoon to fill with something to do, so we found somewhere to eat and went and saw Batman Begins (the second time for Judd and I), which is really good. I have never seen 2 movies in 1 day, and I would never have thought the first time I would do that would be in Cardiff. After the movie we went to a local pub, The Westgate, and tried the local beer, Brains, which is utterly amazing. It might be the best beer I have ever had, not counting Munich. The cool thing was the large variety of the same brand: dark (which is a lot like Guinness, but much better tasting, I think), extra creamy, extra cold and SA (which we were told jokingly by a bartender stood for Skull Attack, since it has a little kick at the end; Judd said it tastes a lot like his home brew, but a lot cleaner).

Today our bus left at 3:05, so we had to find something to do for the morning. Mostly we just walked around the park and sat outside Cardiff Castle waiting for our bus to show up. All in all, Cardiff was a good time, but there is just nothing to do there. It would be a good place to stay maybe for 1 day or less, but not an entire weekend.

Next weekend we hope to see Live 8 (if anything, on the big screens outside Hyde Park) and the weekend after we are seeing Queen.

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Comments

[Kate]

Fantastic. I've been reading a lot about Live 8. You are going to have a great time.

[Dad]

Phone call
Always good to talk with you and we're glad all is going well. Half of this trip is learning the local culture and its' history and you are sure doing this and more. Love, Dad