Cardiff

The capital of Wales, the beautiful city of Cardiff is the perfect place to begin exploring this amazing country. Unfortunately, I was in Cardiff only for 3 days because my original plan to get to Snowdonia National Park got cancelled due to bad weather. In the end, I was trying to make the best of the situation with some typically hopeless English weather predicted in the week I was there.

The city has long been of historic significance, as evidenced by the splendid Cardiff Castle, one of the most attractive castles in Wales. This rich history can also be enjoyed elsewhere in the city. From the castle, it's a pleasant walk through the city streets down to Cardiff Bay, where one can learn more about the port's important role in both the history of Wales and the UK as a whole. One can also wander through the old warehouses and enjoy a spot of dining or shopping.

My first stop was the Cardiff Castle. Built atop a nearly 2,000-year-old Roman fortification, it is very well preserved and some of the oldest sections date back to the 10th century. One of its most notable features are the State Apartments. Each room is full of fascinating displays and useful information relating to the people that once lived and worked here, as well as key events in the castle's history. Other highlights include the picturesque chapel; the clock tower; along with the elegant Banquet Hall, famous for its rich artworks, murals and an elaborately decorated fireplace.

Right outside the castle is the Animal Wall, which I found delightful. It was built in the 19th century and originally included 9 animal figures - hyena, wolf, baboons, seal, bear, lioness, lynx, and 2 different lions. They had glass eyes and were painted in naturalistic colours to make them seem more lifelike. But the paint peeled after a couple of years and was never replaced, leaving the bare stone seen today. In 1931, a further six animals were added; the pelican, ant-eater, raccoons, leopard, beaver and vulture.

After a while, I made my way towards the well-preserved and still bustling Victorian shopping arcades. These fascinating, old covered pedestrian thoroughfares were built to allow residents and visitors to enjoy shopping indoors without having to concern themselves with the weather or the poor conditions of roads and sidewalks. I am glad they had the oversight to cover the arcades as the fickle Welsh weather will have you looking for shelter. What better way to spend your free time other than shopping! The Royal Arcade, built in 1858 is the most famous of them. The High Street Arcade is well-known for clothing, and the Castle Arcade, connecting the downtown area to the castle, is worth visiting for its art galleries, boutiques, and eateries. The Cardiff Market is another shopping area which has been serving fresh produce from local growers since the 1890s. Many of the original shopfronts exist unchanged to this day, though the goods sold in these stores have evolved over the years. I had a wonderful time browsing through the place - the choices are endless. As it was a rainy day, I did not get the opportunity to visit the other landmarks in the city. I had an early dinner and retired for the day, hoping for better weather the next day.

My first thought once I woke up on Day 2 was "Will the rains give me some respite today?" As I looked outside the window, I couldn't see anything and I feared the worst. It was a foggy day and visibility in the early hours of the morning was close to zero. The weather improved slightly after a couple of hours and I was happy that at least, it had stopped raining. So, I decided to visit the two famous sports stadiums in the city before exploring other areas. Principality Stadium (or Millennium Stadium), my first stop, is the national stadium of Wales and is home of the Wales national rugby team. If you're interested in sports, try to take in a rugby match here - it is a tough proposition as the Welsh take their rugby seriously and matches often sell out. The next best option is to take a tour of this state-of-the-art stadium. A fun fact - the stadium authorities use falcons to scare off pigeons and small birds!

Then there is the Cardiff City Stadium which is the home of Cardiff City Football Club, who competed in the English Premier League 2018-19 season. The stadium visits always get me excited, regardless of the stature of the teams or their fan following. By the time I returned to the city centre, it was lunch time and I stumbled upon Gareth Bale's (Welsh footballer) sports bar Elevens. Too bad, there was no live sports to look forward to, but the sports memorabilia inside the bar more than made up for it. There are signed football jerseys from Pele, Maradona, Giggs, Cantona, Henry, Shearer, Ronaldo, Schmeichel, Maldini, Gerard, Pirlo etc. Also, on display are Bale's football shoes with which he scored that incredible goal in the 2018 Champions League Final against - arguably, the greatest goal in a UCL Final. Other famous sports personalities like Andy Murray, Mcgregor, Gretzky, Michael Jordan and the cricket captains of the 2019 World Cup have donated signed jerseys and/or sports equipment, which are on display. I think I spent more time admiring these items than on my food (veg burger and apple cider - it was delicious).

After lunch, I made my way towards the Cardiff Bay. It is so large that it could easily take the best part of a day to explore properly. Covering pretty much the entire former dockyards, it is home to plenty of fun things to do - shopping, eating, theatres, galleries etc. There is a planetarium, which provides an interesting option in case the heavens open up during your visit. There is a public square, dedicated to the famous author Roald Dahl Plass (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory & The Big Friendly Giant) and the historic Norwegian Church (which was built to serve the Norwegian sailors who docked in the city) is worth a visit. For those who enjoy walking, you could spend hours walking the many parks and paths here. The old warehouses and wharves have been converted into luxury homes and hotels. There are so many options to indulge your taste buds - it attracted me and confused me, in equal measure. I decided to take a long walk to develop an appetite and attack one or two joints for a very early dinner.

Other notable buildings in the city include the Cardiff City Hall, Llandaff Cathedral and the National Museum. The History museum is also worth visiting as this fascinating open-air attraction is very much a living museum, with costumed characters demonstrating the kind of traditional skills and crafts that helped shape the country.

There are a few sculptures which are prominently displayed in the city centre. One of them held my attention - the Miner. I was not aware of the role coal mining played in the country's rise in the 19th & 20th centuries. It was also one of the reasons the Cardiff port was so important in international trade. In fact, the first £1million deal was closed in Cardiff Coal Exchange in 1907.

Despite the fact that Cardiff is the main driver of economic growth in Wales, there are pockets where economic disparity is visible. Some sections of the society are struggling financially and according to some estimates, almost a quarter of people in Wales are living in poverty. One of the posters I saw on a building made me realize how desperate the situation is for some people and it made me ponder on the struggles that are part of modern society.

Cardiff is a delightful city to explore on foot. In addition to its historic sites and attractions, the city boasts lovely parks worth exploring. My favorite was the Bute Park, located close to the castle and popular for its nature walks and trails.

One of the things famous in Wales is the Lovespoon. It is a decoratively carved wooden spoon that was traditionally presented as a gift of romantic intent. The spoon is normally decorated with symbols of love, and was intended to reflect the skill of the carver. It is a souvenir worth collecting or gifting.

Cardiff is a friendly and chilled out city. I had a good time here exploring its various attractions and its history intrigued me. I had known Wales for its football and rugby but after my visit, I was kind of embarrassed that I did not know more about the history of this beautiful country (I researched Wales a lot more after my visit). My only regret was that I could not explore its stunning countryside due to adverse weather conditions but hey, there is always a next time!