We awoke early this morning in order to travel to Wales (+1 country).
Why Wales? Why not? (Did I mention +1 country?)
We departed Allen House around 7:30 for Paddington Station (of bear fame). I’d purchased our train tickets online a couple of nights prior and collected them at the automated kiosk without difficulty. After gathering some refreshments for the journey, we boarded the train and departed promptly at 8:45am. The train was fairly crowded, but it was sufficiently comfortable. We passed the journey happily. I caught up on my blogging and reviewed student’s papers. Libby and Emerson watched videos on the iPad. Meanwhile, Mom sat next to a friendly nursing student from Wales and discussed cycling and the weather (though the conversation from Celsius to Fahrenheit seemed problematic). In all, it was a pleasant ride across the country.
Upon arrival in Cardiff, we left the central train station and walked through the town to visit Cardiff Castle (Castell Caerdydd in Welsh). According to the Lonely Planet’s Guide to Western Europe, the castle is the main sight in central Cardiff, while Cardiff Bay (a couple of miles away) offers a bit more touristy interest in terms of shopping and dining. The castle dates from the 1070s, but it was expanded over the years (including a significant mock-Gothic wing during the Victorian era, which was open for tours). All in all, we enjoyed a few pleasant hours exploring the castle before heading back into town for a quick lunch, walkabout, and return to the train station for our journey back to London.
Cardiff Castle
We reached London Paddington in the late afternoon / early evening. As we’d already had a full day, we returned directly to the timeshare, went out for some groceries, and had pizza for dinner.
Today’s box score: +1 country (Wales, UK)
Good stuff my friends. Continue to enjoy and blog