It's Monday evening and I've had a very busy day (including a tour of the parliament chambers and a visit to the War Rooms and the Winston Churchill Museum), but despite the piles of homework that await me this evening I thought I would tell you all about my trip to Wales since it has been far too long since my last halfway decent post. Please forgive my lack of commentary over the past two weeks - every minute is precious and I can already see just how quickly our month in London is slipping away!
Well as you know, last week was a bit rough. It was an adjustment period for me and it took a lot longer than I anticipated, but by Friday I seemed to be back on my feet and ready for action. I attribute the turning point greatly to the helpful guidance of Dr. Webb.
When all I really wanted to do was take a nap, she encouraged me to go visit the National Gallery - in essence, fighting the exhaustion with a task while giving me a taste of the marvelous galleries and museums for which London is so well known. Then the next day I was off to Wales - accompanied by my two friends Hillary Morgan and Melissa Staley. We hopped on the tube, got off at the Paddington train station, and then boarded a relatively crowded train headed to Cardiff, Wales. It was so crowded that all three of us had to split up and sit next to strangers, which for me has almost always led to an interesting ride. My thoughtful seat mate (a young man in a navy blue pinstripe) was kind enough to take up the entirety of the armrest for himself, which made the already cozy seating arrangement even more cramped for yours truly. However after about 45 minutes into the ride Melissa's seat partner got off at her destination, so I looked over at my neighbor (who was now asleep with his mouth hanging open a bit) and stealthily slipped over and up to sit with Melissa - startling my semi-dozing friend in the process!
After about two hours total on the train we reached our destination and excitedly made our way out of the Cardiff station and over to the bus terminals. It was exciting to note that everything was in both English and Welsh, even down to many of the advertisements.
We found Bus #28, were thrilled to discover it was a double decker, and clamored our way up the stairs as giddy as ten year-old school girls! The ride was a bit rambunctious at times, but we made it to the hostel okay!
Hillary and I each have a bit of family heritage in Wales, so it was very romantic to think about visiting the homeland of our ancestors and seeing a glimpse of our past firsthand. After settling in at the hostel and freshening up a bit from the train, we set out to find dinner and get a closer look at the surrounding area. On our walk we discovered a beautiful cemetery, but to our dismay we found that it was locked for the night. We then contented ourselves by taking pictures through the gates and straining to see tombstones in case there might be a Williams or Morgan nearby! (There weren't.)
We walked around town, looking at the shops and the neat little strands of houses tucked in as tight as they could be. Then we finally settled on a Chinese restaurant where I ordered a delicious duck dish. By the way, my new favorite meat is duck (along with another that will not be mentioned because a member of my family is quite fond of them).
The next day we caught the 28 back into the center of town and immediately made our way down the streets, peeking in shops and finally walking into one.
There Hillary and I found a wealth of Welsh history, traditions, and trinkets, not to mention numerous items that flaunted both of our last names! I was particularly delighted with the Welsh spoons, a traditional gift of love, betrothals, marriages, or anniversaries. In the past young Welsh men would carve these wooden spoons and present them to the girl that they loved, and his message would dictate the design of the spoon handle. For example, a heart indicates love and affection, Celtic chain links indicate faithfulness, or life-long love and devotion, and a key (or keyhole) stands for provision (aka, "I will provide for you, build a house for you, etc). The list went on! Every design was different, some of them stacking multiple symbols to create a string of love messages to the beloved. They were so beautiful, and, romantic that I am, I just couldn't resist buying a piece of jewelry to commemorate this unique tradition. I even felt more Welsh after I put it on :)
After our final purchases had been made we crossed the street and took a tour of Cardiff Castle, a magnificent fort that was converted into a private residence around the 19th century. There were stone walls, steep stairs, towers, peacocks, grassy lawns, narrow windows ... everything a princess would desire in a respectable castle.
To top it off the weather was positively gorgeous - our first truly picturesque day in the U.K. - so that made the entire site even more delightful to behold!
After saying hello to the Welsh dragon we found sunbathing on the lawn, the three of us took a guided tour of the magnificent home (though unfortunately photography was not allowed) and then we had a delicious lunch in the cellar, the oldest part of the house. I had Welsh cawl (a meaty broth with meat and vegetables that you dip chunky bread in) and my own little pot of real Welsh tea. I was delighted :)
Then we exited the castle to climb the highest tower and explore the keep. From the top we could see all of Cardiff and beyond - which was certainly well worth the hike (below is a shot of just one of a series of steep stairways!).
As I looked above my head and saw the Welsh flag flapping in the wind I couldn't help but feel a bit proud - it was so hard to believe I was actually in Wales, a place where I actually had some history. It was a special moment!
Our next adventure was a less physically draining one. We climbed on the upper deck of another double-decker and sat back to enjoy a whirlwind tour of the beautiful city of Cardiff.
We were eventually dropped off at the bay to look around for a bit, and it was there that we saw the opera house, a multitude of boats, and some phenomenal scenery. There was also a gorgeous church that stood out again the bright blue of the sky in a vibrant brick red. I loved seeing the seaside again, and was sorry there wasn't time to catch a ride on a boat!
After riding the bus back to central Cardiff, we found a neat little Indonesian/Polynesian/ something else -esian that I cannot recall the name of and had a wonderful dinner before heading back to our hostel. While we waited for old bus #28 to come pick us up, we were harassed by a few local drunks and unpleasantly noticed by almost every male that passed by - and it wasn't even getting dark yet! It was quite an experience, but a good lesson on how to respond in those situations. Ignoring the undesirable attention almost always did the trick, but the one time it didn't, a good shove accompanied by a firm tone got the message across. Needless to say, we were thankful to get back to the hostel!
That's all I have time for now ... I will post on my last day in Wales and the events of today tomorrow afternoon if all goes as planned :)
Love,
Bekah
P.S. Happy Birthday Michael! I can't believe you're ten years old today!
Within the walls of Roath Park there had to have been over fifty varieties of roses! We couldn't believe our eyes! We instantly set about snapping pictures of each and every kind, attempting to capture the rainbow of color that surrounded us. Here are a few of my favorite varieties ...
"Tintlnara"
"Twice in a Blue Moon"
and "First Love"
As we hopped around the flower beds like we'd never seen roses before, an older woman resting on a park bench struck up a conversation with me. Then she asked if I knew about the lake ahead, and told me there were ducks and swans, and gardens, at which point I asked, "Which way?!" I ran over to where Hillary and Melissa where snapping pictures and told them about the lake. All three of us quickly reached a consensus: Forget the bay, let's say and explore all that Roath Park has to offer! So we deserted our plans for Bus #28 and enjoyed the entirety of the rose garden at our leisure. I think I took almost a hundred pictures in that portion of the park alone!
Next we followed the signs to the lake where we were entertained by the inhabitants, particularly the adorable little ducks. They would upend their little bottoms and wiggle their tales in the air as they nibbled at their dinner below the surface. It was so cute!
The bridge was full of local onlookers and there were almost as many children as there were swans! At first the sky looked pretty threatening and we worried it might rain, but then the sun beat out the clouds and we knew a beautiful day was here to stay.
After getting our fill of the view from the bridge, we walked over to the docks to inquire after the paddle boats (or as the Welsh call them, pedal boats). The price was great so we hopped in a bright green vessel and took off toward a huge herd of swans. Do these young ladies look a bit devious or what?! By the end of the ride they had been dubbed "Hillary the Swan Killer" and Melissa, Swan Slayer" ... although in reality I think the swans scared us more than we ever scared them!
As I was the designated photographer in the backseat, I was helpless when the swans came right up to the boat and in for the kill. All I could do was yell "Pedal faster!" Yet all in all it was a delightful ride and as the weather was gorgeous we got a great view of the lake. It was warm and sunny and the best accidental discovery I've had on this trip!
After our boat ride we had lunch at the lakeside cafe and then headed back to our hostel to pick up our bags. Then it was back to the train station and on the road back to London! I would love to go back and see more of Wales someday - it was a fantastic weekend and definitely worth the trip if you are ever in the area!
