Cardiff

Cardiff. Where rugby gets serious and Doctor Who is filmed. 

I spent a week in Cardiff. My hotel was right across the street from miles of parkland and less than a block from the major shopping network. 

 The city of Cardiff falls in the County of Morgan. As a result, every other thing is named Morgan. Also, having the last name of Morgan is like having the last name of Smith. When I told the locals my name, they when "oh yes okay".

 Cardiff Castle is the main attraction for the city, next to the international rugby tournaments. It's an imposing structure, visible from nearly everywhere. It was started by the Romans, who needed a foothold to keep back the wild locals. It's possible to see the Roman ruins in the walls and in the museum on the grounds.
After the Romans retreated, the Normans moved in. They built the inner keep and several other buildings. After the Normans left, the British ruled here and the land belonged to a very rich Marquis who owned the coal mines, the canals, and the docks where the coal was loaded. He made about a million pounds a year, which now translates to billions. His third great grandson gave the land over to the city after WWII.

View of the Norman keep and walkways.

 Inside the Norman keep.

 I took a tour inside the Marquis' castle, which was built in the Victorian era. The man was obsessed with the medieval period and decorated accordingly. The level of opulence was staggering. Gold leaf covered everything, painted tiles lined the floor, plush carpets and dark stained woods and room after room of grandeur.
My tour guide was a local Welsh lad. The tour group consisted of me and a foreign school group tour. I could tell the guide was a little frustrated with the group because they hadn't notified the castle and had just shown up for a regular tour. It was okay though, he kept pulling me aside and making sure all my questions were answered.

 During the Blitz of WWII, the Marquis let the city build shelters inside the walls surrounding the castle. This is the entrance to part of them. It's dark, damp, and lined with old propaganda and posters. There are bunk beds, a small kitchen, a doctor's quarters, and storage lockers.

 Once you step inside, audio starts playing. Old radio broadcasts of Churchill talking to the nation, local news reporters instructing the people what to do in case of an attack, motivational and rousing speeches. All the while, in the background of it, you hear the sound of bombs dropping and music from the era.
It was both amazing and terrifying, a perfect blend of "this is so awesome" and "this is a scene from a scary movie get out while you're still alive".

Cardiff has many churches and cathedrals. I went wandering one day and found this beauty.

It also happens that I was there on one of the busiest weekends of the whole year. The first international game against Australia fell on the 5th of November. They estimated an extra 100,000 people were in town that weekend. So I picked up a few groceries and hunkered down. I left the window open, and I could hear bouts of singing. It was interesting to watch the crowd from my hotel room.
I enjoyed Cardiff. I learned quite a bit, saw interesting things, wandered in the park, and had excellent food.
Next post: Pontypool, Wales

Nita