Picture Post: Cardiff

[glinda]

The first time I visited Cardiff I was 14, it was August and south Wales was enjoying the rare pleasure of a heatwave while the rest of Britain had rain. 11 years later I returned to find the weather equally good (it was October so obviously it rained, but only when I was in museums/shops/my bed, the rest of the time it was chilly but glorious) and that Cardiff Bay was no longer a derelict wasteland. I ended up going twice in the last year after my gap of eleven so you get two sets of photos, one from October taken on a rubbish little disposable camera and one set from June taken on my good Canon camera.



Cardiff Castle (was a ridiculous price, and I didn't have my Historic Scotland card to get a discount, so I didn't go inside)

Close-up of the Tower

I headed up to Cardiff Bay to see the changes since last time for myself, but the Rally of Great Britain was on so there were rally cars parked all over the Plas so some of my photos are from slightly random angles.

Statue of Ivor Novello

The Pierhead Building

I love this view of the bay, it was all derelict last time I stood there.

This Norwegian Church and the tourist centre next to it were all that was the same, when we were there before the tourist centre was full of plans and models showing what they had planned for it. It was really strange, in a good way, to see the changes in real life.

The Fountain! It was fenced off and switched off because of the rally but it still looked rather lovely with the clouds reflecting in it.




It still pleases me inordinately that the two stations in the centre of Cardiff are called Central and Queen St, same as in Glasgow.

Hands that built the city presumably...

Buckets

Curls

The view of Roald Dahl Plas and the Pierhead Building from the restruant where I had lunch - probably my favourite view from a restruant ever

Pierhead Entrance

The Tower

Turret with little dragon gargoyles

Inside


Lovely tiling.

The Welsh Assembly Building

The strangely beautiful ceiling of the Welsh Assembly Building

View of Cardiff Bay from inside the Welsh Assembly Building

Looking out at the Bay


Along with the Norwegian Church in the background this pair of statues is one of the few things not to have changed since the first time I visited.

A very strange clock tower

Ship Ahoy!

Comments

[adabsolutely]

Thanks for sharing your photos with us, they're great! I visited Cardiff once, maybe nine years ago...makes me want to visit again.

[draigwen]

The castle, though expensive, is well worth it (assuming you go for the tour). Inside the castle is amazing. We try to go back every few years because you get a slightly different tour each time.

Love the photos - particularly the one of the assembly roof!

[glinda]

I went in the first time I was in Cardiff though we didn't actually go on the tour. I think maybe you used to be able to pay a reduced rate and just get the grounds/outbuildings maybe? I certainly remember climbing around the battlements and reading plaques in the sunshine about the history of the fortifications. (It was mid August and a gorgeous day, so there may just have been an epic queue for the tour so we decided to give it a miss - I can't remember now...)

[draigwen]

Yeah, I think it's definitely cheaper not to do the tour, but the tour is by far the best bit!

[rainbow]

Lovely, lovely photos, and thank you for sharing them!

[rat]

What draigwen said. The castle tour is worth the money - the arabian room (image courtesy of wikipedia) and the summer smoking room are particularly awesome.

The outside of the clock tower just gives an impression of what you'd be in for :)

William Burgess was the architect/designer responsible and was quite a wacky chappy. If you've never been to Castell Coch, head there too - it's another of his works and is in a very similar feel to that of Cardiff Castle.


Castell Coch

[glinda]

Aww Castle Coch looks awesome, must go there next time I'm on holiday in Wales. (It looks like a fairytale castle in that picture! :) )

[draigwen]

It is a bit of a fairy-tale castle. Long walk to get to it though...

[rat]

Can catch a bus from Cardiff to Tongwynlais, then it's not a huge walk :P

Or rent/bring a cycle - the Taff trail is a cycle path as well as a walk - fairly scenic too..

[shiny_crystal]

I just subscribed to this community and saw this wonderful picture post - thank you for sharing! I spent a week in Cardiff in April and fell heads over heels in love with the city. Seeing all these pictures makes me want to go again even more! :) And I agree with the above comments, the Castle is well worth the money ;)

[morwencath]

Thanks so much for sharing these lovely pictures. I have had the pleasure of visiting Cardiff and Wales 4 times since the fall of 2008. Cardiff and the Bay in particular are some of my most favorite places to stay/visit when I am there.

I hope to visit again someday but in the meantime pictures like these help keep me satisfied until I make it there again.

Diolch yn fawr!

[glinda]

You're welcome, I'm glad I could bring back some happy memories! :)