Another stunning brekkie in our bellies (courtesy of the friendly staff at Oldfields B&B) we left picturesque Bath behind us ensuring that Wendy was kept dormant in her Sat Nav cradle and weaved through the gorgeous sun-dappled English countryside on route to Cardiff, Wales. But before we hit the Welsh capital we diverted up toward Monmouth and the stunning ruins of Tintern Abbey, the most intact medieval abbey in all of Britain. Arriving midmorning the stunning beams of warm sunlight showcased the haunting ruins in all their dilapidated glory. Dating back to 1131 the abbey is gasp-inducing and your entry fee allows you to wander unaided and un-audio-toured around the grounds and amble in and out of the stone skeleton.
From the incredible grandeur of the tracery which contained the incredible west windows to the soaring Gothic arches that hint at the spectacle that this abbey was when fully functioning this is a haunting, sombre and incredibly powerful place. One of the best stops we’ve had so far.
A quick cup of tea was in order so sitting at the local tea house with the ruins to our back we watched the local cross-country runners come into the finish line positioned on the oval next to the tea house. How quaint...and somehow quintessentially British.
Back into the Volvo (with Wendy still off) we made our way to Raglan Castle, a smidge outside of the township of Raglan, by snaking along the road next to the Wye river. We appeared to be accompanied by half of the Welsh population but they were all on foot - with the weather so good the walkers were out in big numbers traipsing the lush green countryside with their families and in many cases (multiple) dogs in tow. Raglan Castle was the last to be built in Wales around the 15th and 16th centuries and is dominated by the Great Tower, a hexagonal keep surrounded by a moat. 
Scaling the heights of the Great Tower you get an excellent view of the castle ruins and the surrounding fields blossoming in swathes of yellow canola flowers. Another great stop and an excellent companion site to Tintern Abbey. 
All of a sudden it was 2pm and lunch beckoned and here was where we made our first mistake...
This is the home of Torchwood...the Hub, Captain Jack, Weavils, Gwen and Rhys, Ianto (sniff), Toshiko (sniff) and Owen (whateva) and it’s fanboy inducing fun. 
Desperate for a bit of Torchwood re-enactments I found the perception filter stone but this appeared to be malfunctioning as most could see me...even photograph me (weird). And then there’ the tribute...down on the wharf of Mermaid Quay is the tribute to our favourite coffee boy Ianto Jones. A wall of the wharf is dedicated to the memory of Captain Jack’s favourite barrista with tribute messages from all over the world haphazardly pinned to the wall. Bless the whoniverse. BTW – he’s not coming back. RIP Ianto. A great dinner at the Bayside Brasserie later we were back at the hotel and playing cards in the bar. The next morning we hit Cardiff in earnest with a morning of serious shopping in the fabulous St David’s Mall. After a shaky start the day before (courtesy of a dodgy route, some bad directions and copious amounts of roadworks) Cardiff was beginning to appeal to us. Unfortunately we were a little disappointed by the much hyped Cardiff Castle, positioned at the heart of Cardiff, as we’d been spoilt the day before by the spectacular ruins we’d visited. 
With the Dr Who Exhibition at the Red Dragon Centre closed, the Norwegian Church at Cardiff Bay closed for renovation and Custom House also at Cardiff Bay again closed until May 2011 we realised Cardiff would re-open in May 2011 (pity we were a month early). And to top that off even though I kept feigning alien suffocation Captain Jack did not miraculously appear to provide prolonged resuscitation services. Well can’t blame Cardiff for that one I suppose... Next update: Tenby, Wales
I miss Cardiff...
ReplyDelete