Day Twelve – Thursday, 24 May 2012

Bath – Cardiff – The Mumbles

Accommodation – The Charlton, The Mumbles

Temperature – 24 degrees

Weather – very early fog leading to a very hazy day!

We enjoyed our stay outside Bath and had breakfast at the very old pub adjoining our accommodation.  A full English breakfast had been ordered the night before – I think I’m getting a little tired of the complete overload of food in the morning:  baked beans; hash brown; tomato; sausage; mushrooms; eggs and bacon!  No wonder David and I aren’t eating lunch!

We found our way to Cardiff and a parking lot without any trouble thanks to the GPS.  Cardiff Castle was just around the corner so we purchased tickets for the premium tour which allowed us into the private rooms of the Marquess of Bute. The family made a fortune from the coal industry and once owned fourteen homes throughout Britain and the world.  This 19^th century home was built on top of an old Roman fortress which was discovered when walls were being built around the estate.  The present day walls are built in the Roman manner.

This central city site houses The Keep built in 1081 by William I, The Black Tower built in the 13^th century, the Marquess’ home and the Roman walls which were rebuilt and used as air-raid shelters in world war II.  The Keep sits on top of a motte (a large green hill) twelve metres tall and surrounded by a moat.

The Keep surrounded by a moat....great views from the top.

The apartments of the Bute family are in the Victorian style and are really overly decorated with painted walls, carved wooden balustrading and very ornate decorations.  Some of the home incorporates 14^th century walls.

The Castle is a well presented tourist attraction with audio guides, film and information posts dotted around the site.  Adjoining the castle is the giant Millennium Stadium famous for its many football matches.

The dining area where Queen Elizabeth II has entertained guests including Nelson Mendela.

The present site was donated to the city of Cardiff in 1948 by the 5^th Marquess of Bute on the proviso that none of the estate which includes large expanses of land was to be divided. 

The Marquess was refused permission to have his own private zoo so he had animals carved and placed on the exterior fence!

The hop-on-bus was our next step in seeing as much of the city as we could.  It was a very hazy day however with muted sunlight and a good temperature we sat on top to see the city.  The Olympic torch is passing through Cardiff tomorrow so the city is getting ready with decorations and huge free-standing Olympic rings in a park.

Seriously?  But I want to go on Sunday!!!

Obviously fast children don't need a sign!

We hopped off at Cardiff Bay which is a very new development at the waterfront.  As Cardiff was previously a very large coal exporting port the city has redeveloped the area into a wonderful arts/dining/theatre centre.  The Wales Millennium Centre is at Cardiff Bay and houses the Welsh National Opera, Dance Company, and Orchestra.  The giant inscriptions on the front translate as:  ‘creating truth like glass from the inspiration’s furnace’ and ‘in thes stones horizons sing’.

Roald Dahl Place with the Millennium Theatre in the background.

We then ventured along the western coast via Porthcawl, Port Talbot until we decided on The Mumbles on the coast near Swansea.  The hotel is across from the very long esplanade and the water was out for miles when we arrived – we thought Manly could go out forever!  After an hour the tide came quickly in and the water was washing up on the rocks of the esplanade.

A very hazy day at The Mumbles with the pier in the background.

A lovely evening walk after dinner along the promenade was a relaxing way to end our first day in Wales.