This great island has many positives but surely one of them has to be its relatively small size, and with that the ease of which a person can travel from one part of the country to another in a short space of time. This is the situation I found myself in this weekend. On Thursday afternoon, in the midst of pandemonic rush hour I left London Paddington station, two hours later I was stepping out into the relative calm Cardiff Central station with the incredible Millennium Stadium sitting right before my eyes.
You might be surprised, like many people I know, to hear that it takes just two hours to travel by train from London’s capital city to its Welsh equivalent but. I left shortly after work and was in one of Cardiff’s many pubs enjoying a few pints before chucking out time. It really is that close. St Mary’s Street, the city’s main drinking street, is one area many visitors talk of but you would be a fool to visit this great place and not visit some of the brilliant sites in or nearby the city centre.
Of course the Millennium Stadium is the most obvious and certainly the most impressive of these. Unusual in that it is situated right in the middle, the impressive arena dominates anywhere you are in or around the city. Loosely designed on a boat, given Cardiff’s rich boating history-another surprise to people outside the city- gives the stadium a unique and dominant design and any sporting fan should visit an event there at some point. The most adventurous, and luckiest, will be inside the stadium bowl for a Six Nations rugby match when Wales take on the old enemy England. While the stereotype of Welsh people hating the English is not exactly true, there is real passion for this match and hearing a rendition of ‘Land of my Fathers’ inside the stadium will send a chill down the spine of even the proudest Englishman. But the Stadium also hosts other events ranging from Speedway to Music Concerts.
Wales is a nation that is sporting mad and the capital city is the epicentre of it all. Other than the national rugby team, the Bluebirds- Cardiff’s Championship level football team- play just out of town at Ninian Park although they will be shortly moving across the road into a brand new stadium. Joining them in that new stadium but currently entertaining their fans in the shadow of the Millennium Stadium at the Cardiff Arms Park, are the Cardiff Blues. Pop down here most weekends are you are likely to catch a glimpse of some Welsh international stars as well as a few foreign ones. Finally, Sophia Gardens just minutes from the city centre is a beautiful setting to catch a county cricket match in the summer involving Wales’ only professional cricket team, Glamorgan.
While sport is the main modern day draw to the city there is a lot of history lying around the place- Cardiff has only been Wales’ capital city for little over fifty years. Shortly out of town lies the cathedral that gives Cardiff its city status. Llandaff cathedral is set in a beautiful suburb and is a pleasant place to stay away from the tourist trail. The famous child’s author Roald Dahl grew up here and Wales’ most famous couple, Gav and Charlotte are rumoured to live nearby- if you’re into that sort of thing.
Back to the city centre and Cardiff Castle is another landmark that stands out on arrival in the city. The castle was owned by the Bute family for many years before being sold to Cardiff City in 1947. The buildings are extremely impressive and the courtyard is a brilliant place to relax, particularly on a warm day. The highlight must be the gold-filled room that was used just for smoking in, as well as the lovely Welsh Cakes sold in the Castle’s restaurant.
Leaving surely the best until last, and not many outside of Cardiff know of it, is Cardiff Bay. The old Tiger Bay was once home to ugly buildings and uglier people but has now been completely transformed. The Wales Millennium Stadium (or slug/armadillo depending on your opinion) dominates the area. As well as being an absolutely stunning piece of architecture the venue has hosted some worldwide events, most notably the Royal Variety Performance in 2005. Impressive architecture spreads across Cardiff Bay, my personal highlight being the red brick Norwegian Church sitting on the waterfront, as well as some nice bars and restaurants. Once again, like much of Cardiff, it is a nice place to be.
So instead of sitting around doing the same old thing this weekend, why not jump on a train? You could be in Cardiff by dinner time.
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