Cardiff
Saturday 7th – Sunday 8th October 2023
Day 1
We arrived in Cardiff full of excitement… only to find we couldn’t check in yet. So, with bags in tow, we set off for a wander around the city and headed towards the Senedd (Welsh Parliament). After a look around, we stumbled into an exhibition which included – somewhat unexpectedly – a stuffed grouse. Hmmm indeed.
Next stop was the iconic Millennium Centre, before hunger took over and we landed at a nearby spot for lunch. Delicious chicken wings and sweet potato fries hit the spot. Eventually, we got into the hotel – and it was worth the wait! The view from the room was amazing, looking right out over Cardiff Bay.
Later, we drove out to meet Suz, Andrew and Fraser (with a little detour involving getting stuck in a container on the way!). Drinks and crisps followed as we caught up, well Vikki and Suz did most of the talking.
Dinner was in a cosy pub – a Welsh lamb burger for Steve and a hearty chicken pie for Vikki. Both hit the spot. We wrapped the day up with a stroll around the bay before bed.
Day 2
After a great night’s sleep, we eased into the morning with coffee in bed – a little experiment from Steve involving hot milk, which mostly worked. He paired it with his stylish dressing gown look (woolly hat sadly absent this time).
Breakfast was busy and loud, with machine coffee that was… acceptable, and some questionable fishy hash browns. After all that, we escaped to the balcony with a second, much better coffee and a breather before a last-minute packing panic and rushed check-out. Steve had to execute a stealthy car park shorts change – classy.
We set off for Cardiff Castle, and it was well worth it – we explored the full loop around the top before realising we could also walk the tunnels underneath. Obviously, we did both.
Feeling slightly weary, we made the very sensible decision to rent bikes back to the bay. Simple process in theory… in reality, not so much. After finding two bikes, Vikki’s app refused to cooperate, and Steve’s bike sounded like it was dragging a bag of spanners. After an unsuccessful swap attempt, we stuck with the originals and rolled with it.
The cycle around the bay was lovely. We stopped for lunch: smashed burger for Steve, delicious chicken for Vikki, then returned the bikes (another small saga) and decided a boat ride was just the thing.
Bumped into Suz by chance, grabbed a coffee and hopped on a speedboat. Breezy, splashy, and a brilliant way to round things off before heading back for a final spa stop and hitting the road home.
