An interesting Saturday and an almost typical Sunday
On Saturday we
left for Cardiff with a lot of plans for the day. Little did we know, through a comedy or
errors, we would be exploring places we never knew existed. We left in good time to explore a section of
the city out to a suburb called Pentrebane
We often take a bus loop so that we can get to know Cardiff better. This one went through an area called Canton
that we will explore later. Pentrebane
is on a hill so we could see around but it was just a suburb so we did not get
out.
Lost Somewhere in South Wales
When we got back
to Cardiff central Carolene suggested we go to Cowbridge Road where there are a
lot of good Charity Shops (second hand stores) so we went to the bus slip and were
speculating whether to catch number 12 or number 13 and a lady said “oh no you
want bus X2. It’s that purple one over
there.” So we ran over to the next
platform and, after waiting in line, got on the bus for Porthcawl via
Cowbridge. Must be the right one. It was a nice bus. Not Cardiff city but our senior’s passes
worked. After about twenty minutes
(Cowbridge Road is about ten minutes by bus) we were wondering about the route
we were going. We started to see a lot of fields and sheep
(they have sheep in Wales you know) and small villages and country pubs. After forty-five minutes we suspected we
might be lost and were wondering if we would get back to Cardiff for the first
game of the World Cup. After a little
under an hour we entered the village of Cowgridge and decided to get off.
A church on Saturday
Cowbridge was in
its glory as it was hosting its annual food and drink festival. We were torn between joining the festival and
getting back to Cardiff gone wild on game day.
When we got off the bus we crossed the street to see when the next bus
went back to Cardiff and found that (a) we had an hour and (b) there was
already a cue of twenty people waiting for that bus. I envisioned the return bus already full of
yobs going to Cardiff and standing for the hour trip. Carolene suggested we go up the street to
find another bus stop. Good idea so off
we went. She then said the we needed to
stop for coffee. Both of us were looking
for a washroom. As we neared the far end
of town without a hope of an affordable coffee place with a toilet we found
Noah’s Place right next to a bus stop.
We went into Noah’s Place and they were closing but they would give us a
cup of tea and some sweets. They
did. We wondered if they were some kind
of cult http://www.cowbridgeunitedfreechurch.org.uk/aboutus.htm
It turns out that they were a lovely church and Noah’s Place was a way that
they served the community. We had an interesting conversation with them and fully intend on returning some day but for
some reason felt compelled to return to Cardiff.
The return trip
was more relaxed as we knew where we were going and on the way back recognised some
landmarks. We passed by “auntie Gills
place” and hope some day to actually meet auntie Gill.
40.000 people opening a rugby series
Getting off the
bus across from the millennium stadium where the opening ceremonies of the Rugby
tournament were to be held was an experience.
On game day the streets are blocked off, the heddlu (police) are out in
full force and the pubs all have huge doormen out front. There are a few pubs listed as places to
watch rugby: two are Irish; one Australian
and a couple are Welsh. In retrospect I
should have chosen Australian. I picked
the old arcade http://www.sabrain.com/oldarcade
. Carolene and I had lunch there last
summer. Nice place but I cannot remember
the food. We figured we should eat
before going there so we explored the area and settled on tea and sandwiches at
St John’s church https://sites.google.com/site/stjohnscityparishcardiff/
a church dating from the 12th century. We got our tea and sandwiches and sat in the
graveyard eating them after chatting with the nice ladies who make them.
Then we went to the pub.
They had cleared
all the tables expecting great crowds that never came. We ordered some refreshments and sat and
watched the teams come out. The game
started and ten minutes later Carolene decided she needed to go shopping. I actually don’t blame her that much. I told her about loose scrums and
lineouts. These games don’t do
that. Rugby league is more like a form of
American football than rugby. The Aussies
beat the English. Carolene went home and
I stayed to see the start of the Welsh-Irish match expecting a huge display of
national interest and pride. I went
home. Disappointed. I think next time I will watch in the Aussie
pub.
An Almost Typical Sunday
We caught the
bus outside our flat at 8:40. The bus
came all the way from Llantwit Major. It
went the scenic route past all the major stores: ASDA, Morrison’s, the Cardiff marina,
IKA and past Cardiff Bay, up Lloyd George Blvd (I always hum “Lloyd George knew
my father” during this part) and into Cardiff.
Once there, with
great cheek, we took the Penarth bus back toward were we came from to go to the
Bessemer market so Carolene could get some furniture. Our landlady and her
daughter have a fruit and vegetable stall there but when we try to buy she won’t
let us pay.
Then we had to
walk all the way back to the Ninian School to catch the bus to Cardiff
Central. Once there we walked on
Riverside across from the big stadium to buy our eggs, meat, apples, and order Christmas
presents for our kids from a Welsh craftsman at the Riverside market.
http://riversidemarket.org.uk/ (the
video is worth watching) By now we are becoming
almost friends with the vendors. We have
found three markets in Cardiff: this one
(our favorite); the St Mary’s street one on Saturdays and the perpetual one in
the Market Arcade that has been there for over a hundred years. We have purchased a number of things at the
Arcade.
When we finished
with the market we were on our way to church and both felt peckish so Carolene
went back to get a muffin for us to split.
She came back with a duck burger, a vegan muffin and some kind of
tart. I did not complain.
The walk to
church went across the river Taft, into the park, behind Cardiff Castle and
along the path to the Castle Mews which is now the Anthony Hopkins Centre http://www.rwcmd.ac.uk/default.aspx
. We like to arrive by the back entrance
as we can hear some great musicians practicing.
This week were piano and vocal.
Last week were obo, flute and two pianos.
The service, as
usual, was great. The pastor’s wife gave
the message. She is very gifted
spiritually and is a midwife by profession.
Her sermon on being born again was very graphic as only a midwife could
be. We love her.
Our bus back to
Llandough goes on the odd hours so if we stay and chat at church we miss the
one o’clock. So we have to go to a pub
for lunch [that’s my story and I am sticking to it]. Today we went to an interesting place near
the train station http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/pubs/the-great-western
We both had Welsh food and it was good.
Last week we had some great pies at the Goat Major. If you google goat major you will find out
what a goat major is.
This week I am
on half-term so we should be exploring Cardiff and south Wales some more.
