Cardiff Bay
by HORSCHECK
Cardiff Bay used to be an industrial area with old docks, but it is nowadays transfered into an entertainment and recreation area with walkways, attractions and both trendy and traditional restaurants and pubs.
It is located about 2 miles south of the city centre and can be reached by various local buses, including the BayXpress. Cardiff Bay has its own train station which is served from Queen Street Station and the Central Station. You can also walk from the city centre along the river Taff which takes about 30 minutes, but it is not too exciting.
http://www.visitcardiffbay.info/
Beach_dog
by Carmela71
Even if he is not living anymore in Wales, he introduced me to this great country and city.
He has showed the area to a few members that visited him, and also my friends. Just the perfect Vt?r ;-), ok I guess for personal reasons I have a good relationship and opinion of him LOL
Packing List
by Aragina
Depends on how you are travelling, but suitcases or rucksacks are fine, but we dont have a lot of porters anymore and you will be expected to carry your own stuff. Airports have luggage carriers though :-) Cardiff can vary in temprature but in Summer tops and shorts are fine in winter good warm clothing. BUT!! no matter what time of year, keep you eye on the weather forcasts and get an Umbrella, :-) it can appear even on a nice sunny day. Just use good common sense and you cant go far wrong. You can buy everything you need in Cardiff, but make sure you have enough prescriprion drugs with you to last, if you do not belong to the EU as Medical costs are high and a lot of meds cant be bought over the counter, if you are not sure go to
http://www.wellbeing.com/atp/index.jsp Cardiff can deal with any of your Photographic needs it may be a little more expensive than the US and Canada though. http://camping.uk-directory.com/
Castell Coch
by sue_stone
Castell Coch is a late 19th century fairytale style castle which was built on the remains of a genuine 13th century castle. It was built as a romantic vision of the Middle Ages, and looks like something straight out of Sleeping Beauty or suchlike.
It is perched on a hill, surrounded by trees and really does look magical with its conical towers and pointed turrets. Cross the drawbridge, over the (empty) moat and enter the inner courtyard, which is overlooked by an upper gallery and walkways. Off the courtyard are many stone-vaulted rooms that you can explore.
The interior of the castle is amazingly decorated, particularly the colourful bedroom once used by Lady Bute, the wife of the Marquis of Bute, for whom the castle was built.
When we visited they were holding fencing lessons in the courtyard, and families were having picnics on the grounds surrounding the castle.
To get to the castle, exit the M4 motorway at junction 32, then take the A470 and follow the signs.
Altolusso - bold, adventurous housing?
by aaaarrgh
Around the corner from Cardiff Ice Rink is an interesting sight. A local firm of architects, Holder Mathias, have created a 200 foot high block of apartments, Altolusso, which sprout from the remains of a Victorian school. All that is left of the old "New College" is its front wall, which is very attractive.
For many, many years New College was a private fee-paying school. Obviously now, most of it has been demolished. Altolusso ('high luxury') was completed in Autumn 2004.
This could either be a candidate for my "Cardiff Rants" travelogue, or maybe you see it as brilliant architecture. It is certainly a bold, adventurous, cheeky solution to Cardiff's luxury housing needs. But I also think to myself how on earth did the local council allow these developers to demolish a pretty Victorian school?
But anyway, there it is on Bute Terrace. The apartment block is in the shape of an enormous clover-leaf. There are 292 apartments and almost all of them sold before they were even built!! Good views, and the new trend for living in the city centre, which is good!
Recently (Autumn 2006) made famous in the first episode and opening credits of the BBC raunchy sci-fi series, Torchwood
Of course, unless you are yourself one of the rich tenants, you are not going to get inside ;-)
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