A Christmassy Cardiff

Weekend in Cardiff - a bit of shopping and some Christmas sights, including a great Christmas market, with lots of stalls selling crafts, gifts, food and drink.


Unfortunately we managed to coincide our visit with Martin having a really bad cold -  still had a good time, heading out for a drink or four in the evening, a curry, and a night singing along to 80s music in one of the bars.

 Along the way visited Cardiff's very own Winter Wonderland - with its ice rink, and fairground rides and stalls - and took in the Christmas lights outside the castle walls.











Cardiff on an International (Wales 27 South Africa 13 - yay!) Saturday night was something of an interesting experience mind you - no glass allowed in any of the pubs, and we couldn't even buy a bottle of wine to take back to the hotel.

It was all very good natured though - particularly enjoyed the gang of twenty or so people dressed up in Pikachu onesies and going round town worshipping traffic lights until they turned from red to green!

Opening Day

Yes, we have a Tesco - seen here as the building was in the final stages of completion - and it has actually opened (despite rumours to the contrary!).

It's a somewhat odd beast, it isn't as big as we'd perhaps expected (given the monstrous size of the building), and getting in and out of it is a bit of an Escher experience, with travelators going in all directions, and entrances that are really exits (you have to see it to believe it!).

It has a great rooftop car park though - with some fantastic views!


We're just waiting for M&S to open now - due in Spring 2017 - should happen (they are advertising for staff), just so long as the argument with the Council over 'Foodhall' signage doesn't get out of hand!

Tornado!

In work this morning, when the world outside suddenly went mad - from a bit on the breezy side to absolutely howling winds - everyone stopped work to go and stare out of the windows!  Within 20 minutes though we were back to normal, except of course for the collateral damage . . .

It turned out there'd been an actual tornado passing through - with caravans ripped apart at Clarach Bay, trees down all over the place, closed roads, and damage to roofs, chimneys, flagpoles, and floodlights (two were blown over on the local football ground).

Here's the local news report - but Aberystwyth weather was back headlining on the national news again as well!

For once we more or less got away with at home - no broken glass in the greenhouses, and all trees intact - although we did notice that the raspberry support posts in the fruit cage (which were probably rotten anyway) had been taken out.

Bristol, Bridge and Boat

So from East Anglia, it was on to the South West for a couple of days. First stop Portishead (where Martin was working), and where I took advantage of the emerging sunshine to revisit the nearby National Trust property Tyntesfield.

Things have moved on since we last visited in 2012, and the property feels in much more of a 'finished' state.   It looked glorious in the autumn sunshine, and it was even warm enough to sit outside and snack on an NT cheese scone.

Had a good wander round the house and gardens, before returning to Portishead to meet up with Martin, who took me on to see the famous Clifton Bridge.  Gorgeous views out over the gorge:

Evening in Bristol, where Martin left me the following day for a bit of shopping, and a walk along the river back up to Clifton where I was due to meet him late lunchtime after work.

Walking by the river, spotted the local replica of the Matthew, the ship that John Cabot sailed to Newfoundland in 1497.  Bit of deja vu here, as we'd seen another Matthew replica on a visit to Bonavista in Newfoundland back in 2006!


A good couple of days - and Bristol is definitely a city to return to.