Getting Our Nerd On In Cardiff

I'm still kind of sad that my Eurotrip 2012 recap is finished. :( But now we get to backtrack a bit and relive some of my other expeditions in Europe!

I went to Cardiff, Wales with Amanda and Liz in February 2012, and it was the first time during study abroad that we'd left England. I didn't particularly care about visiting Wales, but Amanda and Liz are both huge Doctor Who fans and apparently Cardiff is a thing in that show... so they were super gung-ho about going, and I decided to come along for the ride. I mean, the bus fair was cheap enough, and I'm not one to say no to a day in another country!

Going in with zero expectations, I had quite a great time in Cardiff! The weather was cold and wet (hooray, UK!), but other than that it was a great day of nerdiness. Liz and Amanda had their Doctor Who fun in Millennium Park, of course, but Amanda and I also reenacted some Harry Potter scenes on a narrow wooden bridge at Cardiff Castle. We also walked around in the WWII air raid shelter hidden in the castle's battlements, which was just THE COOLEST THING EVER. The castle itself was beautiful, and I really enjoyed getting a look at Millennium Stadium, and the food was delicious, and we capped off the day with a frantic 15 minutes trying to find our bus and then sneaking our to-go dinners on board. Whoops. #adventuring

However, my camera died in Cardiff Castle, so this post is brought to you by a good chunk of my friends' wonderful photography!

Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff, Wales
Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff Castle in Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff Castle in Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff Castle in Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff Castle in Cardiff, Wales
World War II air raid shelter at Cardiff Castle in Cardiff, Wales
World War II air raid shelter at Cardiff Castle in Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff Castle in Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff Castle in Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff Castle in Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff Castle in Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff Castle in Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff Castle in Cardiff, Wales
The view from Cardiff Castle in Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff Castle in Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff Castle in Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff Castle in Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff Castle in Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff Castle in Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff Castle in Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff Castle in Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff Castle in Cardiff, Wales
Millennium Park in Cardiff, Wales
Millennium Park in Cardiff, Wales

And hey, can we talk about the Welsh language for a quick second? It looks like keyboard mashes!

Welsh language signs in Cardiff, Wales

Interesting place, Wales. It's definitely a country I'd like to return to someday!

Travel Tuesday



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15 comments :

  1. Cardiff does have a bad rap, doesn't it? Looks like fun, though!

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    1. Does it?! I didn't really know much about it, and still don't to be honest. But it was a good time! :)

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  2. My good friend's husband is from a predominantly Welsh speaking town and it is hilarious (ha, maybe embarrassing) to everyone when I try to say words/phrases that he has taught me.

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    1. LOL that's hilarious! I don't even know if I heard anyone speak it, but just looking at it made me chuckle every time... obviously, considering how many signs I took pictures of. :P

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  3. Oh wow, it is so beautiful there!! I want to go someday!

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    1. You should! It's super pretty, even in the drizzle!

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  4. Oh my gosh that castle is beautiful! And how amazing that they did that shelter beneath the castle! Love that picture of you through the window of the castle :)

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    1. Isn't it?! It was so cool! Haha thanks, credit for that photo goes to Liz and her fancy camera! :)

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  5. That castle is really neat! It looks so regal and old! Everywhere I've been in the UK makes me want to reenact scenes from Harry Potter as well :)

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    1. Yes, it was so cool! It's got old crumbly bits and elegant, regal bits, and an incredibly awesome library. So basically it's a total winner. :) Oh man, my friend and I reenacted Harry Potter aaaallllllll over the place! Hahaha

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  6. Ah, I adore Cardiff! Such a lovely little city, with a great castle and parks! I'm glad you got to go :)

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    1. Thanks, I'm glad I got to go too! :) Now I wish I'd had more time there, and that the weather was better so I could've seen some of the parks. But what I DID get to see was utterly charming!

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  7. Have I told you how much I'm enjoying these throwback posts? I mean, it hurts, but in the best way possible.

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    1. YAAYYYY LOVE YOU! I think we're all a teensy bit masochistic, because it hurts like a mother, yet I keep doing them and you guys keep reading them and it's all just very simultaneously wonderful and painful. We should all just go back, basically.

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  8. I am totally dying to visit Cardiff! I've heard it's such a pretty city. And your pictures certainly seem to prove that true :)

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