I had a nice, relaxing stay in Cardiff. My first day was a special one though, as I got to meet up again with my friends Kait, Dan, and little Arthur. We met just outside Cardiff in the town of Caerphilly, where we toured Caerphilly Castle. It’s the second-largest castle in Britain, behind Windsor Castle. Half the site had been under restoration for the past few years and had only reopened a week or two before our visit.
We explored the grounds, great hall, chambers, towers, and battlements, all kept in great condition aside from the south-east tower, which had cracked vertically and now leans precariously to one side. After tiring ourselves out on the spiral staircases, we left the castle for a bite to eat before sadly saying our final goodbye. It’s been pretty unbelievable catching up three times in three different countries while I’ve been travelling, especially as we’ve been pals for six years. It’s been so great to meet and spend time with such awesome friends.
I took the opportunity for a rest day, which meant shuffling a few plans for my time in Cardiff. I still managed a walk along the Cardiff Bay waterfront and a visit to the outskirts of Cardiff Castle, which was busy being prepped for a Tom Jones concert. I also took a day trip out to Pen y Fan, the highest peak in southern Wales. Compared to Ben Nevis and Snowdon, it was a much easier hike. It started with a steep climb, then dropped into a gully before a steady ascent towards the secondary peak, Corn Du — which I mistakenly thought was Pen y Fan. The actual summit was only a short walk further on and offered stunning views of the Welsh countryside and rolling mountain ranges.
It was there, sitting among people enjoying their packed lunches, that I realised I hadn’t brought any food for myself. Luckily, there was a food truck (apparently a famous one) down near the bus stop at the bottom. I took some photos, then headed back down via a different, more gradual trail that brought me to a visitor centre — no knee problems this time. The round trip up and back took just under two hours. A short forest trail led me to the bus stop, where a 40-minute wait gave me time to grab a burger from the food truck across the road.
Back in Cardiff, I headed out for a nice dinner and a few beers at a pub overlooking the River Taff, enjoying a good chat with some locals before calling it a night.
Next up: a train to Poole, finally getting to visit the cousins!
