Wales ~ McC Ab Test

It's not too far from Bath to Wales, so today we went to Cardiff. It was grey and damp most of the day, but we're getting used to that. We crossed the (second) Severn Crossing bridge, which marks the border between Wales and England at that point, and were impressed by how huge that bridge is. It is five kilometres long (Auckland Harbour Bridge is one km), and very wide.

The bridge over the Severn River (estuary).

In Cardiff it was raining, and many of the city centre streets were blocked off with cones and people in hi-vis vests. It turns out that the Tour of Britain cycle race was finishing today in Cardiff, with the riders expected about 2 or 3 pm. Unfortunately that was a bit too late for us as we had places to go.

We wandered through the city centre, then visited Cardiff Castle where they had set up a band and other entertainments in anticipation of the crowds expected to come to see the cycle race.

A coffee shop for Game of Thrones followers (note blackboard).

The two-storey carousel! Sue did not want a ride.

This zebra was very pleased to see us!

Cardiff Castle is in the middle of the city, and was the site of a Roman fort, and an 11th century Norman castle, and then various later developments and enhancements right up to Victorian times. It is an outer wall surrounding an open grassed interior, in the middle of which is a smaller "keep" on top of a mound ("motte") surrounded by a moat. With the walls and towers are elaborately decorated rooms and apartments, and the exterior of the clock tower has brightly coloured figures and other decorations, added in the 18th century.