A Londoners Guide to Cardiff

Moving to Cardiff felt a little like moving time zones at first - from the fast-paced 'I need to run everywhere and I'm covered in everyone else's tube-sweat' London, to Cardiff where your lungs feel so full of Oxygen it hurts a little bit. It was refreshing and with so little time to enjoy the area, I wasted no time in exploring the sights. With 8 weekends in the city, here's a little list of 14 best bits (I couldn't quite narrow it down to 10).

1) St. Fagans
Just outside the city, about an equidistant 10min drive from Llandaff and Canton, is a gem I didn't know was there. An entire village made up of buildings dating from 14th century Wales to the modern day - and most with a hearty burning fire to welcome you through the door. I felt like I'd fallen into a time capsule, you can buy bread at the bakery there, watch a blacksmith at work, it's the kind of place you could fill with actors and you would fully believe you were there for real. There's plenty of birds flying around, some wonderful buildings and some great bits of history. I particularly liked the tannery, the school and the woollen mill where I got talking to one of the guides. He told me all about his years in London and we traded tales of the city and how nice it is to find ourselves in peaceful Wales at this moment in time. I explored the building's exhibits and on sticking my head in to say goodbye, he said to me very sincerely, 'follow your dreams gal'. What a lovely thing to depart on. I was so blown away I never told him how nice it was, so I hope someone will!

2)Big Pit
If it's a day of Welsh industry heritage for you, then Big Pit is a great day out. With my grandad's background in mining, I wanted the experience for myself. The new multi-media exhibition is great, giving you a feel for what the machines were used for, in the position they would likely have been used. Then you get into the cage with about 20 odd people and journey down the shaft to the mine itself. The beauty of Big Pit is that it's authentic, you're led around by retired miners, so they all know exactly what they're talking about. Although we did learn that mines aren't comfortable places for a man of 6ft 3" - Kamal will testify to that. Head to the showers to get to know more about the personal lives of these men.

3) Taff's Well - Gates to the Valleys
Taff's Well is a cool blast from the past but the downside is you can no longer take a dip. The well is the only thermal spring in Wales. Visitors during the 1800s would enter the brick building that still surrounds it, walk the spiralled staircase within and take a spiritual skinny dip in temperatures that average approx 21 degrees. It's considered to be spiritually significant for it's healing qualities and although you can no longer submerge yourself in the South Wales waters, it's still worth a visit.

4) Castell Coch
Just a stones throw from Taff's Well (2 miles approx) is Wales' own fairytale castle. It was built by William Burges for the 3rd Marquess of Bute, it's pink stone enchants anyone travelling North out of Cardiff. After driving past it on my way to Ystrad Mynach for weeks on my way to football, I finally decided to pay it a visit. I didn't go inside, I had no money with me and it costs £6 to get in, but it was the outside that captivated me. And I bet it looks great in the snow - although I did spectacularly somersault over a hidden tree-stump when backing away to take a good photo, so watch out for those!

5) National Museum of Cardiff / City Hall
If you like animals, then there are a few stuffed ones to get up close and personal with here. The museum is a large space that I'm not convinced is utilised to it's full potential, but it definitely has an impressive collection of art, Welsh pottery and fossils. My favourite painting being the portrait of the blind harpist, John Parry as he appears so lost in the music he is playing.
Its external is impressive, sat alongside the similarly attractive City Hall opposite Gorsedd Gardens which hosts a statue of the famous David Lloyd George, which is also the name of the road leading from the centre to Cardiff Bay. It doesn't take a whole day off your hands but it's worth a couple of hours for sure.

6) Cardiff Castle
As fun for adults as it is for kids. Make sure to grab a headset near the entrance to assist you on your tour. You can walk the walls that acted as an air raid shelter for more than 1800 Cardiff citizens at any one time during WW2, climb the keep and spot original etchings in the plaster half way up, explore the Banquet Hall and Arab Room. One of my favourite things about Cardiff Castle is eyeing up the animals on the surrounding wall, designed by William Burges and carved in 1891 by Thomas Nicholls, who made the eyes so life-like and captivating. Also see if you can spot the red bricks on the outside wall, which act as a marker to show where the original bricks end and the newer rebuilt sections start. I also like the slightly Snow-Queen-esque gothic tower. And if it's military history you're after, then don't miss the Museum of the Welsh Soldier just by the entrance, it's easy to miss!

7) Bute Park/Taff Trail

The plan originally was for me to cycle to work at the BBC but with so much I wanted to see and do, I thought it best to travel by car instead. But I did get out and about on the bike and on foot too. 4 days after moving, I cycled the Taff Trail through Bute Park and across Pontcanna Fields where I'd started pre-season football training with Cardiff City Ladies. The river is safe and shallow enough to paddle out to the middle and lots of families paddle across the weir midway through the park. I spent a few of my afternoons in Cardiff walking around a sun-filled Bute Park, with some nice views of the Castle, a wart-hog made of plants, Pride Festival in August, Roald Dahl's centenary in September and lots of lovely ladybirds when Autumn arrived. There are 3 cafes, Pettigrew's Tea Rooms, The Secret Garden and the Summerhouse with the Summer Street Food Circus in nearby Sophia Gardens. It's definitely a haven to walk around in and there's usually lots going on. And the Taff Trail stretches 55 miles from Cardiff Bay to Brecon, so that's lots of weekends covered!

8) Coffee Barker

If you want the most amazing desert you've ever tasted, then it's a sin not to head to Coffee Barker just opposite the castle. They do a mean breakfast but their deserts are enough for a meal on their own. Twice I headed there for lunch and ate only desert - it's that good. My favourite was definitely the Chocolate Brownie sandwich, with banana and cookie dough ice-cream, crushed oreos and hot chocolate fudge sauce. My mile walk home wasn't enough to walk it off, but it was worth it, to feel European, to sit in the fresh air and enjoy a good feast.

9) Cardiff Bay / Restaurant / Gallery
Cardiff Bay is my favourite part of town and in my opinion, the most picturesque. It's within walking distance of the city centre, but I walked from Canton via Atlantic Wharf. I visited the Norwegian Church Art Gallery which was featuring a craft-fair and local photography exhibition with some great Welsh landmarks. I then revisited when my partner came to stay, after a day of football and very large appetite. We opted for the Bosphorus Turkish Restaurant which juts out on it's own pier over the water. Great food with a glass of wine for reasonable prices, even if the convenient Mermaid Quay parking was a bit on the pricey side. It's a lovely place for a breath of fresh air and the calm of the waves. During summer there's even an artificial beach and ferris wheel too.

10) Ystradgynlais / Cwmtrch
My maternal grandad was born in Upper Cwmtwrch and grew up at the George IV Inn paddling in the stream there. As a young man he then worked down the Ystradgynlais coal mine, following in the footsteps of his father who managed the pit at Abercraf. Cwmtwrch is a pretty village in itself, with a hill to climb to get a better view, but nearby Ystragynlais has lasting reminders of it's coaling past. You'll find a coal truck, lift mechanism and steelwork remains which serves as an ideal picnic spot before heading to the nearby National Showcaves (which you should note closes at 3pm - we just missed them).

11) Henrhyd Falls

Not far from Ystradgynlais, there's time for a short walk. A hilly stroll to Henrhyd Falls is either a way to make sure the kids sleep in the car (which you can park in the free car park) or your antidote to a week's worth of being office-bound. Either way it's worth it. You can even have a climb behind the falls or a paddle if you're feeling brave.

12) Canton
Living in Canton it seems was a good choice. It has arts spaces on offer, as well as a large dining area with live bands and craft beers. Speaking of Craft Beers, just off Cowbridge Rd East, is the Crafty Devil Cellar Bar and Shop, which hosts live bands and events too. I tried and love two of their beers. Their coffee stout 'Safe As Milk' and literal hop-heaven 'White Riot'. I recommend both. If it's cocktails you're after, then Vivo Latino on Cowbridge Road serves an amazing Pina Colada and the staff are friendly too. If all that alcohol leaves you peckish then Calabrisella is he best pizza place in town, and open until 10pm each day. The spinning plates it's served on make it a tough challenge for a meal out for more than two, but once you've managed to cut a piece, you won't mind the effort one bit. I recommend the parma ham and parmesan. If it's somehow too early in the day for pizza, then the Brutons Bakery is cheap and delicious. The cheese and onion pasty is my choice. MMMMMMM.

13) Llandaff 

Llandaff is a village hidden in the city. It's marked with a village green and a beautiful cathedral with a history dating back to the 12th century. The ruins of the original are visible, and the newer 18th century building stands proud, although it's also undergone reconstruction and rebuilding. There are some stunning headstones, and some that make you feel as though you've travelled through time to meet the deceased. Parts of the graveyard are overgrown and overcome by nature, but it's authentic. When the sun shines on the sandstone it glows. There's a memorial stone laid in memory of the bomb dropped on January 2nd 1941 during the Blitz raid that claimed 165 Cardiff lives, injured 427 and destroyed parts of the cathedral. The village square is a nice place for a walk, the old Castle gatehouse is nearby. There's a nice Cantonese restaurant on the corner near the green and an artsy gift shop too.

14) Victoria Park / Creperie
On my last morning in Cardiff my parents and I took a stroll to Victoria Park, where I'd already explored on a day I was feeling particularly lonely. There were these beautiful mushrooms hidden amongst the grass and I spent a little too long perhaps, muddying the knees of my jeans as I tried to get a decent photo of them. I'd eyed up the creperie then, but wasn't hungry enough to enjoy it. This time, mum, dad and I ordered two each for good measure. We all had a savoury for starters and a sweet for desert. I had cheese, spinach and tomato, then banana and Nutella. It's definitely worth a visit - particularly if you're feeling hungry or need something to warm you up now Autumn's here. It's family friendly, with books and colouring for the kids, and comfy dining both inside and out. We also happened to sit opposite Suzanne Packer (Tess Bateman from Casualty) so that secretly made my mum's day too!

Dining In the Dark

Well what can I say. My partner & I celebrated 5 years together on Tuesday night. We looked back on our favourite adventures from sky-diving, to caving, to mountain walking and holding our very first nieces and nephews. We graduated, we found our first jobs, and our second jobs and so on. We moved in to our own flat, saw theatre shows, ate LOTS of food, went to gigs and galleries - needless to say, it's been pretty great.

For about 3 years we've both been wanting to tick another experience off from our list. So on our 5th anniversary we made our way to Clerkenwell Green to dine in the dark at 'Dans Le Noir?'

Dinner in the Dark - ESN Aalto

Essentially, the deal is that you put all of your belongings in a locker, choose a vague menu (meat, vegetarian, surprise or fish) and then you enter a restaurant completely in darkness. You place your hand on the shoulder of your guide and are led to your seats by the blind waiters/waitresses that serve you throughout the evening. It was here we were introduced to Jack, who would be looking after us. I must say, at this point I didn't quite expect to need so much looking after.

Let me set the scene... (Imagine...)

The room is pitch black,
you can't see you surroundings,
nor your own hand in front of your face. 

You shuffle to your seats in tandem and feeling for your chair, you sit down gradually.
Jack tells you where to find your cutlery, glasses and napkin.
He advises that you wear the napkin.
He also explains that there is only one strict rule at the restaurant, and that is that you cannot leave your seat and try to navigate unaccompanied.
You agree that's probably a good policy. You laugh.
He then leaves.

As you adjust to your surroundings, Jack quickly returns with water and wine and a guiding voice.
He hands the bottle of water to your partner to pour the water for you both. (I wasn't planning on getting wet tonight I'll be honest).
Then Jack's voice vanishes again.
Your partner successfully pours your water, luckily not in the glass that contains your wine.
For a few moments you both talk idle chit chat, but you find it difficult.
You strain your ears to hear your dinner date but struggle to understand over the noise of others.
You reach out your hand across the table and feel around for his hand.
You seek reassurance that he's still there, somewhere in the darkness.

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Jack's voice appears again, and with it, your starters.
A meat dish for your date; 'kitten' says Jack, and a vegetarian dish for you, 'some leaves'.
Jack disappears again.
You let go of his hand, and immediately mourn it's loss from your fingertips. 
Your eyes are still trying to understand why they cannot see and it starts to make you queasy.
You shake it off, and fumble around for your knife and fork, and stab at the dish in front of you helplessly until it meets some resistance.
Sweeney Todd and Mrs Lovett's pies come to mind for some reason, but you shake your head and ignore the thought and shovel the mystery meal messily into your mouth anyway.
It was a crunchy texture, but softer in the middle. There was a sauce, and some seeds. And some salad. It's nice. You both comment on what you think you're eating.
You ask to try some of your partner's, and realise what a terrible idea that is.
He likes the challenge and brings his fork to your mouth and you guide his hand until you manage to grab the food from it with your teeth.
Mmmmm, you say. 'Kitten doesn't taste that bad'.
You laugh.
He says lamb. You think beef. Nice beef.
Your turn to try and feed, and never before have you realised how hard it is to put salad on a fork without your eyes to help you. 
You stab and scrape your dish a few times and, feeling the fork is heavier, your right hand (the steadier hand) begins it's journey across a never-ending table. He guides your hand and bites down on the fork. 
He manages to lap up a leaf. Nothing much more.
Good attempt. You laugh.
You both finish your starters and talk about how hard it is to do such simple things without your sight. Again you strain to listen but find it hard to separate his voice from the noise of the dining crowd around you.
You reach for his hand again. He's still there.

You are starting to feel slightly dizzy, as your eyes seem to panic at their lack of use. Your stomach is churning a gentle turn of anxiety. You decide to close your eyes and you feel a little better.
Your stomach groans again. You hold his hand a little firmer than before.
You take a swig of water, it tastes funny. You take another, that tastes funny too. 
You put your fingers in your drink to work out why it's so horrible, you realise then that the food you destined for your partner's mouth, had in fact lost itself in your water glass half way. That's why only a leaf was left at the other end.
You laugh. Your partner laughs.
Jack's reassuring voice reappears from the darkness, and asks if you're ready for your next course. 
You say yes, 'and a replacement water glass please!'
Jack clears the table and disappears.
You await his return.

Your attention turns again to feeling a little bit uneasy, a bit odd. A product of the noise, and the growing anger of your insides as they churn. You can't quite put your finger on what's bothering you. You try to forget about it, drink in your surroundings and allow yourself to be immersed. But 2mins of conversation ends with 5 of convincing yourself that you're ok. Disorientated, you await that calming and reassuring voice of Jack.
You wait.
You distract yourself by chatting wth your partner.
You hold his hand tighter still. 
You look in the direction of the exit, to see if there is light anywhere in the room but you see nothing.
You begin to bounce your leg up and down. You clutch a hand in your left hand and a glass of water in your right. To feel them in your fingertips offers reassurance in sensation. 
You breathe deeply. 
You open your eyes, and close them, you open them, and close them. You give up, there's no difference. But you keep them shut to help you feel less nauseous.
Jack's voice appears in the dark, thank god.
The main course is here.

Temple of Anjana

You get the point. I was gradually losing control of my mind, I was disorientated and I was beginning to panic. I managed to distract myself from it for brief moments, to taste my food or make a rubbish joke but it began to feel overwhelming. My conversation slowly petered out, and instead we sat there in relative silence. My stomach was forcing out nervous wind, and I felt sick. When Jack returned I asked if I could be escorted out to the toilet. My partner said it was ok for us to leave but I said I'd see if I felt ok in the toilet. He agreed. I shuffled back to the light of the corridor, squeezing Jack's shoulder as we went. as we reached the light, I suddenly realised I'd been holding my breath for longer than normal and breathed out heavily. I ran to the toilet and my body caved. My face was a blotchy red, my stomach had turned to liquid and I looked vacant in the mirror. After I'd sat down in the light for a while, given myself a talking to in the mirror, told myself 'you jumped out of a plane for crying out loud', I regained my composure, took some deep breaths and decided to give desert a go.

For 5-10mins I felt great. The people on the table next to us had left, and the room felt a little quieter and less overwhelming. My partner and I talked and Jack delivered us with desert. Almost as soon as we'd stopped talking to concentrate on the navigation of our food, somewhere in that darkness in front of us, the feeling came back. I focussed on the eating. I shovelled it fast in the hope that once we'd finish we could leave. But Jack took a long time to come, or at least it felt a long time. He has other people to serve I rationalised. He returned to the table to serve the couple next to us. My partner found the voice I couldn't and asked if we could be excused. Sensing no panic in his voice, Jack told us he just had to serve desert to others in the room first. It was pitch black, how was he supposed to sense the panic of an invisible and silent girl sat at the table he served.

everydayhealth.com

Jack vanished into the dark again and this time, I couldn't help myself. Before there had always been another course to come, a reason for Jack to come to the table. This time, I felt abandoned. I clutched my partner's hand tighter than ever, downed water with my other hand. I breathed in deeply and rocked back and forwards, half in panic and half in REALLY needing to nervous wee. I got evermore desperate both to escape the dark and to urinate. I downed every last drop of water.

Marymount University Commons

I rubbed my hands over and over my forehead and clutched my face. It must only have been a few minutes, but it felt like much more. I heard someone clearing the table not far from us and I couldn't handle it anymore. I turned to the darkness, turned in the direction of the noise and pleaded, eyes wide but seeing nothing. 'Excuse me, I need to leave'. 'Excuse me, I need to get out, I need to leave'. My partner did his best to calm me. He shouted Jack's name in the hope he might be nearby. The girl on the table with us asked if I was ok, and all I could make myself say, to her, to my partner to anyone, was 'I need to get out!'. I was near tears.

Jack's voice appeared, ever calm and ever reassuring. I was immediately silent, to hear his instructions. He addressed us by name and calmly escorted us both outside back into the light. I could have hugged him, I could have cried tears all down him. This man, had led me back to a place I felt safe, where I was in control, where I relied on no-one. I stressed as much as I could 'Thank you so much for looking after us', hoping that he'd hear just how much I mean that in my voice. I ran to the toilet rejoicing in the things I could see. I felt my heartbeat slow and my smile return to my face.

I couldn't wait to get outside for some fresh air, and left my partner to pay on his own. For someone who feels the cold even in Summer, I was now completely immune to the cold. I opted to walk the 40mins to Waterloo station drinking in the sights of London from Blackfriars Bridge, watching the lights ripple in the water, realising just how much my sight informs my adventurous self, how much it encourages my curiosity, and polishes my confidence.

I felt guilty at ruining our meal, and possibly other people's meals wth my desperation to escape. It's such a shame, because I couldn't enjoy the food like I would normally do, for panic. We'd been looking forward to this for years and instead, I became a nervous wreck, pleading with the empty darkness to get me out.

I never thought that I would be saying, after skydiving, bungee swings, going freelance, nearly drowning in waste-high water (don't ask) - that dining in the dark would be the most terrifying thing I've ever experienced. Every technique I've ever used to get over panic was stripped from me in the darkness that I couldn't get out of until someone escorted me. I was trapped and I felt utterly helpless. My legs were like jelly on leaving the restaurant and my nervous tummy was churning for over 24hrs. It took a good cry to let out the suppressed fear, to recover.

So I feel it's a little unfair to review Dans Le Noir (how people manage to date in the dark I'll never know). If nothing else, it gave me a huge respect for the blind, an even greater respect for our waiter Jack, and a realisation that though I may think I'm fearless, apparently I'm not fearless enough to get over a fear of the dark!

loughrigg.org

The Terrible Things I've Done

thewardrobetheatre.com

In a week filled with illness, cold weather and cough medicine that made me sneeze, there was no better drug than an evening at Chapter Arts Centre to infect innocent theatre-goers with my cold. The auditorium was a relaxed affair with cast members asking audience members to share their recollections of the terrible things they've done, assisted by audio recordings of confessions from corporate sackings to sibling arguments.

The floor was very much open and as the performance began, I was definitely ready for some dirt to be dished - and dished it was. 

There was infidelity, damaging photoshop exploits, an ungrateful birthday boy, a lost goodbye and many childhood maimings - including an impressive story involving a gatepost, a little boys thumb and his devilish older sister. There was a chilling story of two girls hitchhiking towards home in the company of a creepy but cunning older man. There were bickering colleagues, cat killers and prostitution. There were stories of abuse, of ex-lax and of extreme dietary (lack of) control - well who could blame them, that cake was irresistible?

www.asiw.com.uk

But the best thing about this lively mash-up of verbatim-esque brilliance, is that the theatre for the conversation is far bigger than the successful establishments it might entertain. The stories are endless, everyone has done something that they think is terrible. I once cut my mum's bathroom blind when I was angry, and water-bombed a boy's bedroom. I made up boyfriends and misjudged flings for friendships. I stole school books, skived lessons to play football - but as an adult, I struggle to find things I think are terrible.  Like, am I supposed to feel bad for cracking open a beer at 3pm? Or maybe for missing a social gathering? Because I don't, in the slightest - and that's about as terrible as I get. I've certainly got nothing on the kid that left their mate in the car boot for eight hours when he needed a wee.

youtube.com - The Spider in the Bath

*2 days after drafting this post, this is the best I can come up with... I once had a housemate with jet black hair who never cleaned his hair from the plughole - like for weeks, because that's how often he'd shower. One day, climbing up the wall in the shower, there was a spider - one of those small bodied, long legged types - so I washed it away and it got caught in the plughole and blended in with the hair. I could have got rid of it, but I waited instead for that blissful moment when he went to clean his hair out of the plug and was faced with the body of a spider. I mean I felt bad, a bit. But I think he deserved it after the amount of times I picked his hair out the plug *chokes on puke

What I love most about the production, aside from it's deliciously playful staging, is that it asks us all to share - it embraces the fact that we all have things we'd rather not share with suitors or potential employers. There's even a booth set up outside decorated with signage imploring that 'confession is good for the soul'. Here audience members are invited to cough up their deepest hidden horrors. And with that; the conversation is left wide open and the production is given the potential to simply grow and grow.

I really hope this isn't the end for the show, because given a nationwide tour - who knows what terrible things they might find? Maybe you could add to their collection?