February 2019
My day job involves working with a team that's based in London. Occasionally, I travel north to visit them and I usually bring my camera with, just in case inspiration strikes. That said, I have travelled to London a few times in the past and don't tend to take pictures of things that I have already taken pictures of previously. Also, business trips usually involve a fairly fixed routine of office-hotel-office-hotel, so there isn't much time to wander around with a camera.
I realise that this is starting to sound like a list of excuses, and you may be wondering what the point of this page is. Well, I did stay in a different hotel this time and on my first day in London, I consulted Google as to the best route to walk to the office. The wise algorithm clearly sensed my boredom with the usual routes and sent me through a most lovely graveyard.
This is Bunhill Fields graveyard, which dates from the 17th century and has a few famous residents, including William Blake and Daniel Defoe.
The stones and their moss are cocooned by enormous trees, and it was a surprisingly peaceful gap in the otherwise chaotic walk that defines the morning rush of London. Thank you, Google.
My trip extended over a weekend so I took the opportunity to visit somewhere I'd never been before: Wales. I boarded a train early on Saturday morning and made the 2 hour trip to Cardiff (with a few delays on the way; there was a fallen branch somewhere on the track and this was apparently Very Dangerous. The train driver could only go 20 miles per hour for at least half of the trip).
In Cardiff, I boarded another train to Caerphilly - home of a castle of the same name.
The castle is striking, mostly because it's a huge stone construction surrounded by an equally large moat in a somewhat quaint and small town. It's terribly regal and impressive; quite at odds with the little coffee shops and modest houses that surround it. I loved it.
I even managed to crack a smile through the layer of ice that had formed on my face for the requisite selfie at the castle gates.
I visited the castle and its grounds. Much of it is in ruin, so it's not habitable, but it's still a fascinating place to wander around. It was first built in the 13th century, with several additions, modifications, and restorations since then. Including the addition of some dragons. The views from the towers are jolly nice, although I could only manage to appreciate them in the few dry minutes between rain showers.
It also has a leaning tower, which is now helpfully propped up by this chap.
By now, I was cold and hungry, so I warmed up in a nearby cafe with some coffee and a panini (with 'chips'; this amused me no end, but it was actually just what I needed to warm my freezing self) and then took the train back to Cardiff.
I chose not to visit Cardiff castle, but instead I wandered along the charming animal wall and walked through Bute park.
Bute park is a wonderfully green and peaceful space; I can only imagine how enjoyable it must be to relax here on warmer summer days and the shade of the trees. On this day in early February though, it was bracingly cold and the trees were bare, but this didn't make them any less lovely. And the squirrels weren't deterred by the cold.
Finally, I walked back to the train station to catch the train back to London. The Saturday night festivities were starting to warm up, though I couldn't see how the ladies dressed in their skimpy finest were anywhere near warm. I was wearing my thickest wool jersey, chunky jacket, and a beanie and yet could have done with another layer. They were wearing dresses that I would only consider in midsummer in Cape Town, and even then, I would take a jacket, just in case. But I'm not Welsh.