The bed was so comfy that we both had a good night’s sleep and woke feeling refreshed. For breakfast, both cooked and continental options were available along with a few cooked-to-order items. I chose to sample the continental breakfast option. It had a nice selection of fruits, meats and cheeses but it was let down by the lack of crusty bread for accompaniment.
After breakfast we walked the short distance to Cardiff Castle where we booked the guided tour in addition to our entry ticket. The tour took us through rooms of the castle that are not accessible on a standard entry ticket. The rooms each had their stories to tell and it was fascinating to learn the history and narratives behind the decoration of the rooms.
One part of the tour involved a spiral staircase which I chose to miss. I am OK going upstairs but I am not so nifty walking downstairs, especially if the staircase is spiral. This gave me the opportunity for a personal guided tour of one of the rooms, the Arab Room. This room is accessible without a tour ticket but we had to bypass it as a group due to the small size of the room and potential damage to the flooring.
After the tour and before lunch, we walked the steep steps to the castle keep. I was glad I had done it but then I had to walk back down those same steep steps.
Next, it was time for lunch which we had in the Castle café. We both chose a traditional dish, ‘Welsh Rarebit’, which was delicious. Whilst using my phone to take a photograph I noticed a missed call from the care home where my mum is currently staying and a missed message from one of the nurses. It took me the rest of the afternoon to be able to contact him. Mum wants to go shopping and they wondered if it was OK for them to ‘try’ and take her as one of the care home activities.
But getting back to Cardiff Castle; after lunch we viewed the Roman wall and sculpture and the Line of Fire Museum of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and the Queen’s Dragoon Guards. We made our way to the wall walk and the WWII tunnels. We had walked the wall before our guided tour and now it was time to explore the tunnels which are beneath the castle walls and were used as a bomb shelter during WWII. The tunnels are impressive due to their length and size.
We left the castle in time for afternoon tea and a cake which we enjoyed in a coffee shop in the Castle Arcade. After relaxing with a naughty cake, we returned to the Rules of Play board game shop which had been shut when we passed it earlier. The shop is fabulous, and we were overwhelmed by the number of games in stock. So much so that we came away empty handed.
Back at the hotel we chilled out before dining in the Potted Pig which is located in a former bank vault. Lovely food but it couldn’t quite compete with the artistic tasty ravioli dish that I enjoyed the night before.
After dining Mr C was on a mission to find the perfect pub for a beer, this led us through quieter streets where several people approached us asking for money. Only one of them, a lady that approached me when Mr C had gone on ahead, did I believe to be homeless.
Mr C settled on The Duke of Wellington. The pub had a slightly uncomfortable atmosphere until some football supporters that had been watching the Wales V Belgium football match at the local stadium arrived for post-game drinks. Their presence livened up the place.
The Arab Room looks rather spectacular, but I cannot see the Egyptian influence from this far away. I will certainly find closer images easily, so thank you for the heads up.
The room is stunning and was used by one of the ladies of the house.
Oh do I have to pay extra to join the tour?
I mean I have Art Pass, have they not contributed enough for me to join them freely?
Oh have you been to Leighton House in London?
There’s a small Arab room in the house too.
I don’t know if it is extra if you have and Art Pass, you will have to check out what is available for your membership.
I have not been to Leighton House.
Have you seen that the National Trust is in the process of taking custodianship and responsibility for the museums that are currently under the care of The Ironbridge Museums Trust?
Yes, I did! Are you going to jump ship?
I hope to see you at Blists Hill one day!
You know they actually issue their own “money” there?
So I guess, you can be my bank lady.
I don’t think so… I always wanted to volunteer at Attingham but I did briefly consider volunteering at the Ironbridge museums when there were no volunteering opportunities available at Attingham.
I needed to have two references before I could volunteer at Ironbridge. I was able to get them but it seemed a bit of a faff and I didn’t get round to it. Then my other volunteering opportunities slipped neatly into place. Sadly for you neither of them involve me being a bank lady…
There’s a lot of red tape to volunteer at Inronbridge!
Plus, you are not paid for your time as a volunteer.
If they were going to interview me, I would say this to them:
“Sorry mate, beggars can’t be choosers. I don’t play second fiddle!”