Sunday, 18th August 2019 We awarded ourselves a lie-in after the sporting disappointment of the previous day and had a leisurely breakfast before setting out. The day’s destination was to be St Fagans National Museum of History where various buildings have been relocated or reconstructed to show how people in Wales have lived through the ages. A bus from outside our hotel took us all the way there. The buildings include the recreated Bryn Eryr Iron Age roundhouses which host educational sessions during term time. The relocated St Teilo’s church has been refurbished, complete with enchanting mediaeval murals, to reflect how it may have appeared around 1530, before Henry VIII started to break with the Roman Catholic Church in 1532. The Gwalia Stores meanwhile offers a retro retail opportunity circa the outbreak of WWI where . . . . . . many of the brands and much of the packaging on the wooden shelving was nevertheless familiar. Each of the Rhyd-y-car Terrace of six cottages, originally built around 1795 for mine workers, is furbished to reflect a different period: 1805, 1855, 1895, 1925, 1955 and 1985. It is fascinating to take a stroll through time as you walk the length […]
Monthly Archives: August 2019
Friday, 16th to Saturday, 17th August 2019 From Cardiff Central Station we walked a short distance around the Principality Stadium along the bank of the River Taff to check in to the Holiday Inn. There are several Victorian covered arcades which provided some shelter from the rain as we started to look round this historic city. There is also a Victorian glass-covered market which opened in its current position in 1835. Although this is not as splendid as some we have visited, it did include the extensive Spillers record store on the upper level. We had decided we wanted to visit Cardiff Bay which is a little way out from the centre and which you can travel to by river taxi: the journey takes about 20 minutes. There is an informative commentary onboard but unfortunately the rain on the windows, coupled with a slight delay on the audio, meant that it was difficult to make out the landmarks which were being pointed out to us as we passed them. Sights included the white clapboard Norwegian Church, now dismantled, relocated and re-opened as an arts centre, where Roald Dahl and his family worshipped. As we disembarked we asked a member of […]
Sunday 14th July 2019 We arrived at the Gare de Monaco in Monte Carlo which, given that space it as a premium in the small principality, is underground. Monte Carlo has built itself a reputation as being a playground for the conspicuously rich, and wealth is flaunted everywhere from the world-renowned casino to the luxury high-performance cars roaring round the narrow streets as if they are taking part in the annual grand prix. The Casino in Monte Carlo is perhaps the most famous gambling establishment in the world, an Art Nouveau palace dedicated to gaming and chance. The city also has the ubiquitous tourist train to take foot-sore visitors to the various sights including . . . . . . the casino and the neighbouring Cafe de Paris which are both beautiful soaring monuments to indulgence. Inside the casino, in the grand atrium alongside shops selling exclusive Graf jewellery and Ferrari merchandise, with somewhat less class, you can pose with outsize betting chips and a roulette wheel. And around the streets you can see much evidence of the annual grand prix, which first took place 90 years ago in 1929, from the frequent statues to past champions and the exceptionally […]
13th July 2019 Genoa is the sixth largest city in Italy and is said to be the birthplace of pesto – that fantastic fusion of basil, pine nuts, garlic and hard Italian cheese which has become both a store cupboard staple and the basis of many delicious, impromptu meals in innumerable households across Europe and beyond. Matilda was therefore determined to eat pasta with fresh pesto alla Genovese in the city which gave it its name [see Dish of the Day]. Having deposited our luggage we strolled into the centre of the city to take in some sights. Genoa has a proud maritime tradition and as well as an historical sailing ship with an outsized figurehead [we assumed fake] . . . . . . there is also a submarine, now part of the Maritime Museum, moored in the harbour area. The town itself has many other attractions including an Art Nouveau public lift which Matilda had identified as a less sweaty means of ascending in extreme heat to see the views, but which we failed to find at ground level. We therefore climbed up a multitude of steps to the top and then took the lift down in an exact […]
Thursday 11th July 2019 We were misinformed about Olbia as the books and on-line travel guides we consulted all said there was little to see. Consequently we stayed at our hotel and enjoyed the pool and the sunshine in the morning savouring a welcome moment of relaxation. However, when we did head down to the town in preparation for our overnight ferry, we found that it was really a very pleasant city and we could have spent more time there. Despite Matilda’s stern expression, the ferry was very comfortable and. . . . . .the view as we left the harbour around sun set was beautiful. We have enjoyed spotting the Disney characters painted on the ships in various ports during this trip: they are a feature of the Moby Line and we assume that they are also used for Disney cruises. We arrived in Genoa early in the morning and although we were slightly delayed, entering the old port past pleasure cruisers, industrial vessels and the ancient lighthouse – the Lanterna di Genoa – was a treat. We had seen it before but the Batman artwork has been a particular favourite on this trip. And Wonder Woman always deserves […]