The Gypsy Caravan 2023

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

More From Cardiff, Wales

If you saw my post on Cardiff Castle, you'll know we spent a good deal of time there. We were definitely ready for lunch  and it didn't take long to find a lively pub with a good menu!


Rick and I decided to split a pint and we ordered hearty lunches -- sausage and mash for him, another steak and mushroom pie for me (not quite as good as Hope and Anchor, but nothing to complain about!). 

 

We enjoyed it as the pub's television screens featured the day's cricket match on one and football (soccer) on another.


One of the treats of lunch was sitting next to a local who told Rick that if he made a pound donation to a charity at the bar, he could keep his beer glass. They not only let him keep it, but gave him a clean one. Our new friend gave Rick his bag to keep it safe.


He also suggested that we visit St. John the Baptist City Parish Church, which was just down the block from the pub. It's probably something we might not have done otherwise, and it was well worth the visit. That's one of the joys of talking to strangers. You learn new things from people who know.


The church is, apart from the castle, the only other medieval building in the city center. It was built in 1180, sacked in 1404 and rebuilt in the latter half of the 15th century, at which point it was given its bell tower. Renovations continued on the church well into the late 1800s. 

Our friends, the Bute family (of Cardiff Castle fame) were instrumental in support and the stained glass windows, dating from about 1855, refer to them. William Morris himself designed some of the windows. Unfortunately, the only photo I got of the glass is in the background ere.

The organ was built in 1894 and was restored in 2005. It was awarded a Grade One Historic Organ Certificate by the British Institute of Organ Studies as an organ of exceptional interest. I love that the column next to it indicates it is 13th century.


One thing about this church that really moved me was how very involved it seems in community life. There was an area for meeting up or conversations, a food collection area, and a bulletin board where people could write and post their prayers. 

 

And, we discovered, it served as a spot of inspiration for artists. The people you see here in the church are art students. They walked around, surveying everything carefully, then took a seat in a pew and began to draw.


It was time for us to move on. Rick lit a candle for his Aunt Beth and then we were off.

Our next destination was the Cardiff Market. It is an indoor market on the original sit of the Cardiff gaol. It opened in 1891 and was quite interesting. There are many vendors and we saw everything from fruit and vegetables to haberdashery, candy, cards, craft things, home items, ribbons, baked goods and loads of food.


There are two levels, ground floor and balcony, with individual stalls. From the photo you can see how the vendors are identified -- the signs are all the same -- by block lettering above each stall. (A few used a different font, but largely, it was consistent.)

 

Alas, we had already had our lunch, but we did buy some pasties for dinner. It seemed like the right thing to have! Then it was back to the train station!

 Our ride home was fun. We were joined by a student at Cardiff University named Elena who was headed to Bristol to celebrate her 22nd birthday with friends, who sat across the aisle. She was delightful, as curious about us and the U.S. as we were about her and the UK. For a train ride with strangers, it was a remarkably substantive conversation, ranging from daily life to politics. Then a fellow joined us in the other open seat who was a conspiracy theorist. He and Elena got into it and it was interesting to see how they approached their two points of view. 


I wish I had taken a photo!


Finally, in the comments of the last post, Deb, who lives in Wales, asked: "I'd love to know what you imagine Wales to be like especially in regards to lavishness." Hmmm. I suspect my imagination of Wales is probably more accurate than what I saw in one afternoon in Cardiff. Anytime you visit a castle or historic home, one is bound to see a more lavish style. These were the "great and the good," supposedly -- or at least the wealthiest. In my head I see Wales as more rural, more countryside, more smaller towns or villages and more charming than a city. My guess -- and it's just a guess -- is that Wales has a craggier, more mountainous and less developed countryside and a pretty large coastline.  I think it's a spot Rick might love to cycle! (Did I get close?)

(If  you missed our earlier posts about England 2024, including our visit to Cardiff Castle, you can check them out on the menu tab at the top of the blog or click here)

Sharing with:   Love Your Creativity    /   Talking About It Tuesdays  


45 comments:

  1. ...the only things that I know about Wales is what I saw on the BBC show, "The Indian Doctor!"

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    1. There s a good but somewhat dour Welsh mystery called Hinterland. What I mean is that the characters do not smile much.

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  2. I have not the slightest doubt that Rick would enjoy cycling there and would see the real Wales. There would be some challenging rides too.

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  3. I also thought of Hinterland--lol!
    You certainly have met some interesting people and had some great conversations and gained useful information from some, too. I love that!

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  4. SO enjoying your trip- you tow do get around - you have more stamina than anyone I know! Beautiful shots, all of them! Thank you for taking us along, splendid trip!

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  5. I'm loving all your posts, Jeanie. I'm living my dreams through you. I'm so glad you were able to take this fabulous trip, and thanks so much for sharing it with all of us.

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  6. We've found so many cool places to visit from talking to people. Who knows better than locals, right? You definitely had an adventurous day, and a very good one from the sounds of it too. hugs-Erika

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  7. I would have loved to see those awesome stained glass windows in person. A great place to sit and draw for sure. The market looked fantastic as well. Janice

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  8. After your castle adventure, glad to see you found some excellent food to sustain you for additional explorations. Sounds like an amazing visit!

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  9. i love hearing about your trip and the pictures but I especially love hearing how you are interacting with the locals and how open and lovely they are.
    cathy

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  10. Some lovely sites, food and talks with strangers. Everything for good memories.

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  11. I live in Wales, although not originally from Wales and I want to say thank you for sharing your experiences of Cardiff. We've not visited Cardiff yet despite living in Pembrokeshire for almost 6 years đŸ˜€ You've inspired me and in the new year when we have dog sitters we're planning a mini city break. I loved it that someone mentioned Hinterland , an enjoyable show that in similar vein to Shetland ( another's detective series ) shows off some of the beautiful scenery here.
    Alison in Wales x

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  12. An interesting post again, I love how you find so many people to chat to.
    I've been to many parts of Wales many, many times but only to Cardiff once, cities are all the same! (that's a bit of a generalisation I know!)

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  13. What a lovely day adventure. One of my favorite things about traveling independently is the people connections. You had some very special connections on this particular day. Oh yes, Rick would have loved a bike ride there. That church is gorgeous and always fun to visit the marketplace. Thanks for sharing with us.

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  14. I hope the old library is still there by St John's...and the Hayes Island street café, and the statue with the obligatory traffic cone!!

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  15. I lived vicariously through every word. I was right there with you and could 'feel' the beauty and the emotions of the people you chatted with. I bet, like you, that there are other spots that are equally beautiful with their rustic presence. So love that you travel and love it so much. xo Diana

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  16. Beautiful! What a wonderful adventure you all had!! I am not great at talking to strangers, I am extremely shy in person lol, but people always choose to strike up conversations with me in public and I do wind up in many conversations I didn't imagine being in. I do learn from them though!

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  17. A girl from Cardiff used to Instagram.A lovely girl ..only saw glimpses of it..but..I love pub fare and a Guinness..and enjoy meeting people.Yet I’m an introvert lol

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  18. You had so many different experiences on your trip and saw so much! I love that you talked to so many locals, and that they recommended places to see. Those pub lunches sound like so much fun!
    Jenna

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  19. I´d go for the pie, yum!
    Wow that is a lot of trust with the bag.
    I think I´ll make a little post on this. Yes, tomorrow with FFO, thank you for the memories!
    Yes to locals! And wee, quite a church! Architecture and community!
    Oh, I love such markets!
    Yes. So much I haven´t taken a photo of, too and it is but in my head...
    Thank you, this was fun!

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  20. This brought a tear to my eye. So beautiful.
    www.rsrue.blogspot.com

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  21. I’ve always wanted to go to England because that’s where Mr. Cottage’s paternal side was from. I love cruises but you won’t see as much as I’d like to and with us being so much older, I don’t know if we would be up to going with a good travel group, because of all the walking, standing and stair climbing. We should have gone years ago, but it’s a bit late for should have, could have.

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  22. So interesting...I guess I'm one of the art students, I pulled up British Cathedrals on morgue files, and did some drawings based on this church or one Very similar. There is something so haunting to see the floors worn in dips from people walking the same path. The notes will tear your heart out..tear and teeear...interesting homonym for your post!!!HUGS< Sandi

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  23. A different adventure everyday. It's a wonderful way to see different things and meet new people.

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  24. One can't go wrong mingling with the locals..We always did that..Good way to find the special places to see and to learn a lot about the history of things..."Free tour guides"...

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  25. Hello Jeanie
    Your day in Cardiff sounds great. It is nice to have a meal in the local pub and chat with the locals. The food sounds yummy. I would imagine Rick would love to ride a bike around Wales. Great photos. Have a happy day and a great weekend.

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  26. I do love how you chat to people on your travels. I could probably have done without the conspiracy theorist, mind! I like those indoor markets when they are full of life. I think they thrive best if the town centre is lively and are so useful for stuff like haberdashery which might not these days support a whole shop.

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  27. What a great trip! I love following along.

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  28. I would have loved to walk through that market! I had to reread what you bought for supper. I read pasties and pastries, what a difference one letter makes!

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  29. That stranger was so helpful. Glad you visited the church. It was lovely. I would have lit a candle, too.

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  30. a picture of lunch...always a good way to start off a post, it does look delicious. what a wonderful offering to be able to take your mug if you make a donation!! i always find that talking to the locals is great, they know so much about the area, and always seem so happy to share it. the church is gorgeous, nice to see the artists drawing in it!!

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  31. That church was a good find and a great suggestion from a local because you might not otherwise have gone in search. Nice to have a souvenir glass from a place you enjoyed.

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  32. Best way to travel is through others words! That church does sound like a find. Are you doing a comparative analysis of the pies in your travels? There is a facebook page Best Aussie Pies and they can get rather technical about the scores that they give. Fun times. The only things that I know about Wales are their accent is gorgeous and my original Ancestry DNA analysis had 3% however they upgraded and the English seemed to have invaded.

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  33. This looked like a wonderful trip to Cardiff and always fun to meet people along the way. Thanks for another wonderful tour and have a super weekend.

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  34. Another great post Jeanie.
    It's so true! Nobody knows a place better than a local and it's so good to talk to friendly locals.

    Have a lovely weekend ... these weeks do go round fast don't they.

    All the best Jan

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  35. Jeanie, I enjoyed your day visiting Cardiff. I am glad a local told you to visit the church, that was a great tip. The market looked great, I can spend way too much time in one. We had a couple of days in Holyhead several years ago. Can’t wait for the next installment!

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  36. Jeanie, this is quite the fascinating journey. You are a very good tour guide, friend ... with every post I'm learning more right from the comfort of my easy chair. A beautiful country, friend.

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  37. I enjoyed your informative post and pictures so much, Jeanie! The picture of Rick holding a beer is great! When I'm traveling I enjoy talking to locals as well, and local markets are always interesting! I'd really love to see Wales! Thanks for sharing your adventures! Hugs to you!

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  38. Brought back memories of my visit to Wales many years ago

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  39. I am so glad you are chatting with the locals. It’s one way to get the local feel and tips.
    The market looked fabulous and how I love a market.
    We went to Wales on one of our trips and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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  40. Growing up with a Welsh National Mom, I must confess I never liked her Native Cuisine. I remember when she'd make a Welsh Meal my Brother and I would usually abstain from having something like Jobbins and Blood Sausage... Fear Factor Food for me to this day. *LOL* Dad was an accomplished Master Chef tho' so we did eat Cuisine from around the World and there are so many different Countries whose Cuisine I Adore. It's all subjective really, food preferences.

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  41. One of the best parts of travel are those conversations you strike up with people that you never would have met otherwise. I am generally not one for talking to strangers on planes and such but I will talk to people when traveling for pleasure, especially back when I was single and would travel alone. Your time in Wales sounded really wonderful!!

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  42. I wouldn't have thought of visiting that church. You've been talking to a lot of people on your travels, that's so nice.

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  43. I love talking to locals on vacation too and seeing/hearing what they'd explore and recommend. We often see some of the best stuff that way even here in the states. It sounds like a lovely time exploring.

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  44. Thanks for sharing—I have a smidgeon of Welsh DNA and most likely from my 4th GGF based on surname and what little we know of his Quaker PA history. The show Sex Education is filmed partially in Wales and it is just gorgeous!

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