Easter in Caerdydd (Cardiff)

It was a bit nippy but the nonetheless a lovely four-day sojourn at the Welsh capital over Easter. Staying at the Hilton directly opposite Cardiff Castle was a definite highlight as well as damn convenient.

On a random walk through the city on Saturday (March 23) it was hard not to notice hordes of rugby fans sporting four different rugby jerseys. Not one to remain ignorant for long, I asked someone what was going on. It turned out to be EDF Energy Cup Finals weekend - two games at the famous Millenium Stadium. I quickly snapped up a ticket for game 2 - Ospreys v Saracens - and sat atop the the stadium while the former dealt to the latter. Justin Marshall and Chris Jack were both on show so some it had some form of personal meaning.

Snow filering through the open roof of Millennium

Stadium - 17:30, March 22.

Anyway... On Sunday we visited two splendid castles in the countryside about 30 minutes north of Cardiff - Castell Coch and Castell Caerphilly. As it turned out, both were owned by the Third Marquis of Bute in the 19th century and both were ruins. Castle Coch was completely restored and is somewhat fairy-tale like in stature. It overlooks a very small town called Tondwynlais and the whole setting is breathtaking.

Castell Caerphilly is amazingly still standing though in a state of ill repair compared to the functional and beautiful Castell Coch. Lunch overlooking the castle was quite something, and the waiter was attentive although a little odd.

On Monday we set our sights across the road from the hotel to the imposing structure of Cardiff Castell. It is an amazing place, that unbelievably was the summer 'bach' for the Bute family.

All in all, it was a great trip and a place I would consider a UK highlight. There is only one time of the year Cardiff would not be a highlight and last year it was October 7 (hint: a major international rugby team was knocked out of the World Cup there by France).


Ciao for now

Fred and Bron

Viva l'Italia

Italy... we all know how to speak the local lingo... espresso, ferrari, pannini, piano, pizza, pasta... and that's pretty much our trip there (aside from the ferrari).

Venice is supremely beautiful place, and with not many tourists around (filthy tourists) it was a real pleasure to stroll around the various alleyways, getting lost and buying the odd thing or too.

Being January - the height of the northern winter - it was pretty cold in both Venice and Florence, which gave us plenty of opportunity to experience the cafe culture. Unlike most places in Europe, you pretty much can hazard a decent guess at what cafes and restaurants offer, although the selection is much richer than your stock standard pizza, pasta and capuccino. And of course you get the food and coffee here the way it oughta be done.

Special thanks has to go to EasyJet for leaving Fred's bag in England. EasyJet rectified the situation, alas it was too late... Fred had already hurled a few quiet superlatives before EasyJet came good. Welcome to Venice...

Florence was especially brilliant. A city of colour an culture, we spent many an hour in the Uffizi Gallery which houses some of the most spectacular Botticcelli's - The Birth of Venus and La Prima Vera (The first Spring). A shorter visit to the Galleria l'Accademia revealed the original marble statue of David, perhaps the most astonihing piece of renaissance art there is (good old Michaelangelo at work again).

Duomo, the large dome in the middle of town is a massive structure on top of an even bigger structure - the Chiesa di Santa Maria del Fiore. What a stunning piece of architecture and made from marble (did the church have money or what).

We visited the Boboli Gardens and the Pallazzo Pitti (Pitti Palace) on our last full day in Florence. We shall remember that for a while... we got engaged in the gardens overlooking the city. Oh yeah, for those who don't know, we're engaged. I know, what a bombshell to drop at the end of this diatribe.

If you've reading this, then chances are we sent you the link, so hope you enjoyed reading of our adventures and we wish you a fantastic 2008.

-Fred and Bron