Day 1 30/8/08 - Wales

London -> Cardiff

Highlight

• Had to sit separately on the bus, but the ride was comfortable.
• The weather was very overcast, but luckily it cleared up to be very nice later in the day.
• Checked in the hotel which was being refurbished, but at least we got a room already, with a kettle!
• I didn’t realise the hotel had a spa and pool, so decided to go to Primark for some £1 bikini and £1 bottoms.
• Walked to the Roath farmers Market, which was a genuine Welsh market. We got there quite late so a lot of things were sold out, but we managed to pick up a lovely Avril's Country Kitchen garlic aubergine chutney, smoked Caephilly cheese and Welsh cakes.
• Took a long walk through the suburbs and the lovely architecture all around to Roath Park with the lake and swams and paddle boats and flowers, and of course the families all out in force, all very British indeed.
• Caught the bus back and did the Centenary walk, which lets you see almost all of Cardiff. Highlights were the Bute Park and Cardiff University area, with its fantastic architecture. The fantastic covered arcades are great too, although we have seen a few of those now.
• Slokky got his haircut at a "young people" place for £15, but they charged £30 for ladies  It wasn’t as good as Rennes of course, but it was not too bad.
• managed to wonder a few shops too but not too much to buy.
• Had an early dinner, which was fine, but nothing spectacular. Read the reviews here.
• Spent 45 minutes in the nice if old pool, spa and sauna area, so my £2 swimmers went to good use.
• Complained about the noise of the disco downstairs (why is it that we always get disco at our hotels?), so got “upgraded”, or more likely, just upped, to a family room on the 10th floor. There was no more disco noise, but the noise from the boilder kept me up for most of the night anyway.

Food

• Lindor raspberry
• pina colada tea
• taste test jams and cheese
• welsh cake with jam (£1.50)
• blueberry muffin
• Spice Quarter dinner:
  • poppadoms
  • Gilafi Seekh Kebab (£4.70
  • Chicken Malai Tikka (£4.70
  • Shahi Chicken Korma (£8.75
  • ) Lamb Pasanda (£9.45)
  • Peshawari Naan (£2.65)
  • Lasooni Naan (£2.65)
  • mango lassi
  • sweet lassi