Monday 6th May
I woke up feeling really hungry as I’d hardly eaten anything the day before due to all the excitement. When I went down for breakfast the same ladies from the previous morning were in the dining room talking to one of the B&B owners. As I made my cup of tea in the kitchen I could hear them talking about Bruce and was eager to join the conversation. We spoke about the concert and they were impressed with how close I got to the front. The conversation then moved on to the subject of going to concerts alone. The B&B owner told us about a Bon Jovi concert he went to alone and really enjoyed it. One of the ladies then shared a story about how she ended up seeing Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd by herself back in the late 60’s. (I’m so jealous!).
After saying goodbye and wishing them a safe journey home I left the B&B once again and made my way towards Bute Park. As I walked past the stadium I noticed how quiet and deserted it was. It was the complete opposite of how it was 24 hours before with all the excited Bruce fans outside. I was suddenly hit with the reality of it being all over and I could feel the post-concert depression creeping in already.
I entered Bute Park and went “down to the river” to catch the Aquabus, a small boat that would take me to Cardiff Bay.
The Aquabus moored up at Mermaid Quay in Cardiff Bay. Mermaid Quay is full of shops, bars and restaurants. It was early in the day so everything was quiet and peaceful.
I found my way to the Wales Millennium Centre. I couldn’t believe how big the front of this arts centre is. It’s huge! I’d seen photos of it but they don’t do it justice. It was actually quite overwhelming.
I continued walking towards the Ferris Wheel and admired the tall Pierhead Building as I went past.
I then came across a sculpture of a face lying on the ground. I laughed and thought “At least I’m not the only one who sang their face off last night!”. It turned out to be a memorial for Merchant Seafarers who died during times of war. Suddenly it wasn’t so funny and I felt guilty for initially laughing at it.
I kept on walking to the little Norwegian Church where Roald Dahl was baptised. This church is also an arts centre and cafe. It looked quite inviting and I was almost tempted to stop for a cup of tea but I was also keen to keep exploring the rest of Cardiff Bay so I continued on to the next attraction.
The next thing I came across was a cute, little chip shop. It’s not one of Cardiff Bay’s main attractions but I still enjoyed seeing it. It’s a shame it was closed.
I then embarked on a walk across Cardiff Bay Barrage to Penarth Marina. My legs hadn’t fully recovered from the concert and were a bit tired but I still enjoyed the scenic walk across the barrage.
Penarth Marina was also looking very scenic so I decided to keep walking once I got there. I walked for what felt like ages and got a bit lost so I decided to just turn around and retrace my steps back to the barrage.
By this point my feet were really aching and I regretted walking so far. What a thing to do the day after a Bruce Springsteen concert! I had to drag myself back across the barrage. This time I walked along the bottom for a change of scenery. This was also a good way to see stuff that I missed earlier such as the Scott of the Antarctic Exhibition (which I forgot to take photos of) and the Roald Dahl Enormous Crocodile bench.
I certainly felt ‘Tougher Than the Rest’ as I walked past people sitting down and having a break. I knew if I sat down I wouldn’t want to get back up again so I was determined to keep going until I got back to Mermaid Quay.
It was now early afternoon and Mermaid Quay was a lot livelier than when I left it. There was a break in the clouds and plenty of people were outside enjoying the sunshine. I made my way to a bar/cafe that was situated at the end of a boardwalk. I got myself a much needed pint of cider and sat opposite the harbour where I could keep an eye out for the next Aquabus.
I just had enough time to finish my pint before catching the Aquabus back to the city centre.
I couldn’t go to Cardiff without visiting Cardiff Castle so that’s where I headed to next (after a quick pit stop at Fabulous Welshcakes because they were just across the road and I couldn’t resist! I had chocolate ones this time, they were so good!). The sun had come out again so it was nice to have a look around the outside of the castle before I bought a ticket to go in.
Cardiff Castle was originally built on a Roman fort so I started my tour at the remains of the Roman Wall. Opposite this Roman stonework was an impressive mural depicting the Silures tribe and scenes from the Roman invasion.
After climbing up a lot of steep steps (my poor legs!) I found my way into the Norman Keep.
More steep steps lead me to the top of the Keep where I got a sweeping view of the city below.
I took a quick look at the 19th Century clocktower designed by William Burges and then I was ready to enter The House. This Victorian House was also designed by William Burges and is full of impressive architecture and art.
I stood in the Arab Room for a while admiring the ceiling. This was the last room William Burges was working on in 1881 before his death.
Next I took a look around The Banqueting Hall. This is the largest room in the castle and is where Lord Bute would host dinner parties and entertain guests. The hall is covered with medieval style paintings due to Lord Bute’s interest in medieval history and culture. I was very impressed with the chimneypiece depicting Robert Earl of Gloucester.
I carried on to the Biblical themed dining room. I wish my dining room looked this nice.
Then I turned the corner into The Drawing Room. I didn’t take any photos because there was a load of people in there with a tour guide and I didn’t want to get in their way. It was a nice room though.
Right next to The Drawing Room was The Library which still has the original bookcases and tables created by William Burges.
After leaving The House I went for a walk through the castle tunnels. These tunnels were used as air-raid shelters during the Second World War. Walking through the tunnel was actually quite scary as they were playing loud air-raid sound effects and you could really imagine what it was like to be there during that time.
I would have gone for a walk along the Battlements but I didn’t know how much more my legs could take. I was practically limping by this point so I decided to call it a day and head back to the B&B (after nipping into a pub for a drink and some food).
Principality Stadium was quiet as I walked past and I missed hearing Bruce’s voice echoing from within it. The post-concert depression was really setting in now. I got a wave of ‘This Depression’ every time I saw the stadium so staying in a room with a window view of it really wasn’t helping. I closed the blinds and got ready for bed. I was exhausted and ready to go home the next day.
It's All Happening 