22/10/11 - Why walk when you can water taxi?

Distance - 7.8 Miles
Walk Inspiration
Caches - 5

Cardiff

A city centre tour, called for as Ellie visits another university town.  This time it is Cardiff and once again, http://www.walkingworld.com/ has a city centre tour to keep me entertained whilst Ellie learns that the best way to stop your student housemates from stealing your cheese is to lick it.

We use the Park and Ride and get dropped of at the edge of Queen Street, one of the main shopping areas.  A short walk is required to the university and as time is pressing, we get a wriggle on.  Ever seen a 17 year old who cannot keep up with a pair of 42 year olds?

The university building is brand new and its rather nice that someone has put a cache over the road.  Its also the location of Cardiff's oldest pub, the Vulcan, which is now freestanding and presumably a listed building.

Blue Sign tells Ellie where the shoes are.

View of Uni from a cache.

I follow the railway line, past the main station and on to the River Taff.  This part of Cardiff is called Temperance Town and was bequethed to the city by Colonel Edward Wood on the condition that none of the businesses sold alcohol.  So they have built the Milennium Stadium on the land.  Not many drunk rugby fans there.  I hope the colonel comes back and haunts the town planners.

I walk along the river in the shadow of the stadium.  Cross over the road at Cardiff Bridge and have my next wow moment as I walk through Bute Park, with its great views of the castle.

Work my way to the Town Hall, another impressive building, and find cache number two of the day.  I then have a walk through the town centre.  All pedestrianised and you could be anywhere in the country, with its identikit shops.  I am on a parallel road to the infamous Chip Alley.  If you want to see what Ellie will be getting up to, should she be successful, you can see photos in the Daily Mail or here.

A couple of inner city caches are on offer, in the usual locations.

I am soon on my way to Cardiff Bay, walking along the straight road that is Bute Road, through ButeTown.  Its a bit rough here, so my caching pen is held as a ninja weapon, ready to take a hoodies eye out should he try and half inch my sat nav.  There is a nice cache along here which is part of a Shirley Bassey series.

Butetown leads to Cardiff Bay.  This is part of when Cardiff had one of the world's biggest docks and is going through something of a regeneration.  The buildings are impressive and new entertainment places are springing up everywhere.  Stop for a pint at the Packet - one of the old hotels from the dockland history. 

Nice pint of Skull Attack.  Hat is model's own.

This gives me chance to read the Times.  Does life get any better than this?

Its then a short hop down to the bay itself and its like being at the seaside.  A few micros caches and then I see an alternative way of getting back to the City that avoid going back the way I came in on foot.

Taxi for Mappiman

For £3, this takes 20 mins to wind up the Taff and drop me back in the City for a rendevous with the ladies.

It would appear as though the university ticks all the boxes - deluxe rooms are available, there is the chance of trips to New York, one of the students presenting is working a gap year as a stylist on the XFactor.

I like it cause the city is lovely and we got home in 80 minutes.  Although the drive was a bit nervous, listening to the Albion hold on to their first win at Villa Park since I was 10.