Cardiff (Wales) | A Hike and A Castle - Day 70

After traveling the whole day yesterday, I need to get outdoors today. So I pull up the All Trails hiking app on my phone and notice a hike near Castle Coch that is around 6.5 mi (10.5 km). This is perfect. The Castle is a well-known site in the Cardiff area and will be a bonus to my hike. I head into the city center, grab a quick sandwich and climb aboard Bus 132, heading west. The bus leaves once I climb aboard. I've noticed a few things about sandwiches in this part of the country. First, the mayo is sweet and viscous. It reminds me of a sweeter and thinner version of Miracle Whip back in the United States. Second, the Welsh like to include red peppers and sweet corn kernels on their sandwiches. I would never have thought to put what is effectively canned corn on a sandwich, but when Wales!

I enjoy the bus ride and the scenery. When the bus driver opens the driver's door, leans out, and says, "Castle Coch." I climb out of my seat and make my way to the front. It is not customary for drivers to do this, but he is doing me a solid to ensure I don't miss my stop. I really appreciate this. "Go back to the junction, and turn left. Castle Coch is about 1/2 mile up the road," he says. I thank him and follow his directions. The hike starts at the base of the Castle, so I'll explore it before I begin my trek. Castle Coch (The Red Castle) looks like it came right out of a Medieval fairy tale. The red trim contrasts with the witches' hats that adorn the towers.

The first Castle erected at this site is dated to the mid-1000s AD and was built by the Normans out of wood. A few hundred years later, the first tower was constructed by Welsh Lord, but the Castle was sacked and destroyed in a local Welsh rebellion around 1314. In 1848, John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marchese of Bute and one of Britain's wealthiest men, inherited the Castle. He started a 16-year rebuild of the Castle using the little remains of ruins that existed.

I pay my 8.50 quids to enter the Castle. The attendant tells me they are out of e-tour guides, but the tour starts up the stairs and to the left. I skip the e-guide and climb the stairs because I expect the interior to be a shell keep (exterior walls only) and the rest of the Castle to be in ruins. I enter the banquet hall. Wow, was I wrong! There is something different here. Then I walk into the next room. It's even more stunning. I decide I need to understand this story, and I've already paid for the guide, so I walk back down the stairs and wait for an e-guide to be returned. The courtyard of Castle Coch, pictured below, is beautiful and in great shape. The staircase on the left leads to the dining hall, where the tour starts.

The first room I enter is the Dining Hall. The detail is impressive. The lower walls are painted to resemble natural stone, and the ceilings are wooden and exquisitely preserved. On the left above the fireplace is a statue of Saint Lucius, King of Brittain. Saint Lucius is credited with introducing Christianity to Brittain when Brittain was occupied by the Romans, around 110-180 AD. He resigned his kingdom and wealth to lead the crusades to Jerusalem and devoted himself to spreading the word of God. The walls on both ends of the dining hall are adorned with drawings telling his story of the crusades.

The dining hall is decorated with a high level of detail. This medieval bench with a reversible back is the start and catches my attention. The bench is original to the Castle.

The writing room, the second room I entered earlier, which caused me to turn around, is stunning. This time I have my e-guide. This beautifully decorated room is also original from the 1870s renovation. The space draws its inspiration from the natural world. 

On the lower green portion of the walls, flowers and plants from around the world are painted. They represent the earth.

Above the plants are animals. Not just any animals, though. The animals represent Aesop's Fables. Pictured here is The Fox and the Frog. Notice the frog holding a bottle of medicine to cure the frog in his throat and his poor complexion. 

And this one, The Fox and The Crow. This one resonates with me as it is also the name of one of my favorite cheese shops in Fort Collins, Colorado. The sly fox outsmarts the crow to get him to drop the cheese. I also remember my 5th-grade teacher, Mr. Moore. He read a different Aesop's Fable to the class weekly during the school year. 

Then as I raise my head towards the ceiling, I notice birds are painted against a starlit background while the arches are covered with colorful butterflies. The more time I spend in this room, the more I want to stay. This room's purpose is clear. But, it also makes me wonder what it would be like to live here. Would I ever tire of this room?  

I ended up spending much longer than I had anticipated in Castle Coch. The lady of the Castle's bedroom is the third room that catches my attention. Castle Coch is such a beautiful site; I am happy I chose to visit it and did not simply blow it off as another ruin.

After leaving the Castle, I begin my trek. The trail passes a few unmarked ruins, like these old walls. I love the tree that has rooted itself in the mortar and hangs precariously over the edge of the wall.

I wanted to hike today for two reasons. First, my body is telling me it is ready to push itself again. I'm not quite 100% percent, but feeling very good. So, I consider this as the next step in my rehab. I have had days recently where I walked further than the 6.5 mi (10.5 km) hike I am about to do. Hiking is different than city walking, though, and this one should take about 3 hours. Second, I need to spend some time in the natural world. 

It was always my intention to travel and enjoy the outdoors. Reflecting on my trip, I believe this is why my injury has been difficult for me and a big reason why I felt disconnected in Toulouse, France. Being outdoors is good for my mind and body and has another advantage it is safer for Covid. I've taken many trips before leaving on this one, but I seldom took time to experience the outdoors. So, I decided that experiencing the outdoors was a great way to travel, and here I am. 

Along the trail, I notice that blackberries are in season. I love blackberries; they are one of my favorite berries. These are much smaller than the ones I feasted on along the coast in the Pacific Northwest, but they are equally delicious. I take a moment to pick a few handfuls. Sweet and refreshing! 

This lone orange-leafed tree catches my attention, as it is the only one I've seen on the trail. I love the contrast of the orange framed by the two dark trunks in the photo.

I am feeling great today. The hike took me about 30 minutes less than I was expecting. The steep downhills were no problem, and my legs feel good. I walk past Castle Coch and head back to the bus stop. I have no idea when the bus will be by, so I pull out my phone. Google tells me the bus will be here in less than 5 minutes. I could not have planned it any better and am grateful for what the universe has provided again. My hiking app tells me I spent a little more than 7 mi (11 km) on foot near Castle Coch. A good day!

Once back at the house, I get cleaned up and ready to head out to eat. I am hungry and craving veggies. I find a vegetarian burger place down. As I head out the door, Simon invites me for another Ale and conversation tonight as Ilkay is now in Turkey visiting family. We make plans to meet up after dinner.

My restaurant of choice was closed. It would have helped had I noticed that on my phone before going. It's raining this evening, and see there is a street tacos place not too far away. Wahaca focuses on the art of meatless Mexican food. I order the plantain tacos with hibiscus crema and crumbled feta. Oh my goodness, are these good! Plantains are not something I eat frequently. Every time I eat them, I enjoy them. I need to find a way to add more plantains to my diet.

I meet up with Simon around 830 pm at the same pub. The bitter ale is still good and still at basement temperature. Simon and I chat for a few hours about American and British Politics. We discuss the ins and outs of British culture. Simon feels that British people were so used to dominating the world that it is represented in character today. Loud, confident, and unapologetic. He also thinks these are the reasons why British people are struggling nowadays. They, like Americans, are used to being the best in the world and have not been recently. We also discuss differences between people in Europe versus North America and where they fit on the Community-Individualism continuum. We have a great conversation. 

Later, I reflect on my experience thus far and notice that I feel the best when conversing with people as I travel. While in France, I did a good job blending in with French culture and did not push their or my comfort level enough. In my experience, French people are polite and friendly. However, they are also very reserved and do not willingly engage strangers. I respected this too much and now realize I missed having the kind of interaction I've had with Simon over the last few days.