galadriel1010 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
galadriel1010) wrote2011-04-12 09:14 pm
galadriel1010) wrote2011-04-12 09:14 pm
Entry tags:
Cardiff Trip Day 1
I have arrived in Cardiff, safe and sound and more than a little giddy. The story of today is under this rather attractive cut.
The train I was supposed to get left Halifax at quarter past 11 this morning. By that time I was in the penultimate stop before Leeds. This was all because Mum had a meeting at 8.30 in town, and if I wanted a lift I had to go in then. So I did.
Got into town, settled in Wetherspoons for free wifi and a full English breakfast and had a lazy hour and a half reading the Wetherspoons magazine and eating a very tasty breakfast. (I am a bit of a Wetherspoons nut.)
After finishing breakfast I wandered down through town, bought myself a Doctor Who rucksack on the market and couldn't decide what I wanted for lunch, so left it to chance. Visited the TI office, where they gave me the name, phone number and email address of the right person to call about doing a placement there. From there I went to the station and caught a train.
After that it got boring for a while. So much so, in fact, that I fell asleep. I had power for my laptop, so I got some reading and not enough writing done, but I did need that sleep.
Fortunately I woke up before we got to Bristol Parkway and decided to check my ticket. I say 'fortunately', because I had to change there, and I thought I was changing at Temple Meads.
Got into Cardiff and laughed with glee - for serious, I was so excited. Lost some of the excitement with walking allll the way to John Lewis to catch a bus, and then being completely unable to find the place I was supposed to be getting off. I went all the way around the loop up to Llanishen, which is very pretty, and then got off and walked back to a previous stop where the route of the bus I was on coincided with the route of the bus that went directly past the hostel. This took me down the other side of Roath Lake, and back to a roundabout I'd gone around earlier without spotting the YHA. It was a bit hidden, to be honest, but I got it in the end.
Got checked into the YHA and dumped my stuff, then settled down in the kitchen for a bit. They use Global Gossip here, so I've paid for three days and then will go down to relying on free wifi at Wetherspoons until I get to the next hostel and find out whether theirs is free or not.
I'd made a note of a few places I wanted to check out for food and drink, and today's check on the list was a couple of streets over from the YHA in Cardiff. Heath fish, chips and Chinese. Excellent chicken chow mein, massive quantity for only £3.90.
Now I'm back at the hotel, using my expensive internet and planning for tomorrow.
Tomorrow I intend to:
Go for breakfast at 8am (I've paid for it, so I'll use it)
Catch the number 2 bus to Tesco and buy lunch, batteries, flowers and more cola.
Catch the number 2 bus to the Bay and leave flowers outside the TI office
Visit the real TI office and find out about this new Cardiff museum in the Hayes.
Catch the number 2 bus into town and orient self in the city centre again.
Have lunch somewhere pretty
Go to the new Cardiff museum
Have dinner at the new Wetherspoons pub, unless anyone else wants to meet up and use one of my vouchers?
Catch the number 1 bus to Tesco to buy cola, cake, breakfast and lunch
Catch the number 1 bus back to hostel and make plans for Thursday.
Profit.
Next entry
There endeth the first day's inanity
The train I was supposed to get left Halifax at quarter past 11 this morning. By that time I was in the penultimate stop before Leeds. This was all because Mum had a meeting at 8.30 in town, and if I wanted a lift I had to go in then. So I did.
Got into town, settled in Wetherspoons for free wifi and a full English breakfast and had a lazy hour and a half reading the Wetherspoons magazine and eating a very tasty breakfast. (I am a bit of a Wetherspoons nut.)
After finishing breakfast I wandered down through town, bought myself a Doctor Who rucksack on the market and couldn't decide what I wanted for lunch, so left it to chance. Visited the TI office, where they gave me the name, phone number and email address of the right person to call about doing a placement there. From there I went to the station and caught a train.
After that it got boring for a while. So much so, in fact, that I fell asleep. I had power for my laptop, so I got some reading and not enough writing done, but I did need that sleep.
Fortunately I woke up before we got to Bristol Parkway and decided to check my ticket. I say 'fortunately', because I had to change there, and I thought I was changing at Temple Meads.
Got into Cardiff and laughed with glee - for serious, I was so excited. Lost some of the excitement with walking allll the way to John Lewis to catch a bus, and then being completely unable to find the place I was supposed to be getting off. I went all the way around the loop up to Llanishen, which is very pretty, and then got off and walked back to a previous stop where the route of the bus I was on coincided with the route of the bus that went directly past the hostel. This took me down the other side of Roath Lake, and back to a roundabout I'd gone around earlier without spotting the YHA. It was a bit hidden, to be honest, but I got it in the end.
Got checked into the YHA and dumped my stuff, then settled down in the kitchen for a bit. They use Global Gossip here, so I've paid for three days and then will go down to relying on free wifi at Wetherspoons until I get to the next hostel and find out whether theirs is free or not.
I'd made a note of a few places I wanted to check out for food and drink, and today's check on the list was a couple of streets over from the YHA in Cardiff. Heath fish, chips and Chinese. Excellent chicken chow mein, massive quantity for only £3.90.
Now I'm back at the hotel, using my expensive internet and planning for tomorrow.
Tomorrow I intend to:
Go for breakfast at 8am (I've paid for it, so I'll use it)
Catch the number 2 bus to Tesco and buy lunch, batteries, flowers and more cola.
Catch the number 2 bus to the Bay and leave flowers outside the TI office
Visit the real TI office and find out about this new Cardiff museum in the Hayes.
Catch the number 2 bus into town and orient self in the city centre again.
Have lunch somewhere pretty
Go to the new Cardiff museum
Have dinner at the new Wetherspoons pub, unless anyone else wants to meet up and use one of my vouchers?
Catch the number 1 bus to Tesco to buy cola, cake, breakfast and lunch
Catch the number 1 bus back to hostel and make plans for Thursday.
Profit.
Next entry
There endeth the first day's inanity