| Issue 3 | |
April 2001 |
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I booked my bed at YHA Cardiff on 21 March, the official first day of spring. While I was phoning, snow was falling thick and fast, while a man on the radio gravely informed us that because of global warming spring was coming earlier each year ! Hoping for better weather at the weekend, I consoled myself with the fact that many of Cardiff's attractions are indoors. The plan was to drive down on Friday afternoon, returning early on Sunday, giving one whole day to explore the capital.
Following the heavy rain of the previous day, Saturday dawned cool, grey and drizzly, so I decided my first port of call would be the Museum and Art Gallery. Taking the bus into town and locating the building, I found the heavy doors firmly closed; it doesn't open till 10.00 am! However this gave me the chance to wander round the surrounding area, known as Cathays Park. The buildings erected in the early 20th century around this small park are of immense grandeur and certainly bear the hallmark of a capital city, despite having been built several decades before the official pronouncement (in 1955). After this pleasant interlude it was time to return to the museum.
The museum covers a diverse range of themes including natural history, geology, archeology and art. At the time of my visit you were required to pay an admission charge, but the good news is that from April admission to this and other National Museums of Wales is now free. To see all the different sections would probably take all day, so in view of limited time I decided to concentrate on the art galleries. Art is a matter of personal taste but I found the central galleries to be the best, with a good collection of French impressionist paintings and sculptures (Renoir, Monet,Rodin). Even better to my mind was the collection of late 20th century works, my eye being caught by the gigantic, mystical canvas of "Ayers Rock" and the unusual "Running away with the hairdresser", a print of which adorns the wall in the members kitchen at the hostel.
Having refuelled in the museum cafe, I set of to walk to Cardiff Bay, passing the high walls of the castle, which I had in mind to see later. Shortly after passing under the main railway line, near to the Central railway station, a new broad boulevard is entered, pointing arrow-straight to the bay. Some may find this tedious to walk down but I found it gave me a chance to stretch my legs, while observing the new developments taking place, which seemed to be a wide range of upmarket appartment buildings.
The bay was soon reached with the old pierhead building, a fine example of the brickmaker's art, still a prominent feature. Alongside this building is the Oval basin, now converted into a piazza, with one huge,shiny,steel column in the centre and many smaller columns around the circumference, doubling as lights, the whole area having a feeling of enormous space.
This sets the scene for the use of the waterfront as a sculpture park; look out for the great ring, the life-size couple and child, the two figures in a bath, all by the Mermaid Quay. It's also worth taking a short walk past Lightship 2000, along Brittania Quay, to view the strange terra cotta figures.
I spent an interesting half-hour in the Cardiff Bay Visitor Centre, which is housed in an oval section metal tube (free admission). The main feature of the centre is a huge model of the bay and city, which is used to demonstrate the developments taking place in the bay. Many buildings remain to be built eg the new National Assembly for Wales, which will replace the current utilitarian office block nearby. The whole area is continuously changing and there is a hotch-potch of architectural styles that works.
After refreshments at the Norwegian Church I made my way to Cardiff Bay station for the short trip to Queen Street station, at the eastern end of the city's shopping centre. Although the train journey was fine, the boarded up, derelict station building at Cardiff Bay station was something of a disappointment; as this is one of very few neglected buildings in the bay one can only hope that Railtrack will soon replace it with something more in keeping with the surrounding area.
Running out of time, I returned to the hostel, leaving the castle for another visit.
YHA Cardiff provides comfortable, no-frills accommodation in a quiet suburban location, around 1½ miles from the city centre. There is a bus to the city every 15 minutes (details available at the hostel) or it can be walked in just over half an hour. Probably the best feature of the location is the proximity to Roath Park, ideal for an early morning or evening stroll around the enormous boating lake, complete with curious lighthouse.
Breakfast is included with the overnight charge and despite the claim in the 2001 Guide to be Continental only, on the occasion of my visit I was presented with a very full choice, including the traditional British fry-up. Evening meals are available for groups only, but I found the members kitchen adequate for my needs, with a pleasant dining area.
This page revised 03/05/2001