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Why I love Cardiff – and why I will always return

I was first introduced to Cardiff through Doctor Who, and then, as an avid fan of Torchwood, I became fascinated by the glimpses of this city, especially the Bay. I finally visited for the first time in 2009, and immediately fell in love. I’ve been back twice since then.

Mermaid Quay, Cardiff Bay

Cardiff has a vibrancy, an energy that simply embraces you. With the winding streets of the city center, the shopping arcades, the gorgeous Cardiff Bay, I found a place that doesn’t feel like a city.

You have to know this about me – I hate big cities. London is a huge exception, and it has always been a love/hate affair with me. I love most things about it, but hate others.

Cardiff was a completely different experience. From the moment I rounded the corner out of the train station and got my first glimpse of the River Taff, with beautiful rowhouses along one side,

Rowhouses along the River Taff, Cardiff

and the surprisingly appealing Millennium Stadium on the other, I felt at home.

Millennium Stadium, on the River Taff

And wandering simply enforced my first impression.

Cardiff is easy to get to – by train or bus – and easy to get around. You can shop in one of the arcades, each with its own personality. Or stroll through lovely Bute Park, with Cardiff Castle keeping watch over you.

Peaceful Bute Park

Head over to Cardiff Bay, by bus or the highly recommended water bus, which picks up down the park near Canton Bridge. Here Torchwood fans will recognize one of the entries to the Hub,

Water Tower, i.e. The Hub

in front of the stunning Millennium Centre.

I saw a concert here, with one of my favorite singer/actors, Lee Mead. Gorgeous – and so was the theatre.

Fellow Doctor Who fanatics will adore the Doctor Who Exhibition, in the the Red Dragon Centre just across the street.

Invasion of the Daleks! Doctor Who Exhibition, Cardiff

The TARDIS – shhh, don’t tell anyone, but I touched it!

K-9! My favorite character from the original series

I plan to visit again, and again, and enjoy simply being back in Cardiff.

Thanks for coming along, hope you enjoyed it! Here’s another glimpse of my favorite city.

Cardiff Bay, from Mermaid Quay

and one of the Bay’s regular residents.

A resident swan enjoying the spring sun in Cardiff Bay

And here’s one more – a bit of quirky fun in one of the shopping arcades. And in front of a church, no less. Yep, a church in the middle of shops. The arcade was built around it. Gotta love the Welsh.

Yes – it is a giant KitchenAid

Unfortunately, it is no longer there. But I enjoyed walking past it when it graced the arcade.

I hope you enjoyed my wander through Cardiff – now I want to go back. Soon.

Until next time – read on.

cheers,

~Cate

Posted in Travel photos and advetures

Love is in the Fall

Nov 9

Posted by Cate Dean

Welcome to the Autumn’s Harvest Hop! I hope you’re having a great time, jumping from blog to blog, finding out a bit more about us. (Need to go back to the blog list? Just click here.)

I was asked to write a post on Fall – anything to do with it – and this is what popped into my mind.

On a crisp, cold Fall day, I fell in love – not with a man, but with a country.

That country is Britain, and for me, there is one word for it. Magical.

It has inspired my stories, my genre (paranormal and fantasy) – and has been my heart home for more than 15 years.

Where else can I stand where Romans have stood, where a wall stretched for 73 miles to define the far border of an empire?

View of the Wall from Housesteads

See a play, in a faithful reproduction of Shakespeare’s theatre, not far from where the original stood?

Shakespeare’s Globe

Or walk in the footsteps of a Time Lord, an immortal named Jack, and a secret part of the government known as Torchwood?

Water Tower, Cardiff Bay AKA: The Hub

Fall has everything I could ever want – Halloween, the scent of smoke and winter in the air, the world around me dressing up for the holidays. I take it in, treasure it, and fall in love with it all over again, every year. To spend that precious time in my favorite country adds a new layer of memories, another way to embrace the season.

For me, love is in the Fall – and it always will be.

What are your favorite Fall memories? Leave yours in the comments and you are entered to win not only a fun prize from me, but another entry for the hop grand prizes!

Here they are:

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $50 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains 10+ paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

All the info on the hop is here.

Thanks for stopping by – and while you’re here, please take a moment and download your FREE copy of Rest For The Wicked, Book 1 of The Claire Wiche Chronicles.