Cardiff

I was very impressed with the Welsh people and their positive attitude towards their country, its management, and change in general. OUt of the three countries I’ve been to, Wales was by far the most advanced in how they approached national management and attiude. Not bogged down by the old complaints like Scotland was, and not stuck in the illusion of past glory like England, Wales seems to accept its past and present, but looks at the future near and far.

Wales is also better-kept; it is tkaen care of and renovated more than the cities I went to in England and Scotland. The other two countries are like visiting the US - old buildings that are patched or not kept up at all, decay obvious everywhere. Everywhere I went in Wales had buildings and places just as old as anywhere else, but they were, for the most part, well-tended. Over all, I liked Wales better because they made more effort and had less arrogance. I hope to return and visit the west coast; it look beautiful, and has Europe’s cleanest beaches. I also admire their commitment to actually doing something about waste and energy management and sustainability. I am very glad Wales does not follow the poor examples of Scotland and England in those areas.

Visited a friend here for 1 day. It was really nice having someone show us around. And also, Cardiff has a lively nightlife, so of course we got to see all the best places since we made sure to go on a Saturday.

I’m a live long fan of Doctor Who and, with the recent revival of the show, I’ve seen Cardiff for the first time outside of the “Rick Steves/Rudy Maxa” perspective.

It seems like a nice place, so it’s in my list.

I knew that the reason I was visiting Cardiff was completely dorky. As a somewhat obsessive fan of Doctor Who and Torchwood, it was a pilgrimage of sorts. And the first time I saw the Millennium Centre, the water fountain in Roald Dahl Plass, and all the other filming locations, it was just as cool as I had thought it would be. But I had no idea how amazing the city would be in its own right.

Cardiff is, there’s no other word for it, vibrant. It’s young and pulsing, it’s full of life. It’s a city of strange juxtapositions: rich history mixed with youthful energy and innovation. It’s absolutely wonderful.

I lived in Thornhill, Cardiff for the first six years of my life. I only remember a few places though.

cardiff was a much bigger city than i expected! all the welsh people i met were so, so nice and helpful.

I went to Cardiff back in 2005 because the band Mortiis (one of my faves) were touring, and it was the nearest gig to where I live. After a fairly nice train journey I arrived at Cardiff Central station. Stepping outside, I was right in the middle of things with shops and pubs everywhere. My hotel was a 5 minute walk down the road and the room was absolutely huge. You could’ve slept 4 people in there, which was kinda sad cause I was on my own in this huge hotel room…but it was great value for money and had yummy breakfast in the morning as well. The gig was at the Cardiff Barfly, which was a further 5 minutes walk from my hotel. Tiny, tiny venue, but nice atmosphere and fun bar staff. And the sound was surprisingly high quality, they must have had a pretty decent set-up hidden behind the stage. I’d say Cardiff is a good place to go if you are travelling in the UK alone. There’s a lot of stuff to do along the lines of shopping, drinking, etc. but I didn’t really get to see much else the city had to offer. Also have to mention that the taxidrivers there are really helpful! Gave me directions and answered my questions about the place.

One of the best cities in Europe to see.

a great city – was there whilst studying my BA. I also have a firend in Cardiff who I visit when I can.

I don’t want to be unkind about Cardiff, as everyone I met there was very nice, but this city seemed just like Anytown UK to me, with some pretty non-descript Victorian Buildings, a dull castle and…and what else?

Oh yes, the waterfront (everytown uk has to have a waterfront development of anodyne bars etc)! Well, this weaterfront includes Parlaiment building; huge and hideous and you have to get a bus through some pretty uninspiring housing estates to get there. The locals on the bus all thought the waterfront development to be a bit silly.

There’s also a big stadium, which means the town fills up with drunken oafs every weekend.

On the plus side, they have a fine Art Gallery with a good collection of British and Inmpresionsist paintings, as well as, if I remember correctly, some pottery.