Cardiff in Wales was the final stop on the Europe a la Carte Summer 09 UK Blogging Tour. As I arrived in Cardiff at 21:00 on Thursday 30 July on the bmibaby flight from Belfast and I flew back to Edinburgh at 08:20 on Saturday 1 August. I was only really in Cardiff for one day.

Cardiff Castle

My accommodation was at the centrally located Parc Hotel. which was convenient for the starting point of the SeeWales sighseeing tour the next morning. The “Mines, Mountains and a Single Malt Whisky” tour lasted for eight hours! The first stop at the Big Pit National Mining Museum included an Underground Tour down the mine shaft. Then it was off for some fresh air on a rather boggy country walk at the Brecon Beacons National Park and a yummy lunch eaten on the terrace at the Visitors Centre. On the way to the Penderyn Welsh Whisky Distillery, we spotted three wild ponies.

Brecon Beacons National Park

It stayed dry during the day, but unfortunately the rain had started by the time we returned to Cardiff. This was bad news, as I was planning to go for a wander around the city centre and then on to the Big Weekend free live music concert. I did brave the elements but didn’t stay out for as long as I’d have liked too. The fact that I’d to get up the next morning at 5.30 for a 6.00 airport pick up also hastened my return to the hotel!

I was really sorry that I’d only had a day in Cardiff, as I felt there was so much more I could have seen and done.

Europe a la Carte Summer 09 UK Blogging Tour sponsored by