And Now for Something Completely Different

It has been a while since I last wrote but I have been busy! Now that I have established a routine of sorts for day-to-day life in London and that my major moving expenses are done, I have finally had time to travel and have some fun.

Before I get into the travel, a bit of advice: there are many meetup groups and Facebook groups (Canadians in London, BritBound) aimed at Canadians in London looking to meet new people. Many of these revolve around specific interests (art galleries, sports, foodies, etc.) but there are more general ones like the London Canadian Expats group. I have attended a few of this group's events where over 100 Canadians show up to watch hockey games, have a drink or more recently, to celebrate the May 2-4 long weekend. This event was great as only Canadian music was played, Canadian drinks were imported (Clamato for Caesars and Sleeman's beer) and most importantly: poutine was served (with real cheese curds!). It's always nice to meet other Canadians when you've been away from home for a while and this was a really fun night. I really recommend joining these gropus and making the effort to attend a few events when moving to London. Here's a picture of my perfect Canadian meal:

Plug: The Poutinerie was authentic and delicious and can be found at London's Brick Lane Market every Sunday.

Now for my travel! My first trip since moving to London was to Cardiff, Wales. Before going to Cardiff I was warned not to bother as it's a rough and depressing place. I ignored that advice and I'm so glad I did! A friendly taxi driver in Cardiff explained that it used to be a rough city about 20 years ago but that a lot of work has gone into changing its image and vibe. I was really impressed by Cardiff (it helps that the weather was in the 20s and sunny!) but it is a lovely City with lots to offer! Here are a few of the places I visited and recommend:

1.  Doctor Who Experience 

Don't forget to try to find the secret entrance to Torchwood at Ronald Dahl Place (fellow Doctor Who/Torchwood geeks will know what I'm talking about here)!

2.  Cardiff Harbour

You can take a water taxi to the City Centre to/from here which is more enjoyable
that a real taxi, bus or walking. There are great restaurants, pubs and shops along the quay here. There was also, very randomly, a Royal Navy ship docked open to the public while I was there so I took some time to visit:

 3.  Cardiff Castle

Beautiful old castle (those who know me know that I am slightly obsessed with castles...so this was a mandatory stop)

 

Other things worth noting in Cardiff are the high street (across from Cardiff Castle) which has lots of restaurants, pubs and shops, including covered arcades that are quite charming:

This is also a good place to treat yourself to a Welsh Cake which was a very delicious and happy discovery. They are kind of like a soft shortbread cookie with raisins and sugar...more delicious than they sound - especially if you can find them freshly baked and still warm! Excuse my while I wipe the drool from my mouth...

While this short trip to Cardiff for a very affordable £6 bus ticket (coaches here are MUCH better than the Greyhound busses we have back home) was a great weekend getaway, I am looking forward to upcoming trips to Dublin, Paris, Munich and Edinburgh over the next few months. 

Stay tuned for more tales from the land of tea and crumpets - and abroad! As usual, I end with a quote; this one is aimed at those who told me not to bother visiting Cardiff:

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

 Mark Twain