Cardiff
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The waitress brings your coffee, smiles and wishes you: 'Bore da'. Perhaps hearing that Welsh 'good morning' will be the moment you realise you've left England. It might only be a two-hour train ride from London - but you're now in the capital of another country.
There's a different atmosphere, different history, sometimes even a different language. Don't worry: everyone speaks English too. "You're in Wales now, boyo!" the locals proudly tell you in their distinctive musical accent. Give them a chance and they'll burst into song. There's nothing the Welsh like more than to sing about their country, rugby, or indeed anything at all…
Their friendly welcome proves Cardiff is an easy-going city that has been part of the international stage since the heyday of the industrial revolution. It was once the port that shipped coal from south Wales valleys to the world. Happily, the only coal you're likely to see now is carved and on sale in a souvenir shop.
Billions of pounds transformed the old coal port. Cardiff Bay is one of the world's biggest urban regeneration projects. A Victorian seaman would be astounded to see visitors from all over the world enjoying what were once grimy old industrial sites.
Walk or bus down to the docks along grand tree-lined boulevards from the old city centre. Did we say 'docks'? Cardiff Bay has become an eight-mile panorama of waterside hotels, museums, theatres and arts centres. On one former dockside you'll see the home of the Welsh National Opera. Nearby is the impressive Welsh National Assembly.
Stroll around new waterfront promenades by day, watching street-entertainers, yachts and seabirds. In the evening, dine in an award-winning restaurant built across a spectacular new lagoon or in a bustling bistro in a converted warehouse. The locals say the only things their nightlife lacks compared to London are 'the prices and pretentions'.
That mix of new and old continues in the heart of the city too. There's a modern sophisticated shopping area right next to Cardiff's flamboyant old Castle that dates back to the Romans. And between the latest shops you'll find little Victorian alleyways, with individual specialist stores selling everything from traditional Welsh love spoons to bargain designer fashions.
Then there's the striking architecture of the new Millennium Stadium - Britain's best sports venue and home of the sport the Welsh love most, rugby. Yet just a short walk from here through riverside gardens brings you to Llandaff, a pretty suburb that's more like a quaint old Welsh village. It even has its own historic Cathedral.
Another easy walk brings you to the extraordinary neo-classical Civic Centre district. This collection of grand municipal buildings includes a fine museum housing one of Europe's best Impressionist collections.
In the hills and mountains behind Cardiff, you'll find the renowned open-air Museum of Welsh Life and the fairytale Castell Coch, or Red Castle, nestling in a wooded hillside.
Whenever you visit there are plenty of events throughout the year and doubtless, someone, somewhere will find an excuse to start singing…
Useful links
Official Website for Cardiff
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