CARDIFF — The bells of St Davids Cathedral are ringing, marking the afternoon hour with five clear clangs. The cathedral is stark under the late day sun; a behemoth built in honour of St David, the patron saint of Wales.
It’s also the name of the ʻcity’ in which it lies. I put the word ʻcity’ in quotes because St Davids is Britain’s smallest, automatically given the designation because it’s built a cathedral. We’ve visited towns and villages that are twice the size and then some, but without the presence of a cathedral, they remain just that.
St Davids Cathedral is fascinating, as much for its more than 1,400 years of history as the site on which it was built. Rather than sitting atop a hill looking down on its congregation, the
building is almost hidden. Walk to the end of the high street, emerge through a stone archway and there, in a hollow below, you find it, spreading its cross-shaped arms welcoming pilgrims since its now-dilapidated neighbouring monastery was established in the Middle Ages.
Cardiff Bay, with the iconic Pierhead Building and the Wales Millennium Centre (photo courtesy Visit Wales)
WESTJET MILESTONE
My pilgrimage started in Toronto, when I boarded WestJet’s inaugural flight to Cardiff, the capital of Wales. “The launch of seasonal service between Cardiff and Toronto is an exciting milestone both for WestJet and the communities the route serves,” said Chris White-DeVries, WestJet Senior Manager Hub Strategy and Airport Affairs. Cardiff airport is much quieter than arriving at Heathrow, and the modern and fast entry process is much appreciated after the overnight flight.
Cardiff is a vibrant capital, full of youthful energy, a product of it being a university town, a sports town (it’s one of the few cities in the UK where the stadium is located in the city centre) and the wealth of green spaces and pedestrian-only streets lined with pubs and shops, both local and recognizable chains.
A food tour with Loving Welsh Food showcases a variety of Welsh and British cheeses and a most sweet delight: the Welsh Cake. Part pancake, part cake, wholly delicious; mine is speckled with raisins and still warm from the griddle. The gates to Cardiff
Castle are closed but no matter. More than 600 castles dot the Welsh landscape, many of which are open to the public.
Cardiff Airport’s Wayne Harvey, Adam Price MS, Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity & Energy_ WestJet’s Chris White-DeVries_ Cardiff Airport’s Jon Bridge (photo credit Nick Morrish)
SHOW ME THE MONEY
Speaking of castles, Caerphilly is one of Wales’ largest – a partially intact, 13th century medieval marvel – and an easy drive from Cardiff. In areas where you can still explore, there are interactive video projections and reenactments guiding you through the rooms.
Families and history buffs will especially enjoy how Caerphilly’s history and its impact on the local lands are played out. A peek into the dry moat reveals two giant sculptures of dragons – one red (the red dragon is a symbol of Wales) defeating its rival, the white.
It’s time to show me the money, and Wales has a license to print it or, rather, strike it. The Royal Mint is where all the coins in Great Britain are forged and we’re on The Royal Mint Experience tour that takes us all the way back to when the first coin was struck in The Tower of London in 886. Fast forward to 1980, and the mint relocated to its new home in South Wales.
The shiny objects that fall to the bottom of our pockets or end up in piggy banks are also stunning artworks and reflections of our times. From the profiles of kings and queens to marking world wars, sporting or significantly important events and milestones, there’s a coin for that, created by an expert designer and craftsperson. Groups can book the behind-the-scenes experience as well as lunch or afternoon tea, or simply stop in at the Mint’s cafe. The scones were delicious.
The Royal Mint Experience, credits: Mike George
LIKE A LANDED UFO
There’s a serenity walking through the hidden walled garden at The National Botanic Garden of Wales; stopping to smell the roses is required.
The sprawling green space is also home to the Great Glass House, the world’s largest single span glass greenhouse, designed by Sir Norman Foster. Meant to look like a giant raindrop, it sits on a hillside like a landed UFO. Inside, it gives refuge to some of the planet’s most endangered plants. A local women’s choir is performing in the courtyard of the cafe – choirs, especially male choirs, are another thing Wales is famous for.
The National Botanic Garden of Wales, home to the Great Glass House (photo courtesy Visit Wales)
TENBY’S COASTAL CHARMS
Tenby is a coastal town that feels a bit like St. John’s, Newfoundland, with its rainbow pastel Georgian townhouses situated cliffside but with broad beaches down below. Partially encased in medieval walls, this resort town is also walkable, whether you follow the coastal ramparts around the harbour to feel the Bristol Channel breezes, or head through the wall’s gates and do a little shopping.
The seaside keeps calling. Fans of poetry flock to Laugharne, where the Welsh poet and author Dylan Thomas made his home, but I know him from A Child’s Christmas in Wales. A visit to the Dylan Thomas Boathouse, now a museum and tiny restaurant, is a glimpse into his simple life.
It was his last home before he left for New York, but he did most of his work from the diminutive ‘writing shed’ down the path from the boathouse. It’s perched over the water’s edge, with uninterrupted vistas of the sea from the windows above his desk. It’s been preserved exactly as Thomas left it, frozen in time.
The North beach at Tenby (photo credit Matt Crighton for Visit Wales)
FIRST TRIP, BUT NOT THE LAST
“VisitBritain and VisitWales work in partnership to provide Canadian travel trade with tools to help them sell Wales, Scotland and England,” said Cathy Stapells, VisitBritain Country Manager/ Director Canada. “We want to ensure Canadian tour operators and travel agents are able to develop unforgettable tours and holidays to Wales.”
It was my first visit to Wales, and it truly was unforgettable. And, with WestJet’s new nonstop flight, it won’t be my last.
Caerphilly (photo courtesy Visit Wales)
BOOKING WALES
VisitBritain provides information on new products, events, itineraries, guidance on travelling to and around Wales and the rest of Britain, as well as research and insights.
Here are some go-to resources for the trade …
- Wales – Home | TravelTrade (and for foodies: lovingwelshfood.uk)
- Britain – Travel trade | VisitBritain.org
As reported last month, WestJet’s seasonal direct service from Toronto to Cardiff launched May 22 and runs through Sept. 11.
The four flights weekly service marks the first direct air connection between Canada and Wales since 2008, and provides Canadian travellers easy access to Wales and the Southwest of England. Passengers can easily connect across WestJet’s North American network including Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Montreal.
More details about WestJet’s Cardiff offering is here (and click here for WestJet’s travel advisor portal).
Lead image caption: St Davids Cathedral (photo courtesy Visit Wales)
Dylan Thomasʻ ʻwriting shedʻ in Laugharne (photo credit Visit Wales)