Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Some classic disappointments & failures!

An ever growing collection of things which promise so much & sound so fantastic, but which have brought me tear-jerking disappointment and near-fatal depression!

Number 1... Southern Comfort, the grand old drink of South Wales!


 

I've always liked the sound of Southern comfort, but never tried it... Had visions of it being the ultimate, manly drink, full of fire & flavor. Spirits were lifted high on Tuesday, when The Spar in Dinas (where I live) had it on offer... £9.99 for a 70cl bottle! Brought two.. Bargain!!

Got home, shaking with excitement as I opened the bottle for a tiny tempting taster. Took a sip and fell to the floor in abject horror. Tasted like sticky whiskey with too much sugar added.. 

Awful, not awesome! Southern Comfort fails!

Number 2... Derek Acorah, the world renowned ghost hunter!



 

So many people had said to me watch out for this guy – he's a genuine psychic who conjures up confused spirits, and chatters cheerfully with them... Well, I am a sceptic, so I ignored this recommendation mercilessly.

Later, Derek Acorah appears in The Mirror – and gets a great write-up for his 'Most Haunted' show on Living TV (unfortunate channel!) - gets a 3 Star rating! So I decide to watch dear Derek in action, half convinced I'd see something convincing.

Joy of joys... whilst nibbling Hobnobs at home on a hot holiday, I note Derek's on TV in ten minutes! The excitement mounts.. the show starts.. and my expectations rise, only to be instantly deflated like a weather balloon in a washing machine on a wet & windy Wednesday.

The show is abjectly stupid. More cheesy than Mr. Brie at a cheesefest in Cheddar on Cheeseday. Derek is unconvincing, and spends his time looking shocked, shaking and making shallow comments whilst co-hosts and researchers rush around relentlessly, screaming like dizzy dozy dervishes in the heights of over-staged battle. Even more stupidly, it's all filmed in night vision, and camera angles & incidental sounds make the whole show camper than a cucumber at a transvestite convention in Brighton.

Derek's a disappointment. Acorah fails!


Number 3... The Giant Anteater!



 

Lives in South America, moves slowly and looks kinda sweet. Is totally sleek, has strong, furry arms and an odd face, with soulful, friendly,gorgeous brown eyes. David Tennant – eat your heart out!

When threatened, for example, by a passing cosmetics salesman, the creature walks slowly over to its perceived aggressor, and strokes them with its hunky hands, drawing them ever closer. Looking at you with its gorgeous eyes glinting, it then begins to hug you gently – and then crushes your rib cage with its powerful arms. As your lungs are forced thru your open mouth, and as you collapse dying to the floor in shock & disappointment, it uses its razor-like claws to disembowel you, before sidling off silently, and with just seconds to live.

Cute that it appears, the Giant Anteater is a nasty piece of work.. and fails!

Monday, February 23, 2009

Back to reality?

Eventually got back down to Cardiff after a long haul from Edinburgh. Took a different route, this time thru Midlothian & Lanarkshire. Fantastic scenery included steep mountains, massive hills and odd, undulating glacial valleys. Must go back to the ‘lowlands’ – they’re awesome!

Arriving back here, an over-whelming thirst & a need to extend my holiday to the very last minute led me to head for the local hills, and to The Star, my local. Pear cider was an essential medicine. Led me to a rapid recuperation! Upon reflection, the week seems to have flown by, and I’m looking forward to Easter, when I’ll no doubt go somewhere else on my travels. I’ve never been able to stay at home – I love to get away & always do whenever I get the chance.

Today, the return to work was OK. I was shattered at the start of the day, but gathered energy as it progressed. Oddly, I even managed to stay focused during a meeting – and even contributed. Was amazed actually. Normally, I become bored instantly and glaze over during such events. Within seconds of sitting down, my mind wanders & I enter a parallel universe, within which, sleek bikers on superbikes, Andrew van Wyngarden and the entire cast of Torchwood float effortlessly by, interacting seamlessly with people from my real world. It’s a fascinating place to be, though unnerving at times, especially when one returns, briefly to the real world as a result of hearing my name being called loudly, or by the sound of my own asthmatic snoring.

Having had tea (jumbo prawns & Morrison’s ‘serve yourself’ salad) I’m now trying to work out how to organize my evening. I have to shower, do some planning & also sort out some paperwork. I also have to update my iPhone... need to delete some overplayed tunes and add some new stuff. The Medic Droid & White Lies will be on there first, and I think Weezer & Throbbing Gristle may be given the sack!

I also want to look at what bikes cost these days.. two years without one, and talking to Jack recently has rekindled my desire for a new one.

Later in the week, two long evening meetings which will be as stimulating as root canal treatment, a meal with Ash which will be awesome and a BIG Wales game to watch on Friday, no doubt that’ll be a nerve-racking experience!

Gotta go.. work to do!

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Some tips if you fancy visiting Wales' Number 1 city!


Cardiff Bay is clearly a must, as it's the main location for Torchwood
and features frequently in many episodes of Doctor Who. Also, all Bay locations are within easy walking distance from each other.

The Bay is highly attractive, and is a great place just to wander, and take in the atmosphere. It has been describe as one of the UK's most iconic locations, and attracts hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of Welsh, UK and international visitors each year.


Within the Bay, there's Plas Roald Dahl, and of course the Millennium Water Tower (Torchwood Hub) plus the Millennium Center, used as the Cat Nurse Hospital in the New Earth episode of Doctor Who. This is well worth a visit, and a great place to have a coffee, or a meal.

Mermaid Quay is the heart of the Bay, with an incredible number of international restaurants, including The Bosphorus (Turkish) where Doc who took Margaret Slitheen for a 'final' meal. There are also trendy & more comfortable bars, great for a refresher, or a drink in the evening.

There's also the Welsh Assembly Senedd & Pier Head Building, all which you can visit, free of charge. On a nice day, you can walk round the Bay, past St. David's Hotel and via a boardwalk to a saltmarsh nature reserve, complete with birds & attractive views. This is approximately a 20 minute round-trip on foot from the Senedd.

If you're feeling more adventurous, you can walk past the Norwegian Church Gallery & Cafe (worth a photo or two) and the Cardiff Bay Museum (looks like an alien space pod, and worth a 20 minute 'look' and it's free) and along the new route, thru Cardiff Docks to Cardiff Bay barrage. The Barrage featured in Torchwood, and is a spectacular structure of locks & machinery with fantastic views back to the Bay, and across the Bristol Channel. On a good day, you can see the Severn Bridge, and Weston-super-Mare.

You can walk across the Barrage to Penarth Marina, again, worth a pic or two, and then either get the Aquabus back to Mermaid Quay (£2) or onwards to the Millennium Stadium in the heart of Cardiff city.

This walk & Aquabus trip would probably take an hour, plus any 'lingering' time, and would be well worth it. If you had less time – you could take a return boat trip (£4.50) from Mermaid Quay to the Barrage, and either come straight back on the same Aquabus, or break your journey in Penarth and come back on the next bus.

Near to Cardiff Bay (5 mins walk) is the Red Dragon Center. It's all under cover, with inexpensive restaurants and bars, bowling, cinemas and.. the Doctor Who museum. This is not a big place, be warned, and it does cost a fiver to get in, but for Doctor Who groupies & officianados, like me, it's probably worth a visit, though half an hour and fifty photographs will probably see you out & ready for coffee!

Cardiff City is not easily walkable from the Bay. You'd need to take a bendybus or Aquabus to get you there easily. In the city, there are obviously lots of shops, and a couple of decent malls. More interestingly, there are loads of Victorian shopping arcades, mostly off the High Street & The Hayes. These are attractive, eccentric and just great places to soak up the atmosphere of Cardiff and its history. There's also Cardiff Market - typical & traditional, and near some very good pubs & eateries! Try a pie at the Cornish Pie Shop!!

There's Cardiff Castle, it costs to get in, but you can walk in the park around it free of charge. It's in the center of town, so easy to see. There's also the National Museum of Wales (free) set in a beautiful park, and surrounded by majestic buildings. I hate museums, but this one even gets me interested, and would be a great place to spend an hour or longer, and then to have a picnic in the park outside. Everybody does it!

Car parking is expensive in Cardiff city, so it's best to come in on foot, by train or by bus.

For a longer stay, or if you want to wander, there is...


1.Penarth – 4 miles. Cosy Victorian seaside town with small pier & sea front!

2.Barry & Barry Island – 6 miles. Seaside town with good sands but too many chavs. Some nice walks though, and it's very cheap & cheerful!

3.St. Fagan's museum of Welsh life & heritage (free) – 3 miles. Fantastic place to spend half a day. Massive site, buildings from all ages moved from their original locations and moved to St. Fagan's. There are also displays & reinactments and lots of Welsh is spoken. It's a must if you have the time!

4.Rhondda heritage park – 15 miles (£4) Built on the site of an old coal mine, your chance to explore life as it was in the Valleys. You get a guide too. Well worth a couple of hours too, if you have the time.

Further afield, Swansea & Gower (awesomely spectacular) – 50 miles are great locations for your next trip to South Wales!

Finally, accommodation in Cardiff center can be very expensive, but it's cheaper in the suburbs and in Penarth. I can't really recommend, cuz I've never used hotels and B&B here, but I am told that even expensive hotels offer bargain deals if you book in advance, or more easily, via places like expedia.com or lastminute.com.

I've heard that the Big Sleep is OK and reasonable, and I know more reasonable places are found in Roath & Canton, but I'd definitely want to see pictures & read reviews before I booked.

I think if you're prepared to look around on the internet, you'll pick a decent room up for perhaps £45, but that would involve availing of offers & deals. However, a day is too short, and if you have the cash to stay, it may be worth investing in a night or two's accommodation so as too make the most of our great City!

 
Roald Dahl Plass in Cardiff Bay. Spectacular by day and by night!