Reileen van Kaile

Cymru, notes on various places from west to east.

1. Bridgend / Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr had unusually high quality graffiti, with visual humour, often hidden away in less obvious places. Within walking distance of the station there are also the ruins of Newcastle Castle castle (no, not that Newcastle Castle castle) - the name makes more sense in Cymraeg as Y Castell Newydd (That New Castle). The pleasantest cafes were full and the roads had few cars even outside the pedestrianised town centre. My favourite experience was seeing a carrion crow I've nickname King Crow-nute due to his preference for standing in the middle of a three way road junction cawing loudly at slowly approaching cars and vans in a magnificent but also futile territorial display - he could fly so I have no idea why he wasn't showing off in the tall tree overhead? Anyway, have advised the locals to re-brand as Brigand to make the place sound more exciting - don't change the spelling, only the pronunciation.... ;-)

2. Rhoose Cardiff International Airport (Maes Awyr Rhyngwladol Caerdydd Y Rhws) is the railway station with the longest official name in the UK. It also has a level crossing and raised platforms (and not much else) from which a patient spotter could simultaneously see a train on the tracks, a plane overhead, an airport bus at the bus stop, and a ship on the sea, in addition to the usual cars and bikes and pedestrians.

3. The coast path between Rhws and Barry is, of course, very uphill both ways but also with many delightful views and places to rest briefly (including loos and a cafe at Porthkerry country park near the viaduct).

4a. Beware the swan lake in Knap Gardens near the seafront in Barry as the mute swans there are especially massive and insistent on being fed, and look as muscular as if they've been protein-loading on discarded burgers since they were signets. They all simultaneously got the incorrect impression, from the other end of the lake, that I might feed them and they took off flying towards me with much flapping and surprising speed. So much forward momentum, in fact, that four of them in close formation couldn't stop and WHOOSHED low enough over my head to unsettle my hair with their downdrafts, while their flocking friends waterskied to a halt at my feet producing tidal waves of displaced water. The GIANT swans then intimidated me by hissing, and attempted to mug me for food I didn't actually have! As I walked swiftly away I saw the swan gang harassing a group of much smaller and less aggressive Canada Geese!!

4b. There's an excellent Muppet mural on a wall near Barry Docks station that's briefly visible from the west side of the train. I should go and find it on foot.

5. From Y Garth / Garth Hill the views of surrounding hills and the Bristol Channel / Môr Hafren with its islands are splendid on a rare clear day. I refuse to entitle it Garth Mountain though, even after The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill but Came Down a Mountain. Well worth walking the circuit footpath around the summit as the changing views are possibly even better than from the top of the Bronze Age burial mound on the summit... if hills can be said to have summits. ;-)

6. Cardiff still has some good graffiti and murals. My faves remain the ? Kiwi ? birds flying with the assistance of bunches of balloons or jetpacks (and crash helmets - safety first, lol!).

7. To Ebbw Vale Parkway from Cardiff / Caerdydd by train is my favourite rail ride up the Valleys and I suggest sitting on the east side of the carriage for the best views.

8. I strongly advise against visiting medieval castles during school holidays if you intend to ascend any of the many high and narrow spiral stairways without suffering unexpected small children hurling themselves at you as if they're invincible balls and your legs are bowling pins (or go to the castles retrofitted with lifts, lol, such as Caernarfon). No, RLY.