6 June 2022 Cardiff bound with Tintern Abbey as pitstop
I would have loved to explore all of Wales but since it is impossible, we have agreed to check out just North Wales. Cardiff, the capital, is a 2 day pitstop. Enroute, the Tintern Abbey is a short detour that everyone says we have to do. So here is my Cardiff bound drive:
One point to consider, is a pitstop before Tintern. The trip out of Watford to the West was arduous because our outbound drive coincided with train strikes for the day. Most must have chosen to drive to work instead, adding to the M25 traffic woes.
In any case, by God's grace, we managed to get onto M4 westbound after a lengthy start stop jam.
We took a short toilet break at Membury Westbound rest station. It is a midway stop between Watford and Cardiff. For those with EV cars, it is a great place to charge the car and the belly. We had coffee and burgers because we could not withstand the apple breakfast, despite our best efforts.
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Tintern Abbey, with a very nice lunch at the Lion Inn. |
Fully rested, we hit the road again to Tintern Abbey,50 odd minutes from our rest stop. The crossing into Wales was breaktaking. We were lost for words at the vast expanse of water and the endless stretch of the bridge above it.
Tintern Abbey was well signposted and we reached it on the dot. Massive, imposing, it stood aloft in the valley. Vast stone walls of the Abbey was imposing against the green backdrop of trees in the mountains. Of similar delight was the River Wye behind it. The river reflected the banks of silver grass and black sky. We made hay while the sun shone and took lots of photos . The Anchor Inn was packed with people waiting to be fed. Menu was exhaustive, dishes inventive and there were plenty of seats and toilets. Best of all, it reimbursed the parking cost of £3 from our lunch purchase. Brilliant !
We headed south, hugging the sea at our left before we drove inland. 1 hour later, we managed to reach our hotel, The Beverly. It was situated in a leafy avenue. Beverly Innkeeper's collection is an improvement over Premier Inn in terms of service and room. But like most bnb, the hotel has no lifts. That was the only complaint.
We were jetlagged, exhausted from the 3 hours of driving and brain fogged. Nevertheless our legs took us to Bute Park where air was pregnant with flying seeds. Pat whipped out the mask to protect himself from hay fever. It was beautiful with flowers in full bloom.
At the main thoroughfare, the place was frenzy with shoppers and feasting. I performed my 1st major shopping ritual and got some items at a steal.
As quickly as the crowd gathered, it thinned out at 6pm. Arcades were shuttered, so were shops and even Debs. Dining patrons spilled out of restaurants as they dined alfresco. We joined in the crowd and ate at Wagamama. Dishes were creative and service efficient. I had a limited gluten free menu but it was sufficient.
The major drudgery resumed as we dragged ourselves back. Totally bushed, brain numbed fron tiredness and lack of sleep, The Beverly looked like the best place for the day,
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