Cardiff Bay, May 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is walking distance from my office, a short bus ride from home. Absolutely glorious. It’s weird now to remember what it used to look like, less than 20 years ago, before the barrage was built across the mouth of the bay to create this freshwater lake. Before that the bay was open to the Bristol Channel, which has the second greatest tidal range in the world - when the tide was out, all this was just mud flats, ringed with derelict docks and warehouses. Once upon a time, my forebears worked down here as sailors and labourers and engineers. They wouldn’t recognise it now. The regeneration of Cardiff Bay has been an amazing success, blending the new with the relics of the industrial past on which this city was built. I love it.

Pen y Fan, September 2014

Today it is pouring with rain, so I've decided to remember a much sunnier day back last September, when I walked up Pen y Fan and Corn Du, the two highest peaks in South Wales.

Here are the two peaks, viewed from the Brecon Beacons Mountain Centre at Libanus.

Mountain stream, just off the A470 a little south of Storey Arms - this is where you park up to begin the upward climb.

Destination sighted - Corn Du, with Pen-y-Fan hidden behind - this is zoomed in, it's a lot further than it looks!

Leaving the A470 far behind - and yet still so far to go

The Brecon Beacons are always glorious - so open and exposed

 

Onward and upward!

We've almost made it to Corn Du!

 

But we're skirting behind Corn Du for the present - heading for Pen-y-Fan, here pictured with Cribyn just beyond

The valley behind the mountains, with the Upper Neuadd Reservoir just in sight, the Blaen Taf Fechan feeding into it

The last push up to the top of Pen-y-Fan

 The cairn on top of Pen-y-Fan

 

On top of Pen-y-Fan, looking back to Corn Du

Views from the top of Pen-y-Fan

Looking across the saddle to Cribyn

Heading back down and across to Corn Du

On Corn Du, looking across to Pen-y-Fan and Cribyn

Looking down toward Cwm Llyn Llwch

The Blaen Taf Fechan and Upper Neuadd Reservoir as seen from Corn Du

Looking north-west toward Libanus

Glider over Cwm Llyn Llwch

Up close and personal - glider over Corn Du

And then the long path back down again

What a beautiful day!

Cardiff Bay - April 2015

What a difference a few weeks makes!

This is the view across Cardiff Bay from the Penarth end of the Barrage, on a glorious Easter bank holiday

Cardiff Bay - February 2015

On Valentine's Day this year, I went for a nice gentle walk with my other half around Cardiff Bay - the full circular route, starting at Techniquest and proceeding clockwise, across the Barrage and up through Penarth Marina, crossing the rivers Ely and Taff before arriving back where we started. It was a lovely day, perfect for a relaxing stroll together.

Here's a rather lovely view across toward the Norwegian Church from the main boardwalk. The sun was just breaking through after a last, rather feeble rain shower, and the light was gorgeous.

 

Cormorants, sunning themselves on the old wooden dolphins, a relict of Cardiff's industrial past.

Penarth Marina

Views up and down the River Ely from the footbridge.

Penarth - August 2014

On this cold, wet winter's day, some memories of warmer, drier times back last summer - here are some views around Penarth:

Looking back toward the pier from the cliff

 

Looking along the pier from the upper deck of the newly restored pavilion

Views along the coast from the pier - looking east toward Cardiff Bay and west toward the headland

 

And looking out toward the twin islands of Flatholm and Steepholm in the Bristol Channel