So with the 65 pounds back in our pockets, we decided to go for the all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast. Since the boy was still classified as a child, we chowed down on sausage, beans, bacon, toast, the works essentially, to fill our boots for the journey ahead, and we only had to pay for 2 adults.
After saying good bye to the hotel with the faulty smoke detectors, we stood in line at the Dr. Who exhibit, along with about 20 other pathetic fans, waiting for the doors to open at 10:00 am. Once inside, we saw costumes from episodes, moving and talking Dalek, the Tartis, the Ood, Donna Noble’s face in the stone statue from the library episode and David’s trench coat and trainers (yes, I did touch this, by the way, even though the sign said not to).
However, we seemed to almost enjoy the souvenir shop more. I snagged a pencil case with the Tartis pasted on the front and it is now probably the best makeup bag a girl could have as it is sturdy, waterproof, and well, has the Tartis on it. Rick kept eyeing a remote control Dalek. Chan was happy just to peruse the place and didn’t really want anything. Probably because we were such big kids there that he didn’t want to steal our thunder.
“How am I going to get that home,” Rick said, standing next to the box that was about 15”x 10”x 6”. And he didn’t mean Dartford. He would look at figurines, books, and plates but he was really infatuated with the Dalek. He was about to leave the shop only with the tie that he had finally settled on, when I asked if he wanted the toy for his birthday, which was the next day. To tell you the truth, I didn’t think he would really take me up on my offer. Instead, my suggestion made his eyes light up, he grinned and said, “Sure, honey that would be great.”
When I finished paying for his gift, I turned to both of the boys and chimed, “Here you go, honey. Happy Birthday” and then I passed the large package and passed it to Rick. I looked at a guy standing next to me and remarked, “I bet you thought it was for him, eh?” pointing to Chan. And we all laughed except for the humiliated teenager that replied, “Yeh, moom. It’s for me!”
With our Dr. Who fix pacified and the Dalek safely packed in the rental car, we strolled around Cardiff Bay. Now this is what we find fascinating. Not another Primark and busy streets with strollers and smoking mothers yapping at their band of dirty-faced youngsters. Instead the bay offered an array of cafes and restaurants, lovely views of the water, and civilized families taking in the sites.
What really caught my eye was a single concrete structure at least 100 feet tall that could have been nothing more than an oversized rectangle. It was softened by the water that clung to its exterior and flowed to the base from the peak and repeated the cycle so that the foot of the waterfall was merely damp. We took a photo of Channing with it flowing and glistening in the background. So pretty.
We all agreed that Cardiff was picturesque because of its interesting architecture which was a marriage of old with new. It reminded me of Vancouver where Terry and Andria, Rick’s brother and his wife, live on a harbour. They were modern buildings with a combination of brick, stone, and timber. Quite earthy yet sleek and dynamic.
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