Travelling The UK in a Motorhome for a Year - Cardiff - Mersea Island Essex - Week 36

 

THURSDAY, 30 APRIL 2015 Week 36

This week’s blog may be a little shorter than usual as we had to pause the trip and head back to Essex for a few days, and managed to see family and friends whilst we were there, which is always lovely. We pitched the motorhome on a campsite on Mersea Island, so we got the chance for a long walk along the beach to our favourite seafood restaurant, The Oyster and shared an amazing seafood platter with chunky bread, which was delicious.

We also treated ourselves to a pamper day at the massive spa and pool complex at Colchester, which was pure luxury. But on to the trip... It was Del's birthday last week, and so we hired a car and drove from Essex to Cardiff for two days. 

We stayed at the only five-star hotel in Cardiff - The St David's Hotel and Spa. 

As I'd told the staff it was my husband's birthday and I'd ordered some champagne for the room, we got offered a free upgrade to a superior (See above). We also got an Elephant Towel Origami on our bed as a welcome present. I sent Del for his first surprise prezzy in the Spa and set about decorating the bedroom with balloons and just generally birthday-fying the place. Del loved his surprise! 

Cardiff has been regenerated around the dockland area over recent years, and is now full of trendy cafes, restaurants and bars - a bit like Manchester and Birmingham. This was the main square where the BBC filmed a lot of the outside scenes for the secret entrance to Torchwood (Doctor Who spin-off series that I really love).

The big red building is part of the Welsh Assembly... Not quite sure what Del's trying to do! We went out for a few drinkies and a very yummy Tapas night around the trendy canal area. If I lived in Cardiff this is where I could come regularly for my nights out.

I love fresh, regenerated inner cities - though I couldn't be bothered to live somewhere like this now, but when I was younger, I wanted to live in Manchester City Centre around all the other young trendies and I even considered moving to London for a while. But I just love the energy and vitalised individualistic ideas of urban living - like Elvis on a balcony... Marilyn Monroe was next door, but I couldn't get a clear shot!

Me outside the secret entrance of Torchwood headquarters. Just nod and agree with me when I say - "It's real!" (Above) Del enjoying Sangria and yummy Tapas. I loved La Cha Cha, the atmosphere was just right, very Spanish! They even had a real Spanish singing lady and her guitarist entertaining us. It was fantastic!

All in all a great weekend, we walked for miles, had lovely food and drink, found a Norse Church, my favourite ice cream shop in the whole world - Cadwalladers - and we both had a massage and spa treatments in the hotel. Brilliant.

So we are back properly on the tour again. Next week, a quick pit stop on the edge of the Cotswolds and then on to a new county - Devon. TTFN x

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