Cardiff: Photo Review

As you should all be aware, we spent about a week in Cardiff. The other adventures we had were lost amid the joy of BBC PILGRIMAGE OH MY GOD WE ALMOST SAW MERLIN AHHHHHH!  

But. Even without the adventures of July 5, Cardiff and Wales were fabulous. Cold and wet, but green and pretty and fabulous. See the (many many) pieces of photographic evidence below.

There are an insane number of pictures in this post, so I'm about to get fancy. They call what I am about to do 'inserting a jump break.' Watch carefully.

BOOM!

next stop

Made it to our next stop with very few complications. A bed exploded and the internet was fail, but this kind of stuff happens. Phew. Everyone is settling in to their various accommodations. We'll be here in the city for quite a while (or, at least, the kids will be; who knows where I'll end up wandering?) - it's go time!

PS

IT'S RAINING WHY IS IT RAINING PLEASE STOP NOW OK THANKS.

a series of fortunate events

FRIENDS

FRIENDS

TODAY, WE ALMOST MET MERLIN

Seriously. We were l---THIS---l close. 

IT WENT LIKE THIS

First, we decided to visit this castle, because Google told me that parts of Merlin were filmed there. It's called Castele Coch, for reference. It's very cool. Look:

From here. 

Only, when we got there, the castle was full of TV stuff. And a crew. And lots of wires. We all go like this: 0_0 and whisper, "OHMYGODdoyouthinkthey'refilmingMERLIN?"

They weren't. They were filming this other, new show called Da Vinci's Demons. It comes out in the spring. As an insider, now, I will tell you that it looks pretty fab.

So we're at a castle and they're filming. And then we were skulking around the court yard, because we didn't want to get in any of the very many peoples' way. We got in free, which is AWESOME and also foolish - they don't charge when shows are filming because not everything is open, but HELLO, that's the best time to be there, DUH

ANYWAY

We are standing around wondering what to touch and how loud we can whisper. Brilliant Miles goes up to the nearest crew member and asks, "Hey, could you please tell us where we should avoid? We don't want to get in your way."

AND THEN THE GUY PRETTY MUCH WALKED US AROUND THE CASTLE. 

THROUGH THE SET. 

THROUGH IT.

Our crew-member guide was very very nice. (And if by some beautiful trick of the universe, he is reading this, HELLO! You were great. Five American tourists appreciated your kindness very very much.) He was so nice, that once were done looking around the castle, we talked to him for awhile. 

He asked what we were doing in the country.

"Studying abroad in London," we said.

He asked why were in Wales and at the castle.

"WE LOVE MERLIN," Eden said.

Everyone looked scandalized, until our almost-friends said:

"Really? I've worked on Merlin."

Everyone looked like this:

Then he said, "Oh yeah. I've also worked on Dr. Who and Sherlock."

We all practically lunged. "WE LOVE SHERLOCK TOO!"

For a few minutes, conversation dissolved in our flailing about and acting like the foolish fans we are. Our friend laughed. He gave us directions to filming spots up the hill. We squealed. 

AND THEN AND THEN AND THEN

He said: "They might be filming around here today. Hold on, I'm going to call my friend. He's on set with them."

Cue:

He called some guy on set with Merlin to try to get us on set. Sadly, they were filming in another part of the country entirely, The Forest of Dean.

BUT STILL.

So close. So close.

OH BUT THERE'S MORE

We decided to hike up a huge hill, to seek out the filming spots. Places seen in Sherlock AND Merlin? We could not resist.

We were standing at the bottom of the mountain, looking up the path and being awkward uncertain as to how to start. 

There is a moral to this story: Look awkward, ask for help, reap benefits.

Some very very nice Welsh lady walking her dog asked if we needed help. We said, yes, actually, we are looking for BBC filming sights. 

She said she's seen that many times.

She said she knows where the places we were looking for are.

She offered to walk up with us and show us the way.

I know. I know. Luckiest day ever.

So today, we saw places that our BBC friends have filmed. 

It was the BEST THING EVER.

AND, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE NOT AWARE

The Manning family has a bit of a thing for Merlin. And Sherlock. A bit of a thing, and a thing is an obsession. As in, Eden and I were almost crying with joy when our friend was on the phone with Merlin people. Don't judge us: It's a BIG FREAKING DEAL. 

Also, if you haven't watched either of these shows, shame on you. Get on it. They're on Netflix. In fact, I will even link them for you. No excuses. Watch. And before you know it, you'll be hiking up big muddy hills and stroking the ground because, "They were heeeeeeere!"

MERLIN

SHERLOCK

Ireland via Instagram

Because I thought you could use some more pictures of random castles and GREEN-ness.

wale of a tale

You know you love the title of this post. Laugh with me.

So. Cardiff. Is pretty great. Once you get over the cold and the rain and the wet, I mean. 

To be honest, I am over it. Mostly. Ish. Sometimes. Most time, except for when I am wet and cold.

Also: HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

Today, we are celebrating by trekking to Costco, a very American venture I do believe. 

More pictures will happen. Sometimes.

Ireland: Land of the Random Castle

So, as you can see, Ireland is pretty supremely beautiful. There's a lot of green, for sure. Which, when you're native Arizonians like Miles and I, is something you never quite get over or stop commenting on,  no matter how many times your poor companion has already heard some version of, "I mean, look! It's just so green."

Seriously, though. It's so green.

There are also a lot of castles. So many that huge, towering castles that are hundreds of years old and  built out of stone merit little more than a flippant, "Oh, there's another castle. No big deal."

Well. That's not quite true. Miles and I still gawped and gazed and squealed every time the bus passed ruins of any sort. Look at the old rocks! AHH!

I've told some of you already, but I'm going to say it again, because it is a Very True Statement.

Ireland = New Zealand + random castles.

Also, Ireland in its so-called summer is colder than New Zealand in the winter. I feel like my London jaunt of 2010 lied to me: I don't remember Dublin being this cold. (Because it wasn't. Heat waves, my friends, why have you forsaken me?) Here. Have a picture of Miles and I freezing to death on a beach. The One Inch Beach, to be specific. See below for visual evidence of our suffering. We are freezing to death, obviously. If you are reading this from Arizona, take a minute to luxuriate in the heat.

Favorite sights and adventures etc?

1. Killarney National Park: Very very pretty park. Lots of green. Minimal rain. We saw wild deer! And climbed up castle walls like the ninja we are! And we saved money by walking instead of taking a horse carriage! 

2. The Assorted Castles/Abbeys/Big Old Stone Buildings: What can I saw? We enjoyed them! Luckily, there were plenty to see. A particular favorite was the Kylemore Abbey, as seen below. The lake just made it extra fairy-tail-y.

3. Our questionable bus driver: We did a tour in order to see the sights around the country. It was pretty great, actually, and we recommend it. However, out bus driver and tour guide made everything much funnier. He was full of Irish history and wisdom. Most of it, however, was almost definitely not entirely factual. I fear my understanding of Irish history is skewed.

4. The Guinness Storehouse: Because Miles made the I-just-drank-that-why?-what-is-wrong-with-humanity? face after sipping at his complimentary pint. It was funny. See?

5. My future place of study: Fancy-schmancy. 

This post comes to you from Cardiff, Wales, following an overnight ferry-train adventure. Pray for my sleep, and eagerly await the next installment - Wales, Manning's (& co.). and the Quest for Camelot. 

Have some more pictures:

Wales

Hello from Cardiff! We are here.

It took many hours of travel, and our own bodies rebelled, but we are victorious.

How did we get here? Well, first we took a ferry. That started last night at about 7:00PM. Then we waiting in a train station four about four hours, so we could catch a 4AM train to our current location. That's right: four hours. We spent midnight to 4AM in a train station, freezing to death and trying not to go comatose. Five largely sleepless hours on a train and BOOM! Cardiff. Then BOOM! Five hours of waiting before we could check into our hotel. And BOOM! Freezing cold rain and wind.

Yes, the process was about as painful as it sounds.

But it's also very exciting, because we now have Clare, Eden, and Jessica.

If all goes according to plan, and my brain doesn't completely shut down for ever and ever, there will be review post for Ireland popping up soon. Today. Maybe.

I am so tired that my eyeballs are sort of not opening all the way and my thoughts are running away faster than I can follow. Time to shower, then figure out luggage, then eat free pizza, then sleep, sleep, sleep, gotta check work email, grades need to get higher, Paris hostels are stupid expensive, need to figure out rest of trip, gotta know when staying where, gonna have to sneak like a ninja, like a castle ninja, Trinity isn't a Catholic university?

Is this real life?