Stick a red dot on Wales.

Sleep was well needed on the drive to Cardiff. But none was really had. We arrived to Cardiff (well to be exact, Sully, which is just outside Cardiff and Penarth) on Monday afternoon and settled in by eating some snacks and going for a walk along the Penarth pier.
I had not really met Alice’s Welsh grandparents before (except when I was quite little) and I was made to feel at home by their generosity and kindness from the very first day that they invited me into their house.
The following day we took a trip into Cardiff to look around and have some lunch. Lunch unexpectedly took place on a boat whereby food was cheap and service was good. I found Cardiff to be a gorgeous little city with its little perks like the boat lunch and the fact that the filming of Dr Who took place there!
That night we ate well yet again, visiting the carvery for dinner.

 

The days seemed to have flown by, with Wednesday morning bringing the departure of Izzy and Gina and therefore, a big moment in Alice’s and my own journey. We were for the first time without parents (disregarding grandparents!). We saw this as a sign to get planning and got out our big map of Europe. The decision was soon made after an e-mail from my cousin Bree, to change the direction of our journey completely. You see we were planning to head to Portugal then Spain and come across Europe that way; however, Bree instructed us that the rail line in Spain isn’t the best. Having already bought our Eurail passes (and our train tickets from Cardiff to Portsmouth and ferry to Le Havre), the decision was made to go from Le Havre to Paris then on to Belgium and the Netherlands.  We were quite happy with ourselves after that red dot planning session (red dots indicate where were want to go on our map of Europe) and celebrated by taking a trip into Penarth to the op shops.
I honestly don’t think that I have seen so many op shops so close together! Between about 100m there were 6 op shops! I almost lost myself, but managed to come out with only one new dress.
We further treated ourselves by popping into a coffee shop in Penarth called ‘Coffee #1’. It was there I was pleasured to the best tasting coffee that I have had the whole time I have been in Europe (they honestly don’t know how to do a coffee like Australia).
That night we took a drive to Barry and walked along the seaside to view a spectacular sight of the sunrays peeping through the clouds and reflect off the water.

I’ve got Friday on my mind. Our Eurail passes were supposed to arrive in the mail. In the morning, 100% on time delivery they said (we had paid 45 dollars to ensure this). On time delivery=no chance. We had to drive to Newport to pick them up. I guess the important thing was that we had them right?

It is now 12:18 on Sunday the 8^th of May. As I am typing this, I am currently sitting in a train that is heading to Paris after saying goodbye to Alice’s grandparents in Cardiff and thus, truly starting my travelling adventure with my gorgeous long-time friend Alice. In the last 24 hours of our adventure we have already caught 1 train, 1 taxi, 1 ferry, crossed 1 Channel slept on 1 incredibly hard floor, caught 1 bus and travelled to 1 new city. I wonder what Paris will bring us for the second time around…only one way to find out I suppose!
Check out the slogan for our ferry company! It makes me laugh every time!