I start my morning with breakfast, around 830 am, not far from my Airbnb. About 11 am, I grab my pack, say goodbye to Louise, then make my way to Cabot Circus bus stop to board Megabus 10 to Cardiff, Wales. As I pass through the Bear Pit, a roundabout that lies below street level to facilitate pedestrian movement across the busy city intersection, I notice an open-air market. A variety of vendors are displaying their arts and crafts, as well as other goods to sell. I see, off to the side, a young man has a new student at his Graffiti Workshop booth. A mother has enrolled her young daughter in the workshop where she hopes her daughter can hone her skills with a can of spray paint. As I take this picture, I can't help but wonder what streets this young girl will eventually choose for her canvases in Bristol. And what contributions will she make to evolve street graffiti?
I arrive in Cardiff, Wales, just around 130 pm and decide to grab lunch, a falafel wrap, and a glass of fresh lemon mint fruit juice. Falafel is a Middle-Eastern food that is popular with vegetarians. It consists of seasoned ground-up chickpeas made into a ball and deep-fried. A relatively recent addition to my diet, I enjoy falafel and find it delicious, especially when my body craves veggies.
Wales is located west of England, in the southwest part of the United Kingdom. It is well known for its beautiful coastlines and natural spaces.
The largest city in Wales, 362,000 people, Cardiff is located across the channel from Bristol. My initial impression is Wales feels much smaller than its size indicates.
After lunch, I wander west through an outdoor shopping mall as I make my way to my Airbnb. I do not need to shop but enjoy walking through these venues and grocery stores. It helps me understand how people live in each city by learning what they have available.
In the distance, I hear a familiar song playing, but I am having difficulty recalling the instrument. The sound is penetrating, warm, and mellow. I turn on my recorder and follow the sound.
A young lady is playing Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb on the clarinet in the middle of the walkway. As she pauses, I realize she is playing along on a portable Karaoke machine. I love listening to Pink Floyd's beautiful melodies and profound lyrics. Comfortably Numb is about the melancholy feeling that develops when we choose to escape the present moment (i.e., numbing ourselves) instead of feeling the discomfort. I have never heard this song played on a clarinet before; I enjoy it and watch her perform the rest of the song.
I cannot wait for this heat wave to break! It's around 92 F (33 C) again today. I check my weather app; this is the last hot day. It looks like it will be 20+ F (13 C) degrees color in the next week. Perfect! After getting off the bus, a couple asks me if I happen to be Martin. Are you Ilkay (Ill Kye)? This is fortuitous timing. The gentleman with Ilkay suggests they show me where I'll be staying then, they can resume their shopping. We head down the street a few blocks, and Ilkay helps me settle in before heading out again. Ilkay is from Turkey and a great host.
I spend my afternoon settling in and dodging the heat by staying at my new home. I rented a spare room; however, it is an extra upstairs apartment in Ilkay's house. It is the most space I have had in months. The rental includes a separate bedroom, bathroom, living room with two couches, a small dining table, and a kitchen. I laugh; I am unsure what to do with all this space. But, this is a real blessing!
As I am getting ready to head out and grab dinner, Simon, Ilkay's partner, opens the staircase door and asks if I want to join him at a local pub. "They make a great pizza with beer crust," he says. Simon feels like an old friend I've known for ages. We connect right away.
It takes us about 5 minutes to walk to St. Canna's Alehouse. "This is a proper ale house. You can have cold beer on tap here, IPAs, and such. But, I prefer the ale in that tiny keg on the shelf," he says. Then he continues, "It's a bitter ale, and it tastes flat and warm cause there is less carbonation." As I take this picture, the gentleman holding the two pints pivots from the bar and photobombs my shot. Simon is at the bar behind the gentleman ordering a couple of pints from the tiny keg on the left side of the shelf.
Simon and I spend the evening conversing. It feels great to have a lengthy, meaningful conversation. When it is my turn to buy the next round, I reach into my pocket to grab my wallet; Oh Shit! Not only do I feel my wallet, but I notice I still have the keys to Louise's house! I laugh and inform Simon of my mistake. I contact Louise right away. She tells me she has guests coming in a couple of days, so I offer to double back. I can take a round-trip bus for about 15 quids and return around noon. I told her I would be willing to do so since it was my mistake. I would also have peace of mind knowing the keys got there safely. I hang up the phone and book a return trip that leaves at 845 am tomorrow.
I look at Simon and laugh at my mistake. Don't let me leave with Ilkay's keys, I say to him. I am fortunate to still be so close to Bristol. "You can ride the e-scooters one more time. I enjoy riding them," he says. Yes, I will probably need to rent a scooter to ensure I get back to the bus station in time.
Below is Simon, chatting with another local who has never visited this pub. We carry on our conversation till about 10 pm. Simon and I have similar philosophies on travel. We talk about the gift of time and how the journey is more enjoyable when you allow yourself the time to make connections and let the day guide you. He spent three months traveling in southeast Wales during Covid and tells of a time when he spent 3 weeks in the same town and was accepted as a local. We cover a broad range of topics, and I am grateful that Simon suggested this.
On the way home, Simon tells me he is a city planner and currently has a big challenge. The wastewater facility is operating at capacity, and he cannot add more houses to the system unless they figure out how to make improvements using natural techniques and wetlands. I laugh; I was not expecting to talk about wetlands and how to use them as secondary or tertiary wastewater treatment systems. But then, I share my experience on a project my team at Ducks Unlimited in Wyoming designed to address a similar problem. The $1.2 M project is currently under construction near Jackson, Wyoming. Simon is grateful for the information and can't wait to dig further into the literature.
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