After an electric time in London, I decided it was time to take the city out of the boy and head out to Wales. Well, not fully out of the city, because I ended up staying in the Capital of Wales, Cardiff. This is a place you can skip. Even the people don’t want to be there. In their ever-friendly smiles, they tried to tell me how much of a shit hole Cardiff is. Ok, fine it’s not that bad, but definitely not a place I want to live in. Their national parks in Wales, however, are spectacular. The Brecon Beacons was incredible, and Snowdonia is a top reason why I know I need to return to Wales. Something to note: the country does make it tough to travel around. (Especially to these national parks) I highly recommend if you go, to rent a car. Linking some notes on the main bus line from Cardiff to the Brecon Beacons below. I also recommend that you do not decide to piss off the road while waiting for the bus, could make it challenging to grab your gear and flag down the driver. Not speaking from personal experience or anything.
Outside of general touristy things in Cardiff and a lot of hikes in the Brecon Beacons, my highlight was finding and absolutely demolishing a group of Welsh uni students in basketball. Did I enjoy asserting my dominance on kids 6 years younger than me? Absolutely. US 1. Wales 0.
Edit: I recently met a Welsh from Cardiff who actually likes her hometown. I’ve been told to issue a public apology for my opinions. Take this as a witness. Writing this so she does not go full Liam Neeson from “Taken” and end my always entertaining, nonsensical life.
From Wales, I took a train to Scotland, where I ended up visiting Edinburgh, Stirling, Glasgow, Glencoe, Loch Lomond, and Loch Ness. Top highlights for me were the architecture of Edinburgh, drunk conversations with Glasgow locals on politics, finding (and slaying) the monster Nessie, and the Scottish countryside.
Note to every girl I have met on my travels: No, I did not check out the filming locations of Outlander in Scotland. Sorry not sorry.
New Travel Rules I added for myself in Scotland:
- “If you stop to listen to a musician or street performer for more than a minute, you owe them a dollar.” – Kevin Kelly
- If you are supposed to walk up/down 3 floors or less, then take the stairs. Anything over that is acceptable for the elevator
- Always bring a water bottle. Fuck paying a pound/euro for every meal. This might be the first thing I noticed the US is “in the right” for.
Greatest invention I saw:
On my flight from Scotland to Spain, the airline loaded up the plane from back to front. US and the rest of the world NEEDS to adopt this strategy. I don’t understand why this is not common, best practice. Yes, I know there are the Karens of the world who want to be put on the plane first, but their rationale of being “prioritized” doesn’t even make sense. Why would you even want to be in a small condensed space for longer? Loading from back to front would save so much time and increase efficiency with flight timelines. It’s a seamless process with no downsides. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.
Summary:
Overall, I absolutely loved my time in Wales and Scotland. Next time I’m back, I’m trekking through Snowdonia, training the North Coast 500 (Route 66), and visiting the Isle of Skye. Peace out UK.
Directions to Brecon Beacons:
- If you want to trek to Pen y Fan (the highest peak in South Wales), stop at Storey Arms. Read more about ways to reach Pen y Fan here
Spots in Cardiff:
- Roath park
- Cardiff castle
- Cardiff bay
- Millennium centre
- Llandath cathedral
- Castell Coch
- Caerphilly castle
- City hall
Spots in Edinburgh:
- Arthur’s seat – extinct volcano overlooking the city
- National Museum of Scotland
- Edinburgh Castle
- Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
- Palace of Holyroodhouse
- Royal Mile
- Calton Hill
- Inchcolm Abbey and Island
- Meadows
- Leith
- Royal Botanic Garden
- Michelin starred restaurant Martin Wishart
- Portobello Beach
- Sneaky Petes
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