A casual day trip to Cardiff!!

So there's this place that I really really wanted to go to!! And anybody who has hung about with me for the past year will know that I never give over about it!! (If you haven't already guessed from the title it's Cardiff!!) 

So on Wednesday the 2nd of April I set off on an aeroplane with my mummy to visit a city where I plan to study for 3 years (if I get the grades and get through the interview!) 

8.35: Plane leaves Belfast International Airport for Bristol...

I love to fly!! And it has been 3 years since I have been on a plane so yeah I thoroughly enjoyed my flight over to Bristol (And yes you did read that right! I flew into and out of Bristol as the flight times into and out of Cardiff were very very expensive and at very very bad times!) Also during this flight there was an incredibly cute little boy sitting just in front of me!! Like I mean I have never seen such a beautiful child!! But that is totally off topic!! 

Plane Selfie

9:20: Plane lands in Bristol and then a Bus Trip to Temple Meads Train Station...

This part was very stressful... Literally had like 2 minutes to buy tickets for the bus and catch a bus to catch our train to Cardiff!! Then when we got to the train station we had 5 minutes to buy tickets in a very busy train station and find our way to the right platform to get onto a train!! We made it with 3 minutes to spare, but boy-joes getting to that train was a stressful 60 minutes!!

Temple Meads Station in the rain!

Cardiff Central here we come!

10:20: Train leaves for Cardiff...

This part of the journey was very enjoyable!! After a phone call to my dad to update him on all our events up till that point, mummy and myself were able to sit back and enjoy the train journey! And seriously I have feel in love with trains! They are such a nice way to travel!! Oh and there was this little old man who was all alone but dear love him he had two different coloured sandals on him with socks on with them!! He made me smile!! However during the train journey a very heavy shower started and I started to get worried as I had left my coat in Annalong... NOT A SMART MOVE!! But thankfully the rain stopped and I could enjoy my day out in the Welsh capital!! 

A wee train selfie!!

11:15: Finally arrive in Cardiff...

I don't think I have ever been so excited to visit a place! Like seriously, ask my mother I have never smiled so much and said "Look at that mum!" So many times in my entire life... It was like Christmas morning in April!! Arriving with plenty of time to spare we decided to walk through the city centre and up to the uni!! This was quite an adventure let me tell ye!!

Map of Cardiff city centre!

12:30: Finally arrive at Cardiff University...

So the thing is, after this trip I have figured out that directions are not my strong point!! As you can see from the time slots it took my mother and I a whole hour and 15 minutes to find the university. However during this hour and a half I feel in love with the city of Cardiff! The architecture is seriously unbelievable! (Check out my photos!!) and there are lots of shops, and I love to shop! Then there is Cardiff Castle!! OH MY GOODNESS IT IS AMAZING! Unfortunately we didn't have time to go on a tour but hopefully sometime soon!! So when we eventually arrived at the University I had to run to get into an OT (Occupational Therapy, the course I want to study!) however we missed it by like a minute!! RAGE!! On the bright side this gave mum and me the oppourtunity to check out the university and the students union... Oh and we got free popcorn while watching 'Cardiff Movies' explaining life in Cardiff!! (Free food is always appreciated! ;) )

The beautiful University (my phone does it no justice!)

Inside was so grand!

Excuse the reception tent!

13.30: OT talk here I come...
So one hour later than I anticipated I got to go and listen all about Occupational Therapy! And once again I fell even more in love with this degree, this job and hopefully in 4/5 years time I shall officially be an Occupational Therapist!! (Well that's if I pass my A-Levels and get through an interview and get into University and actually like the course when I'm doing it!!) 

OT talk banter!!

14.15: Bus trip to Heath Park Campus...
The thing is if I do go to Cardiff I won't actually be studying in the main university building I will be a the Heath Park Campus round about 1.5 miles away from the city centre! The campus is based at the University hospital in Cardiff and I got to have a wee nosey about it! Well I just headed straight to the OT bit! And it was class and lovely and the lecturers I meet were really nice and it just made me feel quite happy and yeah gave me even more motivation to revise harder for these exams (Motivation which I really need!!) Safe to say I was very impressed with Cardiff University if you haven't already guessed!! 

15.30: Walk around the city centre and shopping...
So after we had seen all the different things that we needed to see and talk to all the people we needed to talk to we had the time to walk back through the A-MAZ-ING city centre and go see all the sites that we hadn't already seen! As a keen rugby fan I forced mum to walk down and see the Millennium Stadium!! It was quite the building and my photos do not do it justice!! (Lyndsey Watterson if you read this we are going to go and watch a rugby match in that Stadium!!) Made a wee trip into Primark as ye do and was presently surprised when I found that all the clothes were in order!! No jumbly mess over there!! And then we called into various other shops and just had a nice little girly day as you do!! 

Cardiff Castle (again my phones does it no justice!)

Beautiful Architecture and cobbly streets!

Millennium Stadium

17.00: Pizza Hut...
So yeah I had been pestering mum all day to go to Pizza Hut for dinner and we had not eaten since breakfast that morning so safe to say we were ready for dinner! And as you can see from my face in the photo I was a tad excited because Pizza Hut is literally one of my favourite places to eat!! (Like who doesn't like freshly made pizza and UNLIMITED DRINKS!!) And we had a very nice and entertaining waiter who had the best Welsh accent I have ever heard! It was so nice, I LOVE THE WELSH ACCENT!! 

Pizza Hut selfie (Please excuse all the selfies!)

18.30: Train back to Bristol...
After 7 hours in the Welsh capital city I had to say my farewells (for now! ;) ) The train ride back was very very enjoyable the seats were comfy and it was just a nice quiet journey!!

Beautiful Train Station

Sandra had to get in on all the action!!

Farewell Cardiff you did not disappoint!!

19.30: Bus ride back to the airport... 
It was an interesting bus ride home with a mother and son having a little heart to heart behind us!! Apart from that it was very uneventful and when arriving at the airport we had to go through security and all that bant and then wait for like an hour until or plane started to board!!

21.40: Plane leaves for home... 
So after an incredibly exciting, enjoyable yet exhausting day (like my use of alliteration ;) ) I was on my way back home!) This plane journey flew in with a little snooze along the way and we arrived back on our home turf to be greeted by a certain older brother of mine who drove us home!! 

I think its clear to see from this (sounds like I'm writing an English essay I apologise!) Cardiff was unreal! I LOVE IT! (if you didn't already guess!!) And if you have never been to Cardiff it is seriously worth a wee visit, one of the most beautifuliest (if that's even a word, don't really care! My blog write what I want!!) city I have ever been in! Maybe one of the most beautifuliest places I have ever been!! So yeah hope you enjoyed this and hope I didn't bore you too much!!

When writing this (well like when I first started to write it!) A ceratin rugby team, Ulster had an outstanding win against Connacht 58-12) SUFTUM!! Just saying!!

Wrote with love,
Jemma x