Borough Market

 Near London Bridge

 Sara said we should have a look at the Borough Market. It is an experience that we would cherish. So we took the tube and arrived there on a good morning; not so cold.

 Many came here for daily grocery shopping; I believe. It is indeed colorful filled with local tastes.

 Dad was glad that he had a chance to browse through the market.

 How about that for bread?

Gigantic.

 The salad looks fresh and appetizing.

 The famous cheese display that enticed us.

 Sara pondering on how breads were made, cakes baked and...

 ...baking macarons for friends !

 Jokes aside; she was inspired to bake them ! She baked stacks of them for her sisters.

 Beautiful plates with authentic designs.

 Mushrooms of all varieties.

 Granola

 Wheat grass for health.

 Thirst quenches.

Irksome but to some it is a delight !

 Rabbit meat...

 Wild ducks and the feather family; eaten.

 Curries.

 You taste more varieties than back home; London being so cosmopolitan.

 Sara got excited at the paella; and asked me to try and then to compare it with what she cooked previously.

Well, well, comparable.

 Pies of all kinds.

 Dad took a good look before deciding on his choice.

 The very famous coffee...

And... there are some who worked for God without qualms.

London Bridge and Borough Market; we were glad to see it.

To London

 After the tour of Cardiff and a good night's rest, we packed our bags and left for the most important destination of the mission; London.

Sara was especially excited as she had missed the city and some of her friends who are still parked there.

Her memories of the city are good and London has a big place in her heart.

She confided that she grew into a more independent person having to cope with the demands of the course and looking after herself.

Of course she enjoyed the shopping sprees and the freedom of buying whatever she wanted but not necessarily needed.

 The place to hit first was Oxford Street. After returning the hired car to the company we took on another mode of transport...the tube and buses with an oyster card.

 You find the cosmopolitan city filled with shoppers of all nationalities...name them.

 Oxford street is a shopping haven; all brands and all things.

It's a matter of discipline and the wisdom of spending.

The principle is do we buy to consume or to be chucked away.

Find the answer and you will know what to do.

 We sat on a double decker and had a good view of the city in the night.

 London was cold but not as cold as Cardiff.

 The streets were packed with shoppers way into the evening.

However beautiful the place may be, there is a limit to shopping and walking. You do get tired of seeing products after products and the need to choose.

How much is needed?

Earlier on in the day after we had returned the vehicle, we casually walked our luggage to the hotel nearby...logistics were considered quite fiercely by Sara as she booked the place.It must be cheap, close enough to drop the car, within walking distance to Lincoln's Inn ... the list was endless.

So, what is a better choice than this Malaysian brand?

Tune Hotel near King's Cross is relatively new and so pleasantly comfortable. Before this we were anticipating how big the room can be and we were given a good surprise.

 Papa is also into constructing this group of hotel in Cyber Jaya and a stay there would give him an opportunity to feel it. This wall paper is an entire piece on its own.

 The bed is comfortable but the pillows are a bit too low. Like Air Asia, you pay for anything extra.. hot drinking water, towels, hair dryer and wifi...; we signed up a couple of times. If you need a place just to lie down for a few hours and then leave for elsewhere, it's worth considering. After all you don't come here to enjoy the room; you will probably enjoy the comforts of your own home better. 

By the way you can have hot showers and the heater is on...free of charge.

Malaysians have been well trained by the boss of Air Asia; to spend carefully without frills.

The best consideration of the hotel was of course the accessibility to public transport and eateries. Everything was convenient and within reach and especially close to Sara's call to the bar.

From the room  (oh there was a choice for units with or without windows and dad insisted on one that has windows or we might feel suffocated) we saw the typical buildings in the city.

London.

The Capital

 Cardiff; I have always hear about its association with the Law programmes in the higher institutions of learning here in Malaysia. So when dad insisted on the visit, I was glad as I can now put the place in the right perspective.

 The Cardiff Library situated in the heart of the city.

 Cardiff city was cold. In fact, of all the places we visited, Cardiff proved to be the most challenging in terms of its cold. It was really chilly. It rained throughout the day when we were there.

 The arcades in the city provided shade and makes walking pleasant.

Shoppers can find almost anything here and eating places were easily available.

Madame Fromage apparently is well known for her cheese.

 Books and Celtic cakes are everywhere.Papa had a good stroll.

 When it comes to art, dad will pause and consider. But this time he did not pick a piece; probably it was too costly.

 Arcade after arcade we saw. Seldom do we see a city occupied with so many.

 The Cardiff Market is colourful and provides all kinds of local food and clothes.

 Freshly-baked loaves.

 Cloths, threads, strings all for local consumption. I actually asked for the price of some cotton material...expensive because I kept converting.

 I bought a piece of the Welsh cake...it was good.

 The workmen at Vincie's Little Orchard told us that we must visit the historical Castle of Cardiff.

 The very famous Animal Wall designed by William Burges is places alongside the Cardiff Castle and brings delight to many people around the area.

 Tourists flocked to the castle in numbers.

Many are interested in the history of the castle. Historians believe that the Romans arrived here as early as the first half of Emperor Nero's rule.

 Forts and perimeter walls built were used as defense against enemies from the open seas.

 From an aerial view, the the city could be seen clearly.

 That's the Millennium Stadium in the background.

 We were given a briefing on the timeline of the castle before we toured the grounds.

 This apparently was where people hid themselves during war times. Many could have died of cold and hunger. It's surprisingly cold in there. The spiral staircase is quite a feature. Not easy to climb.

 Look out points are a common sight.

 The interior of the castle is majestic. The Bute family brought fame and wealth to Cardiff when it turned it from a sleepy town to one of the world's major coal exporting ports. With the wealth, the Butes maintained the castle and up to 1947, held lordship over the castle.

 Beautiful artifacts laced the walls of the castle.

 This must be a favorite dining area.

 The library was well maintained and a place fro research.

 A furnace toward away the cold.

 After 1947, the Butes gave the castle to the City Council and today it has drawn many to the city.

It was an informative tour though we had to open and close the umbrella all the time. The rain came and disappeared now and then ; playing hide and seek with us.

 Beautiful autumn trees and leaves and dad told us that the bay was very nearby. So we trudged and trudged and the bay never seemed to be in sight. However, after 20 minutes of walk we saw something different.

 That's the Millennium Center where performing arts, cultural shows and activities are held.

 The Centre is spacious and shows of all types are played.

 Along this centre there are some other interesting points.

 We walked further down and soon we saw the bay.

The bay is so beautiful

But it was deserted. We seemed to be the only people around.

It must be the rain and the cold.

Sara and dad walking around and curious as to why there were no others around.

We told dad we were not going to walk back to our B & B.

He conceded to our plans.

Even the taxi driver told us it was not wise to be out in the cold.

He lamented that business was bad and the weather was to be blamed.

The Pakistani driver asked us where we were from.When we mentioned Malaysia, he straight away asked if it was very hot. He wished for a chance to visit Malaysia.

We told him that he should. He would be so at home.

Good bye Cardiff.