Wok N Roll with us...Bob and Teri Along with Atlas and Kalani: Cardiff, Wales July 30, 2019

Today we were off to Wales, one of four countries that make up the United Kingdom. Only 21 % of the population of Wales speaks the native language which is Welsh, with the remainder speaking English. Although Wales began with King Henry VIII's Act of Union in 1536, Wales did not have its own capital until 1955 when the present capital of Cardiff was established. Wales at one time was home to 600 castles and 100 of those castles are still standing today. The highlight of our day was our visit to Cardiff Castle. There was a fort on this site for over 2,000 years and the castle that stands today was built in the 11th Century by the Normans. The Normans are well known in history for William the Conqueror. The castle is a unique blend of many architectural styles -Norman, Roman and Gothic Victorian. The castle has its share of the traditional castle-like bits- a motte, bailey, and large tower. Later years brought some simply amazing decorations and those have been restored very well. Much of the ornate decorations depict the symbols from the Bible, Zodiac, seasons and various coats of arms. The gilded walls and ceiling are truly magnificent. This beautiful castle is loaded with history and all the detail in the decor in the later years is a bit difficult to absorb in just one visit. We finished our day with a great dinner that included lessons on the proper way to make Irish Coffee. Yum.