Daily Times

LLANDAFF FIELDS — I am lucky to visit these fields pre-winter so the autumnal effect was there. The tall trees were adorned with yellow, brown, red and green leaves forming a colourful canopy above me. What sets this park apart from the other commercial ones in Cardiff is the fact that it’s left raw and not manicured properly like the rest. The natural flow of the grass and the shrubs within give the park a wild carefree look. There are no artificial streams or fountains. There’s a cosy little café right outside the park along with a restroom. The benches inside the fields are painted sky blue and are placed right below the tall, daunting trees so if you sit on one and get your picture taken, it’ll give a flashy postcard effect. The large parkland spans parts of central and northern Cardiff.

LEWIS ARMS — I really enjoyed my time having lunch at this restaurant while making my back over to see Garth Hill. This comes right in the way and offers delicious Welsh meat, fries, drinks and even breakfast. You can choose to sit in front of the TV or inside the dining hall or even in the garden if you’re not that cold. The Lewis Arms is a traditional community driven pub in the heart of the lively village of Pentyrch, situated around seven miles from Cardiff city centre. This is a lively pub with rustic tables and an outdoor terrace, plus TV sports and unpretentious food.

Cardiff was a finalist in the European Capital of Culture 2008. In recent years, the city has grown in stature as a tourist destination, with recent accolades including being voted the eighth favourite UK city by the Guardian

RED DRAGON CENTRE — you surely can’t be in Cardiff and not visit the Odeon Imax at Red Dragon Centre. It’s a huge multiplex that showcases all the latest films. One should always visit a cinema when travelling to a foreign destination as watching a movie among the locals, gives the right cultural feel and lets you know how people of different nationalities respond to different films and scenes. I watched ‘A Star is Born’ late night show and thoroughly enjoyed myself. The popcorn bucket was so huge that it lasted me the entire film, something I don’t get to see happening in Pakistan.

GARTH HILL — although I didn’t reach its crest where one can see the entire city sprawled below, but I did manage to get the closest I could in touching its pinnacle. The drive is what sets it apart and makes it so memorable. The sun didn’t come out that day and the wintery feel to the city with a chilly wind was what my trip was all about. As my car went up the hill, the driveway became steeper, the trees bigger and the view down below clearer. The leaves and shrubs surrounding both sides of the driveway became something out of a magazine or a fantasy book I could’ve been reading. And then further up, my driver told me it’d be a risk to take the car up. That’s where I stopped him and got out to see what I could from there. It was a view and an atmosphere that would stay with me forever. Garth Hill is a mountain located near the village of Pentyrch in Cardiff.

ROATH PARK — on my very last day in Cardiff, I visited Roath Park in the morning, which is known as “the most posh park in the city”. It’s a spacious park but lacks the greenery and the wonderland feel like the rest of the parks in the city. Mainly because it lets its river do all the talking. It has swans and ducks and numerous birds that attract children, not to forget a separate space allotted to children where there are swings and jumping castles. The walking track is narrower as compared to the rest of the park in the city but then again, the view of the river while you jog down is what sets it apart. The park was recently awarded the prestigious Green Flag Award to recognise its high quality and its importance to Cardiff.

SHREE SWAMINARAYAN TEMPLE — it’s a small but neat and clean Hindu temple in Grange Town, Cardiff where devotees gather to worship and listen to historic stories by their swamis. Remember to take your shoes off before entering, though. It’s the first and the largest Hindu temple in Wales.

Published in Daily Times, January 15^th 2019.