look at the Coch on that

Back in Cardiff at the weekend and revisited a couple of the places I visited back in December. This time it was a bit more of a full day out, though. Hazel and I got a local train from Cathays to Treforest, nipped across to the local cemetery which marks the access point to the Taff Trail (just here in fact), walked down the trail past Nantgarw to a handily-placed picnic table where we had lunch, then pressed on into Fforest-fawr and thence to Castell Coch. The rebuilding works have finished and the scaffolding has all come down since December, and it was a glorious sunny day so it was all looking very idyllic. We paid our £3.50 (each!) and had a look around inside - then we headed off down the hill into Tongwynlais.

Last time my timing of arrival at the pub was not too good as it was about 10:30 in the morning, and the place was shut; this time it was perfect as it was just before 4pm, so not only was the pub open, but it was just about to show the Grand National. So we sat around, watched the race, had a couple of pints, headed back down out of the village down the Taff Trail which hugs the riverside back towards the centre of Cardiff and caught the train back into town from Radyr.

Photos are available here. On the basis of the stretch of the Taff Trail we saw (about 8 miles or so, I reckon) I'd say it would be a lot of fun to cycle along, especially as the scenery would get a lot more spectacular as you head out into the country north of Merthyr Tydfil. Definitely worth reserving a summer weekend for!