The Ham Nomads

5 May 2014. <GB-WLS> Cardiff —

Cardiff! This will be a short one - only a couple of missions for the day!

Cardiff Bay
Waterfront area

It's a Bank Holiday. We went down to the Cardiff Bay area, where the Millennium Centre is, and a lot more. The roads were closed around here, and we soon found out why — there was a 5 mile fun run in aid of Cystic Fibrosis. We went through and checked with the Tourist Centre who gave us a lot of tips for tomorrow and for the rest of Wales!

The Millennium Centre

We then meandered down to the Doctor Who Experience, had a bite to eat, then went in. The opening audiovisual is much the same opening we had for the Doctor Who Spectacular in Brisbane earlier this year — so much so that Warren was hard pressed not to sing along! Then there is an interactive sequence where the "Shooppers", who have been summoned by mistake when the Doctor was trying to summon the Tardis, have to control the Tardis to rescue him — he has been imprisoned in a replica Pandorica Box by the Daleks. All good fun, and the motion and 3D effects are quite good. After that, you are let loose in an exhibition area, were the costumes of all the Doctors are on display, as are those of the companions and the adversaries, from the Oud, the Silurians, the all different versions of Cybermen and of Daleks — and much more. We wandered the exhibits for over an hour before wandering out to the money trap, the souvenir shop. Warren couldn't help himself — we now have a money box in the shape of the Tardis!

Warren with the Doctor

The Tardis

A Cyberman

 

Norwegian Church

Wandered out, went to the Norwegian Church on the dock — now deconsecrated and a cafe, but it was where Roald Dahl was christened, and he was head of the committee responsible for its rescue and restoration.

Had an ice cream on the quay — don't know why, as it's not particularly warm — bought a few bits at Tesco and returned to the van, where Warren worked on the blog, and will be retuning to the Quay to a Starbucks to put it up and to recharge the computer.

Tomorrow we plan a walk through the city of Cardiff, weather permitting!

Distance driven — today, nil; to date, 641 miles ( 1,032 km )