Trip in Cardiff

A few weeks ago all the International students decided to visit Cardiff, the capital and the largest city in Wales and the tenth largest city in the United Kingdom. So we booked a coach for all of us, we were around 30 people, and we went to spend one Saturday in this beautiful city.

 The trip was around 3 hours, but we spent one more hour because there has been an incident , but we arrived at the right time because we left at 7 o’clock in the morning from the Campus. All we had to pay for this trip it was 20 pound for the coach, go and back.

It was a really sunny day, we got ready with our clothes because people told us Cardiff is a very cold city, but we were lucky.

When we arrived, we decided to visit the castle first, and then have lunch. We saw the castle, it is a really nice place, with green fields, but we did not visit the castle as the price for entrance was expensive. 

After the castle, we walked through the city, where we found a medieval market, and we decided to have our lunch there. When we finished, we went to visit the entire city, we found a lot of young and old people singing in the streets, and we decided to get into a free museum of the city. We learnt a lot of things about it, and at the end of the day we had to go back home. Unfortunately, we did not have enough time  to visit all the touristic places in Cardiff.

                                                                Museum of Cardiff

                                                   

Park in Cardiff

Before to go back, we walked through a beautiful park. I loved these places in England; they have really good parks where you can walk all the day peacefully.

It was time to get the coach back home, we were too tired. We arrived on Campus at 12:00 pm, and we decided to order Chinese food to finish our amazing day together.

If you are thinking to visit Cardiff, just do it, you will enjoy it.

The monkey forest

A week ago, I went to the Monkey Forest, the only place in the UK where you can walk through the green England and enjoy the company of 140 Barbary macaques roaming free in 60 acres of this amazing Forest.

We went by taxi, it takes 10 -15 minutes from campus and if you decide to go with your friends it can cost 2 pounds each one for an incredible and different day.

We were lucky because we know England it is not a sunny country, but it didn't rain, so we could have a quiet walk. I was really excited to see and touch all the Monkeys.

                                                      The entrance of the monkey forest

Just arrived we went to the entrance to buy our ticket. In my opinion it is a bit expensive even we had special price because we are students but I am still thinking that 7,50 pounds are too. If you are not a student you will have to pay 8 pounds.

Before we went inside the park, a guide talked us about the rules, all we could and we couldn't do. If you are interested to visit it, you have to know you are not be able to touching and feeding the Monkeys. It is strictly prohibited.

It is fast to visit it, it takes like 30 minutes to do it. Then you can spend your time breathing clean air or just enjoying the nature.  It was quite interesting to have explanatory panels around all the park telling you about monkeys’ life and a regular presence of the guides to tell you all about information you can need.

I asked a guide why we could not touch or feeding monkeys, he told us that the monkeys would be returned to their natural environment and the proximity with humans it is not beneficial in their natural environment. The park is an observatory for scientists who study the behaviour and the way of life about these mammals. Despite the disappointment of not being able to touch the monkeys we could be close to them. They were walking and playing a few meters from us.

As I have already mentioned in my "Hanley park" article about a child on a leash, I'm starting to get used to seeing this around all this places.

We spent a full day with a lot of adventures and laughs, and we are looking forward to the next one.

So I just came back with full of memories in my mind and I just thought to relax after the amazing day I spent with the Monkeys and my old and new friends. I will miss all this when we go back at home, but I will be happy to know I am going back with new good friends.

A trip in Chester part 2 : Grosvenor Museum

The Silver Gallery :
 

Silver trophies awarded to the winners of horse races

   On the first floor it is possible to visit a large gallery dedicated to silverware. During the Georgian era, Chester's economy was sustained by the trade of silver objects. Most silver objects handcrafted in Liverpool, Manchester or Birmingham were sent to Chester to be hallmarked with the seal of Chester.







The Natural History Gallery :

The golden eagle, there are only 450
breeding pairs in Britain. 

Dog ? Fox ? or FoxDog ? 

  The museum exhibits also the natural history gallery. We can see the evolution of animals through time : fossils and current animals . Most species are exposed stuffed . Among these species there are some quite rare animals like the  golden eagle or the  hybrid animal who looks like a mix between fox and dog.

A large sight of the Art Gallery

The Art Gallery :

The art gallery contains paintings and sculptures dating from the Victorian era. We can admire a large collection of paintings made ​​by local celebrity Louise Rayner who lived ten years in Chester.

Grosvenor The museum in the city of Chester trough three important periods in British history. The Roman period, the Georgian period ending with the loss of the American colonies and the expansion of the French revolution , leading to the Victorian period marked by the industrial revolution.

Birmingham : an economic asset

   I wanted to visit a big city and after some internet research I discovered that Birmingham was the second most populous city after London. I learned that the main interest of the city is its large shopping center , not very exciting. I traveled with a friend by bus , departing at 8 am back the next day at 3 am.

The Bullring mall by night

   The mall is called BullRing . It is distinguished by an unusual design: a huge capsule with wave-shaped curves covered with circles that light up in blue at night. Inside, the shops are spread over three floors. The Bullring is simply the largest shopping center in Europe . It boosts the city and enable to create a multitude of jobs especially in the service sector, which represents a very large share of economic activity of Birmingham.

Some french student from Monaco

The canal which crosses Birmingham

   In one day , I wasn't able to visit the town center. Everything seems new, the many construction sites dotting the city reveal a renewal of the urbanization. Everything is beautiful, everything is high. The library built in the city center is huge with an innovative and futuristic design. Not far away , a canal crosses the city . It is highlighted by restaurants accessible by small bridges that give it a Venetian look. The streets are populated , and occasionally French sounds catch our attention.

In the evening we ate in a restaurant and bar which broadcasted the match France - Brazil. After the match the atmosphere became more festive with a DJ and musicians.

The big library of Birmingham

In the Indi Lounge Bar

I liked Birmingham, and I plan to look for an internship here for the summer. I write my article at the station waiting for my bus, before  that my emotion evaporates, before I forget my best human encounter. That of Andy a Nigerian who lives in Birmingham for 16 years and working in the bar toilet.