The Castle Down the Street -By Courtney Kellogg

Part two of our trip has taken us to Cardiff, Wales! It has been the perfect place to take a break from the chaotic and lively city of London. Not only does Cardiff have the cutest breakfast spots  and vibrant bars, but Cardiff is full of history.

Cardiff Castle is an old medieval castle in the middle of the city of Cardiff. With a stone wall covering all sides of the area, a historic family mansion and the Cardiff Castle are held inside. For our tour, we walked through the gates and onto the ginormous area of cut green grass that surrounded both of the buildings. Heading towards the castle, we made our way up the steep steps to get a better look. The inside of the castle held an area of hiding and a place for firing arrows to anyone who wanted to attack the area. A motte also surrounded the castle in case of any intruders.

Making our way over to the mansion, we found elegant dining rooms, stairways, and a beautiful library filled with an assortment of books. Paintings filled the walls where The Bute Family once lived. In each room, descriptions in both English and Welsh could be found describing what once took place in that area of the mansion.

We then walked towards the walls that surrounded the castle where we found an old air raid shelter that was used during WWII. Inside, long hallways filled with bunk beds and small kitchens were used by people living inside and taking cover. It was interesting to see how the castle area had been used over all these years in different situations in Cardiff!