The theme for the day turned out to be geography. The day started with a chance meeting and entertaining chat with Cardiff poet and psychogeographer Peter Finch. His books accompany me on some of my travels. Always an entertaining read.
The 64 follows a similar route to the 63 but instead of continuing up to Penryrch it takes a left and terminates on the Morganstown estate. My stroll for the day involved a bit of map reading and a clockwise circumnavigation of a large geographical feature – the Taffs Well Quarry.
The path climbs for 15 minutes and then levels out in the woods on the northern lip of the quarry. Just as you think you are not going to get any views a gap appears and a path to a viewing platform – and what a view you get from up here. The giant excavators look like miniature Dinky toys down there. Speak to many Cardiffians and they are unaware this quarry even exists let alone seen it. It’s well hidden.
The paths down northwards through Garth Woods are steep and indistinct in places but in the end I popped out onto the road. I pass the vets where we said our farewells to our faithful collie Shadow a year and a half ago. The rest of my walk passed quickly as I recalled my adventurous hikes with him.
I now had a choice of where to go for a beverage; a crowded garden centre café or the Tafern Ty Nant. You can tell by the picture which won. My book for the day was by geographer and travel writer Nicholas Crane. He retraced the steps of eight British travellers through history. He started with Gerald of Wales. An interesting historical narrative but I tell you what Finch, you knock spots off him with your prose.
Cardiff Capers 