Lucy travelled on Great Western Railway, from London Paddington, arriving at Cardiff Central in just 1 hour 50 minutes, and she received a warm Welsh welcome when she checked into the Coal Exchange Hotel which is a historical landmark in Cardiff Bay. Built in 1888, the walls of this Grade II listed building were once filled with ambitious coal traders and negotiators. Now its being refurbished as an impressive hotel; currently there are 75 bedrooms available.

Her room was a spacious twin bedroom, decorated in shades of pink and green, creating an eclectic mix of traditional and modern décor. And she enjoyed a lovely welcoming gift of Prosecco, fresh fruit, and dainty strawberries dipped in chocolate.

The Bay is home to a wide range of sculptures reminding us of the areas past:

• The ‘Beasty Benches’, the work of Welsh sculptor Gwen Heeney, inspired by the mythical creatures in Dylan Thomas’s poem ‘The Ballad of the Long-Legged Bait’.
• ‘People Like Us’ by John Clinch, a bronze sculpture of a young couple and their dog looking out to sea.
• ‘Antarctic 100 – Captain Scott Memorial’ by Johnathon William looks out over the Bay at the point where Captain Scott’s ship, The Terranova, set sail in 1910 on its ill-fated trip to the South Pole.
• The Celtic Ring, by Harvey Hood marks the start of the Taff Trail which runs  to Merthyr Tydfil and on to Brecon.
• And a wonderful mosaic, ‘The Pioneers’  by  Stuart Street, commemorating those who created and shaped Cardiff’s docks communities.

After breakfast Lucy returned to the waterfront to join one of the boat tours that run throughout the year.

She took an exciting high-speed trip with Bay Coastal Voyages around the harbour and through the sluice gates out into the Bristol Channel which has the second-highest tidal range in the world only exceeded by the Bay of Fundy in Canada. The trip took in Flat Holm, which is now is a nature reserve but was once a retreat for monks, and is famed for receiving the first-ever radio message across the water by Marconi in 1897. Steep Holm, which is also a nature reserve famed for its beauty and home to the remains of a 12th-century Augustinian priory, was another highlight.

Dinner, on Day 2 was a taxi trip away in the elegant Victorian seaside town of Penarth at The Deck, a lovely contemporary waterside restaurant overlooking the marina. Unfortunately, it was too cold to sit out on the evening but they still enjoyed the stunning sea view from our table. Lucy dined on a succulent roasted duck breast with sautéed garlic potatoes tossed in caramelised jus and a good-sized fillet of tender hake perched on a bed of new crushed potatoes and black pudding. Accompanied by a couple of glasses of dry crisp and citrussy Gavi di Gavi La Contessa….it was a perfect way to relax beside the sea.

When the 4th Marquess of Bute died in 1947, the castle was given to the City of Cardiff and has since become a hugely popular tourist attraction. It houses the Firing Line Regimental Museum and interpretation centre and also hosts many events throughout the year.

A great new family attraction in the Clock Tower has also recently opened. Called ‘Black Tower Tales’ it gives a fun insight into the story of a local Welsh hero Llywelyn Bren’s medieval struggle against the oppressive Sherriff of Glamorgan.

Then it was back to the train for the journey back to London. But Lucy took with her a recipe for Welsh Cakes which she fell in love with, buying them warm from the griddle at Fabulous as she walked around Cardiff Bay.