Caerphilly- Wales

It was one of those visits which had to be noted in the bug's diary. While planning the itineary for Cardiff and Swansea, I had no clue about the existence of a small picturesque town called Caerphilly. The night before my visit to Cardiff, I decided to make a list of all the castles in Wales within close proximity of Cardiff. Amongst the so many others, there was a certain 'Caerphilly castle' which was only 8 miles away from the Ibis budget hotel, where we had put up. We drove into the town around midday. The town resembled that scenic little background from a novel where only happy people lived, sold bread, poultry, vegetables and flowers for a living. A narrow road fit for horse drawn carriages ran through the limited town with shops on both sides of the road. The white buildings with ancient black direction boards outlined with golden borders made it picture perfect. The lamp posts were adorned with seasonal flowers and added that vibrancy to the serene and calm whiteness of the town. I began walking towards the castle making occassional stops at the local bakeries. The smell of freshly baked cupcakes was enchanting and when in Wales and in a typical Welsh town, one dare not ignore such divine invitations. The town has remnants of the Welsh occupants. Delving into the history of the town, it takes me back to the era when the Romans had invaded Britain around AD 75 and built a fort around which the city grew. The castle dates back to the early 12th century and has survived innumerous wars and conquests. The castle flaunts its 13th century military architecture with pride and would surprise its visitors on being the second largest castle in Britain after the Windsor castle. In terms of tourism , the town has nothing much to offer. For those who want to live a typical Welsh day out, must put Caerphilly on the top of their itineary while in Wales. I distracted by the locales, finally arrived in front of this giant of a castle. It appeared over bearing surrounded by a clear water lake. Pigeons flocked the water. The towers and large gates looked rustic but definitely made me imagine how majestic this castle must have been in its youth. A slight walk uphill brought me to its main entrance. The castle was connected with the mainland through a wooden bridge. The types which functioned with the help of the first version of what we call a lever today. In those days, horses followed the royal carriage, fifty men stood guard and closed the doors behind to the rest of the world. The bug's quest of the castle's history is never ending. The architecture of the castle was  calculatively very military. It actually had a dam built on the south end of its rear. The dam was used as a mode of defence by the army. The walls had holes at equal distances to aim loaded canons at the enemies. The castle was in ruins now with constant renovation work going on. Whatever was left of it gave a fair impression of its past persona. I called it a day and walked back content with what I had experienced. One must attribute the charm of the town to the riot of colours it was engulfed in. The emerald green foliage and the clear blue sky with distant mountains on its periphery made it a perfect place for a day out. And yes, the bug's discovery for the day was a product of it's vivid and creative imagination. The castle housed an almost broken, leaning half in the air, an imposing tower like structure with no turret on the top. It literally resembled the leaning tower of Pisa in Italy. That was an architect's marvel and  Caerphilly's local leaning tower of Pisa was carved out of the so many attacks, wars, generations of kings and seasons it had sustained over the centuries. And, I rested my thoughts.