Poking around my own backyard...

My mate Andy from Bristol arrived at about 11ish this morning and we wasted no time in setting off on our run around the bay. I haven't run with someone else in quite some time. It can prove tricky; what with different speeds and length of step and different stamina. However, the two of us soon settled into a comfortable pace that suited us both, although given his leg length and youth, I'm pretty sure he could've outrun me if he'd wanted.

Rather than run my usual 5km route, we decided to run all the way around the Bay via the Sports Village and Pont Y Werin then out to the Cardiff Bay Barrage and back into the Bay via the footbridge by the Norwegian Church. This route is about 7.5km and so a bit of a stretch for me. However, the run passed quickly and in no time we were back at my front door. I always get such a sense of achievement when I circumnavigate the Bay via the Barrage. I'm sure Juan Sebastián Elcano had similar feelings.

I've heard it said that a good running pace is one where you can run and talk at the same time. We certainly tested that, catching up on what we'd both been up to over the last couple of weeks. I don't think the term, "taciturn" could be applied to either of us. We chirped our way around the bay.

After we got back to mine we went for a coffee at Coffee Mania followed by a quick tour of Cardiff Multicultural Mela taking place in the Oval Basin (or Plass Roald Dahl, to give it it's official name). Andy had never seen the inside of The Pier Head Building so we popped in there to admire the tiles and then onto The Senedd.

The Senedd is really such an impressive building. I like it more and more with each visit; everything from the simplicity and warmth of the architecture to the friendliness of the staff. Today it was a bit of a refuge from the gusting showers of rain and the Bhangra music bumping away in the Oval Basin.

Hey Andy, when are we gonna do it again?