{"id":12410,"date":"2020-01-28T12:40:50","date_gmt":"2020-01-28T12:40:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/2020\/01\/28\/the-country-bumpkin-guide-to-cardiff\/"},"modified":"2020-11-24T12:05:49","modified_gmt":"2020-11-24T12:05:49","slug":"the-country-bumpkin-guide-to-cardiff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/cy\/the-country-bumpkin-guide-to-cardiff\/","title":{"rendered":"The Country Bumpkin Guide to Cardiff"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, you\u2019re a self-confessed country-bumpkin, the trees and seas of home are calling, and you don\u2019t know how to satisfy your need for nature. The adjustment can be hard, but you have the whole of Wales waiting for you to explore. You can get that nature fix you need without trekking home constantly, because honestly who wants to travel that much. Even if you are not from the country, or even the UK, this guide can help you to make the most out of your time in Wales and experience the beauty Wales has to offer.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"382\" height=\"330\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/523\/2020\/01\/article-p1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10235\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/523\/2020\/01\/article-p1.jpg 382w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/523\/2020\/01\/article-p1-300x259.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 382px) 100vw, 382px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;When people are depressed or under high levels of stress,  part of the brain malfunctions, and people experience a continuous loop of negative thoughts,&#8221; says Dr. Strauss. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So let&#8217;s destress and be one with nature again. No, I&#8217;m not telling you to go hug trees \u2013 although Bute park has some if you\u2019re keen. Here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"> <strong>1. Join an Outdoors Society<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are so many to choose from and it means you can meet people with similar interests to you as well as getting your fix of nature! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Kayaking \u2013 They do weekend trips to different rivers and cater to all abilities! Whether you have never kayaked before or are experienced, this society is perfect. At the end of the year they do a crazy trip to the French Alpes. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Scuba\nDiving Society \u2013 They literally teach you how to dive, you will get a\ncertificate and everything. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Snowsports\n\u2013 They cater to all abilities and all types, so whether you\u2019re a skier or\nsnowboarder, like races or freestyle, or you simply want to learn this Soc is\nperfect for you. You also get the opportunity to take part in either the\nChristmas or Easter Ski trip. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Surf\n\u2013 They take you to the beach, catering to all levels and providing equipment. A\ngreat way to destress and meet new friends. They also do a crazy trip at the\nend of the year, last year they went to France. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Mountaineering \u2013 They go twice weekly to the climbing center and at weekends do outdoor trips. They also do abroad trips at the end of the year. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Hiking\n\u2013 They do trips to the tours and beaches and is a great opportunity to escape\nthe concrete and see wales! They also do a big expedition at the end of the year.\n<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Yoga\n\u2013 if these are not your cup of tea, Cardiff also does a yoga society which\noften does sessions in the Park<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Give it a Go Sessions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is a wide range of trips to choose from, what ever you fancy: a hike, a historical site or even shopping. The trips usually meet early in the morning outside the Student\u2019s Union where you will catch a coach to your destination. The prices vary depending on the trip. For more information visit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cardiffstudents.com\/whatson\/giveitago\/\">https:\/\/www.cardiffstudents.com\/whatson\/giveitago\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Have\na look at this terms trips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Budapest\nwith the History Society- 24<sup>th<\/sup> \u2013 28<sup>th<\/sup> February <\/li><li>Barcelona\nwith Spanish and Italian Society \u2013 25<sup>th<\/sup> \u2013 28<sup>th<\/sup> February <\/li><li>Edinburgh\n\u2013 27<sup>th<\/sup> \u2013 31<sup>st<\/sup> March<\/li><li>St\nFagans day trip \u2013 26<sup>th<\/sup> January<\/li><li>Bath\nday trip \u2013 1<sup>st<\/sup> February<\/li><li>Stonehenge\n&amp; Salisbury day trip \u2013 2<sup>nd<\/sup> February<\/li><li>Startford-upon-Avon\n\u2013 8<sup>th<\/sup> February<\/li><li>Bicester\nShopping Village \u2013 9<sup>th<\/sup> February<\/li><li>Oxford\nday trip \u2013 9<sup>th<\/sup> February <\/li><li>Windsor\nday trip \u2013 15<sup>th<\/sup> February <\/li><li>Bristol\nday trip \u2013 16<sup>th<\/sup> February <\/li><li>Leigh\nWoods &amp; Clifton Suspension Bridge \u2013 16<sup>th<\/sup> February <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Past trips have included:\nRhossili beach, The Three Cliffs beach and Amsterdam! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"228\" height=\"396\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/523\/2020\/01\/article-p2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10237\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/523\/2020\/01\/article-p2.jpg 228w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/523\/2020\/01\/article-p2-195x338.jpg 195w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/523\/2020\/01\/article-p2-173x300.jpg 173w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 228px) 100vw, 228px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. Public Transport<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-paragraph\">Cardiff boasts a very good public transport system, buses and trains galore. There are two train stations in the center of town and one in Cathays. You can catch the train or bus to the Brecon Beacons, If you take the direct train to Abergavenny, or the T4 or T6 bus. Cheap fares and fresh country air \u2013 what more could you ask for. Trawscymru also offers a free bus service to loads of places at the weekend! Barry Island is also a really good trip out of Cardiff and is very close, you could even visit the Gavin and Stacy house before stopping off at the beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4<\/strong>. <strong>The Parks <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bute Park and Roath are brilliant for close by rejuvenation and destresses. Roath has a lake and a \u2018pleasure garden\u2019 while Bute park is right next to Talybont and has a lovely river and even a secret garden caf\u00e9. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"422\" height=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/523\/2020\/01\/article-p3.png\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"10239\" class=\"wp-image-10239\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/523\/2020\/01\/article-p3.png 422w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/523\/2020\/01\/article-p3-169x300.png 169w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 422px) 100vw, 422px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"422\" height=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/523\/2020\/01\/article-p4-1.png\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"10243\" data-link=\"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/?attachment_id=10243\" class=\"wp-image-10243\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/523\/2020\/01\/article-p4-1.png 422w, https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/523\/2020\/01\/article-p4-1-169x300.png 169w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 422px) 100vw, 422px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hopefully you now have all\nthe information you need at your fingertips to make the most out of your new\nlife in Cardiff! No need to travel far to get your dose of countryside or spend\nloads. The wild beauty of Wales is waiting for you, all conveniently accessible\nfrom its capital city. &nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"So, you\u2019re a self-confessed country-bumpkin, the trees and seas of home are calling, and you don\u2019t know how to satisfy your need for nature. The adjustment can be hard, but [&hellip;]","protected":false},"author":1772,"featured_media":10238,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[714,366],"tags":[1203,369,711,1274,580],"class_list":["post-12410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-life-cy","category-settling-in-cy","tag-countryside-cy","tag-first-year-cy","tag-homesickness-cy","tag-places-to-go-cy","tag-things-to-do-at-cardiff-cy"],"meta_box":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12410","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1772"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12410"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12410\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12412,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12410\/revisions\/12412"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12410"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12410"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/insiders\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12410"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}