Rugby Fans, originally uploaded by ECUK08.

On Saturday a small group (9 to be exact) of us went on a day trip to Cardiff, the capital of Wales. Its a lovely city just off of the Bristol Channel. Once we arrived by train we went on a relaxing bus tour of the city, hoping to get taste of the history and the people of Wales. We weren't disappointed. We found Cardiff Castle, once an ancient Roman outpost that changed to a Norman castle. In the early 19th century the castle was enlarged and refashioned in an early Gothic Revival style for John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute by Henry Holland. But its transformation began in 1868 when 3rd Marquess of Bute commissioned William Burges to undertake a massive rebuilding which turned the castle into a 19th century fantasy of a medieval palace, with a series of rooms that, perhaps, constitute the highest achievement of later Victorian Gothic Revival design. Burges used 22 karat gold to paint the rooms of the transformed castle and added countless carvings and designs to please John Crichton Stuart.

When we left the castle we were hit with a unexpected surprise. Before our arrival the streets were open. There were only a few cars and pedestrians. Now there were 70,000 rugby fans. It just so happened that the Millennium Dome was hosting the 2008 Rugby European Championship between Munster Rugby (Irish) and Toulouse (French). Of the 70,000 there was an estimated 60,000 Irishmen in attendance. Everyone in the group agreed they had never seen anything like it before. There were red jersies, red flags, beating drums, rallying, chanting, and packed pubs everywhere. We meandered, trying to take it all in.

But eventually we had to leave, and we left the Cardiff rail station as Munster fans. They ended up winning 16-13, clinching their second European title in three years. GO MUNSTER!!!!