Kerdiff, like - Trip i'r brifddinas

Today, my Dad and I journeyed to Cardiff to visit a few potential houses, in view of my impending move southwards. Unfortunately, my idea of an ideal property conflicted somewhat with that of my Dad's, who favoured a modern flat in a new development over my more traditional ideas.

This was the first time I'd returned to Cardiff Bay since a (not particularly inspiring) Geography trip in 2002. Needless to say, things had changed a bit, and not just civic projects like the Millennium Centre, but literally hundreds of new appartments, dotting the landscape for miles upon miles of faux-balconies. Personally, I don't think I could ever adapt to living in such an area such as the Bay, which lacks the physical foundations (such as schools, churches or small shops) around which communities can develop. Rather than homes were people lived and interacted, my overriding impression of the Bay flats were of boxes where people spent the night, before setting off for work each morning, without ever crossing their neighbours' paths. This feeling of lacking 'soul' (for want of a better word) was compounded if anything by the fact that many of the area's older buildings, such as the imposing Victorian buildings near Butetown, have been allowed to deteriorate.

Yes, I can understand my Dad's argument that a modern appartment is probably a 'safe' investment, but I'm left wondering if that is enough to compensate for the absence of a genuine community when moving to a new, alien city. Regardless, the hunt continues...

Huw