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EPISODE/PUNTATA n.2 CAERLEON
Cheap hotel
“Gateway Express” sounds appropriate for my hotel in Newport. It looks like an old bed and breakfast. But no owners, nor staff in sight. And obviously, no breakfast. I had collected my keycard in a nearby prettier hotel (in the photo) with the same name minus the express. I chose it because it was cheap and at walking distance from the coach station. Good enough for me for a good sleep. But there’s no cafés in this street. So I drop the cardkey in the mail slot and head straight to the bus station to Caerleon, where I’m set to meet Bluey today. “And who is Bluey?” you’re probably wondering. You’ll find out in due time.
Timetables? What timetables?
Remember: Newport buses timetable on Google Maps is wrong. I’m early, but I see my bus speed by the stop while I’m about to cross the street. Never mind, the printed timetable says there’s another one in about 10 minutes. I end up waiting way longer than that, but I’m on holiday, I’m in Wales, I’m not in a hurry and today I don’t want to spend my time complaining. After some time I do get to Caerleon, anyway. How can I be sure I got off at the right stop for a visit to the City of the Legion? The Roman barbers! Sure after traveling all the way from Roma they would have appreciated a good haircut and proper shave, wouldn’t they!
Yummy cake
As for myself I’m happy when I spot another sign on a shop: “Coffiology”. Yesss! Coffi! Caffé! Morning doesn’t really start before a coffee!
I’m lucky because it’s really good. And everybody is very nice. While I’m having breakfast sitting on a comfortable sofa I receive a message: Bluey is stuck in traffic on the way from Harwich and won’t be here for lunch. At this point, there’s so many classic British cakes I have never tried, why not adding a slice after the toast?
What have the Romans ever done for us?
When I decided to visit this Roman site, home of the Legio II Augusta, I thought that coming from a former roman castrum named Augusta Taurinorum myself, could be a good conversation starter. However, at school I wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about learning an ancient language and did just the bare minimum to get decent marks. I wouldn’t be able to have a chat in latin. And this guy doesn’t look so friendly, after all. Despite the locals being said to be fierce and warlike, and their name meaning 'torpedo' in Italian I’ll give a try at socializing with the Silures instead. I sneak away and head towards the Thermae.
Siarad Cymraeg eto!
At the entrance I’m very glad to find the first fluent Welsh speaker of this trip! Not one of the Silures. She’s from a different part of Wales that I visited several times, Carmarthenshire, and the Demetae already proven to be very welcoming. She explains to me everything about the site and its history, and since it’s a quiet moment, we can also chat a bit about the Welsh language. Then, I start my visit. It will be at least three hours before Bluey gets here so I have plenty of time to read every single bilingual panel and listen to every extra audio recording in Welsh. By the way did you know that the pool here was bigger than the ‘Great Bath’ at Bath? I didn’t!
Great museum
I move on to the Museum in the other building. Roman ruins abroad are often quite disappointing, with just a few small piles of stones in a lawn, or things like that. But this time, I’m impressed: there’s really a lot to see and visit in Caerleon, even by Italian standards!
Expected meeting time is fairly soon, so I decide to just go and complete my visit with the amphitheatre and the barracks. But as soon as I walk out of the Museum, guess what? There comes Bluey! And, of course, Jen is driving it and waves hello before stopping and waiting for me in the car park.