Winter sun, Cardiff Bay

The improvement in the weather gave us an opportunity to get out in the fresh air today. We drove down to the Bay Barrage, and parked there. The tide was right out, so we took a walk around Penarth Head along the beach. The fencing and prohibitive notices have long been torn down, and dog walkers were out in force in the bright still midday air. I was under the impression that there was a plan to make a public footpath from the Barrage to Penath, but now I realise it may remain a good intention for longer than expected.

At high tide the sea comes in close to the base of a cliff composed of interesting coloured layers of soft and friable materials. There were layers of grey and green limestone containing fossilised shells, plus red sandstones the colour of a house brick but only just a bit harder than baked mud. Along the base of the cliff ran a layer of amorphous crystalline silica, as bright white in places as fresh snow. Here and there, the ancient presence of metallic minerals in the groundwater had turned nodules of silica bright pink or garish artificial looking red, unmissable among the grey pebbles. A feast for curious eyes. Even while we were walking we saw evidence of substantial land slips and heard the sounds of stones falling down the 100ft steep slopes.

Stopping cliff erosion would involve first constructing a mile of 50 foot high sea defences as far as Penarth pier, and building a platform behind them, wide enough to accommodate a walkway, with buttressing to contain cliff erosion which is going to continue with wind and rain, even if the sea doesn't get near. I'm sure a team or Swiss or Italian engineers would take such a thing in their stride, but it would be very costly to pay for. More than can be afforded in a time of recession even if it is the kind of government public works project that could provide employment for hundreds.

We lingered on the Barrage enjoying a panini lunch, at the little snack bar, which makes good use of a once optimistically erected bus shelter to house a few tables out of the wind. We watched boats come and go through the sea lock, and wandered around Penarth Marina, hoping for a better glimpse of a fishing cormorant. Once filled with sunshine and fresh air, we set off to visit the tea shop in Waterloo Gardens over in Roath. It was so full there was a queue for a seat, so Clare bought herself a speciality tea and a piece of beetroot and chocolate cake to take home instead. 

With sermon prepared, tea and supper behind us, it was soon time for 'Borgen' the latest Danish drama series to grace BBC4's output and raise the ratings respectably, I guess. It's a re detailed yet fast paced account of coalition politics, and how key players cope with circumstances in which big changes happen quickly under the influence of several disconnected events. A must-watch for the next month of Saturdays.  I wonder if Clegg and Cameron are watching, and how long it'll be before the series is joked about in Parliament (Cardiff or Westminster).