Bristol immediately revealed itself to be much more than just another town, thanks to the liveliness typical of university cities and mind-blowing street art.
Cardiff, the capital of Wales, has a soul split in two, between the historic center and a marvelous bay that alone requires at least a full day; unless there are any special shows at the Millennium Centre, that is.

I woke up early and begin the day by visiting one of the city's most beautiful churches, which, coincidentally, was located right in front of my hotel: St. Mary Redcliffe Church.
I then continued to the Clifton Suspension Bridge, a majestic suspension bridge over the River Avon.
The village of Clifton, essentially a suburb of Bristol, is very picturesque, but it's the bridge that takes your breath away.
Despite my fear of heights, combined with the fact that the wind and cars were moving the structure more than I would have liked, the adjacent hill offered me a dream view.
Despite it being December, the day was beautiful, and on my way back to Bristol, I took a stroll downtown to grab a bite to eat and stop by the tourist office, just to get an idea of what I could actually do before heading to Cardiff.
Unfortunately, the typical colorful houses I would have loved to see were too far away, and the historic ship SS Great Britain took too long, so I went wandering through the small Christmas markets up to the city's imposing cathedral (the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity).
Due to its size and objective beauty, it is famous and admired throughout the world, perfectly perched on the hill overlooking Millennium Square.
Next to the cathedral is the town hall and a small park in front.
I even had time to completely randomly spot one of Banksy's most famous works, the Well-Hung Lover.

I headed to Cardiff in the evening and what most struck me during my brief Saturday evening tour was undoubtedly Cardiff Castle, and so I decided to start my Sunday there.
With an ancient and troubled history spanning nearly 2000 years, the castle belonged to the Marquesses of Bute for centuries, until it was sold in 1947, thus becoming a national heritage site.
The mighty walls are not part of the original structure, which has been destroyed several times.
The oldest element is the central tower, which stands on a moat-surrounded hill and dates back to Norman times.
Like the walls, the other buildings and the clock tower have been added over the centuries, and the tunnels built along the perimeter were even used as shelter from bombing during World War II.
I relaxed a bit by strolling through the immense courtyard, above and inside the walls, and in the oldest tower, which remains the most fascinating feature.
The next stop after the castle was the St David's Dewi Sant shopping centre, just to grab a bite to eat. The shopping mall is gigantic and super chaotic, so it took me a while to find the food court.
On the pier side, there are bars and restaurants, among which street performers were playing classic Christmas carols and, on the opposite side, the National Assembly for Wales, divided between three imposing buildings, and the picturesque Norwegian Church, now a cultural center, where the famous British writer Roald Dahl was baptized.
I lingered a while among the sculptures in the adjacent park, from which I could see the BBC Wales headquarters, where, among other things, the Doctor Who series was filmed.
Back in the city center, I wandered around the pedestrian streets aimlessly, simply enjoying the atmosphere of the city.