Herbie goes to Wales

Magnet #1221 - Herbie

So here's random. On a lark, DCsis made us do an unexpected right turn into a Cardiff green market. Really cool place, complete with bread stalls and warm Welsh Cakes, and local wares.

While she was busy exploring the yarn, I walked down to another stall - one of those run-of-the-mill catch-all stalls, the ones that sell household gadgets and odds and ends.

The vendor had a bank of magnets, and in a sea of VW magnets, Ocho here caught my eye.

I haven't a clue what Herbie was doing all the way in Cardiff in a random shop, but of course, I had to buy him! Growing up, Disney's Herbie franchise was one of my favorites - I loved that little VW Bug!

He was awesome. He could win races, and escape bulls and matadors, and make friends with supercute boys, and he even had a girlfriend!

My favorite of the series is still Herbie Goes Bananas, and one of my favorite scenes to this day is when little Paco, the boy who saved him from uncertain death, rolling the plank on Harvey Korman's cruise ship, gives him his nickname, Ocho.

In the cutest little voice ever, he exclaimed: "Ocho! Five plus three makes eight! Ocho!"

And, yes, I just tried to find that exact scene on YouTube, but you'd be amazed at how many tribute videos there are. Yes. To Herbie.

Anyway, using this magnet today, because someone over at Next Movie re-imagined seven famous cars as Pixar creations, and Ocho is one of them.

Superdupercute!

Sheepish - Escape Home to NYC, Part 2, Day 5

Magnet #1186 - Cardiff map

Author @katharineashe is off and away to Cardiff, Wales, Tweeting along the way. Definitely give her a follow!

That is, if you don't have anything against romance novels (you shouldn't, if I'm friends with you), good Tweeting (you shouldn't, if I'm friends with you), or Cardiff (and I say again, you shouldn't, if I'm friends with you).

Actually, I'm pretty loose on that last point, particularly with my UK buds - never have I ever seen folks be so puzzled over why I want to visit Cardiff. And more than once!

I'm working on our London itinerary for next month, and like the last trip, it includes a daytrip out to Cardiff, and that's where all the making fun starts and ends.

It's such a cultural thing over there for everyone to pick on Wales. I dunno how it started, I don't want to know. But it always cracks me up when they bag on the sheep in Wales.

They usually back off when they find out our trip is Doctor Who- and Torchwood-centric. We're planning on finding the same locations we found last time, see the same buildings (with the exception of me actually making it into Cardiff Castle and the Senedd building this time), and probably have some Wagamama. Because that's how we do.

To be honest, Wales for me is gorgeous. Yes, it might be a less densely populated and they certainly have their own way of life and language, but I still love what little I've seen of it. Of course, me being me, I also love the train ride through the countryside, away from the hustle and bustle of London. It reminds me of the train ride down to North Carolina, just 10 hours shorter.

Actually, now that I think about it - the way that people slam on Cardiff is a bit like the way folks make fun of the rural South.

Only with cousins, instead of sheep.

Happy Opening Day!

Magnet #1133 - Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

What?

Ok, ok, wrong sport, wrong country.

Still, a world-class stadium.

Built in 1999, the Millennium Stadium seats 74,000 and was the first fully-retractable roof in the UK. They've hosted everything from Rugby World Cup finals to large-scale musical concerts to motorcup events. And they're going to be the football venue for the London 2012 Olympics.

Yet, somehow, I missed seeing this giant stadium on my Cardiff daytrip a couple of years ago. I know! It's one of the most iconic buildings in Wales, and somehow, I missed seeing it. Not only that, but I just looked at an aerial shot and it's seriously right across the street from the train station I came in through. I remember seeing the supercool spires poking up through the skies, and a lot of light around it, but somehow, somehow, I missed the building itself. It's why I bought the magnet, really, because I knew I'd missed it - plus, it's just a really cool magnet to have, all 3-D (2-D?) perspectivey and whatnot.

It's ok, though, because we have Cardiff back on the dockett for the June London trip - of course - we can't not do another Doctor Who/Torchwood walkabout, so I'll get a chance to earn this magnet for real. I was hoping we could see an actual Rugby match with some actual rugby cuteboys, but it looks like the timing won't work out. I mean, shoot, we're even 2 days late for Take That.

What?

"It's that spaceship-lookin' thing down by the Bay"*

Magnet #516 - Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru

Ok. Who here is surprised that after I magnetblogged on the other Millennium Centre magnet, that I totally bought another one?

Of course, I bought one. How could I not?

The other one's still my favorite - that's the one that my sister brought back for me from her own trip, just in case I flaked on my Cardiff daytrip. But, I love this one, because of how the building inscription is backlit. It's my favorite design element of this building.

I posted a link to the whole album below, but I didn't even realize that I recreated this magnet on my own. Hahah. Lookit!

And, I'm using this one for yesterday, because Captain Jack Harkness just blowed up Torchwood Cardiff with that bomb in his tummy! A big gaping hole, right here - narrowly missing the Millennium Centre, the Pierhead, and the National Assembly Building - Senedd, as well. What? You also know I totally just rewound to make sure.

During my Is there a Doctor in the House UK trip last December, I spent a very long day in Cardiff - wandering around Cardiff and Cardiff Bay. (By the way, LOVE the logo, Cardiff. Sorry, a little work distraction there.)

The one-on-one guided tour of the Millennium Center with my Welsh tour guide was totally the highlight of quite possibly the entire UK trip. I plan on going back to take the architecture-specific tour, but she was terrific, the loveliest guide ever. Very proud of the majesty of the building, and rightly so.

Because it was just the two of us, we got to roam around a lot more. She led me through corridor after corridor, dressing rooms, stages, and rehearsal space, explaining everything from design to facility details along the way. They used all native Welsh materials during the two and a half years to build it - five different woods (ash, beech, cherry, chestnut and oak), plus 1,200 tons of slate and 4,500 tons of steel. And, they have like seven companies in residence, including the Welsh National Opera.

The main theatre was absolutely gorgeous, and we got to see where the Royals sit during the performances. (Darn if they're not hosting Sound of Music with my favorite Connie Fisher, the winner of How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? Yes. That was a spoiler. You can't hold it against me - the show aired in the UK almost two years ago now.)

My two favorite places were the public space of the lobby, where it's big enough to hold public performances at lunchtime, and the upper floors, where you can see behind the giant inscription of the facade.

Absolutely. Spectacular. Seriously, you can see why this building is included on the 1001 Buildings to See Before You Kick It list.

Of course, I'm not going to lie - I reveled in walking the Doctor's footsteps - this was where they filmed the New Earth episode.

• So, like a dork, I totally stepped into the elevator and waited to get showered with antibacterial spray. (It didn't happen.)
• Like a dork, I totally went into their little shop. (Where I bought this magnet.).
• Like a dork, I totally took a picture of the TARDIS in the lobby. (No key to get in.)
• And like a dork, I totally lingered over the Doctor Who concept drawings exhibition on the mezzanine floor. (No, I didn't buy anything.)

Funnily enough, it took me a bit before I admitted to my guide being a Doctor Who/Torchwood fan. Even funnier, the guide, an actress in company at the Centre, is friends with Eve Myles, who by all accounts is the nicest person ever. I knew that, just from the Torchwood session at this year's NY ComicCon.

So...Cardiff. Wonderful place to visit. For more than a day. I'm planning on going back, the first chance I get. (I didn't get to do a tour of the Senedd, and, I missed the second Torchwood entrance! Three hours on the Bay and you'd think I'd done more than a tour and eating lunch at Wagamama's. Heh. And, don't even get me started on Cardiff Castle, which I missed as well - and I have a whole magnet for that one. Heh.)

Oh! One last thing - the tour guide (from Swansea) had a lyrical Welsh accent - it's beautiful! Mind you, the only Welsh I know is Nadolig Llawen which is Merry Christmas. And the only reason I know that, is because of David Tennant and Billie Piper doing the Blackpool Illuminations a few years ago, and then, only because there was a DT vid diary where they're desperately and cutely rehearsing the phrase for the lights.

Hah. Nadolig Llawen - there's your bit of Christmas in July, I suppose.


*What the visitors center representative at the train station told me I wouldn't miss, when I asked him for directions to the Bay.

eta:
Huh. Every so often, I remember that I'm a bit of a geek. That's ok. I'll own the hell out of this one.

I (don't) know why the caged bird resigned...

Magnet #336 - San Francisco Joy

That little spec on the horizon under JOY, is Alcatraz, which I've talked about before. But, I'm using this magnet to get me to my The Prisoner marathon. It's a bit of a stretch, but really - how many prison magnets do you think I have?

Right. So The Prisoner. Somewhat obscure for my generation, given the show aired more than 40 years ago in 1967. But, because Patrick McGoohan passed away last week, and because I hate missing out on something so iconic, but mostly because AMC has the classic series streaming on their site to promote their Ian McKellen remake (which you know I'll totally watch), I've been marathoning the show.

I'm on the fifth episode (there are only 17) and I gotta be for serious here: I dunno about this show.

It's a pretty good premise: Guy resigns from his government spy job, wakes up, and finds he's been squirreled away on an island he can't escape from by people who have one goal - to find out why he resigned.

I can see how LOST takes some of its cues from this show - this island is a fully functional, actually kinda cool, self-governing, self-sufficient island - complete with oddball and ofttimes nefarious neighbors in funny uniforms with odd little badges, helicopters that don't actually let you escape, giant unidentified objects hovering and attacking, and supercute signs done in supercute fonts.

It's a pretty cool setting as well, quite amazing, in fact. What I had thought was a huge backlot at Pinewood Studios, was actually shot in North Wales, in a gorgeous private Italianate resort called Portmeirion.

It has the same fairly cool opener for every episode. It's interesting that the producers gave up like 3:17 in airtime for the opening, and we've now been reduced to the 10-sec logo build or swoosh and accompanying sound effect.

And it has a supercool lead. Mr. Googhan plays the ever-so-smooth prisoner Number 6, well-suited for the role. The guy spends every week alternatively beat down and stymied at every turn.

So don't get me wrong, overall, there's some good stuff here.

But, I think I'm having fundamental issues with it. Instead of a running MoW (Monster of the Week), it's more like an EToW, Escape (from the village) Tactic of the Week, or Extract (info) Tactic of the Week. Or even, IoW (Ingenue of the Week).

Can a show sustain itself if it's really all about how he's going to try and get off the island, or find out who these people are? Then again, with 17 episodes, maybe you don't have to. Then again, LOST's been doing it for more than 100.

Frankly, the MacGuffin of "why did you resign" is getting old. At some point, who cares? It feels like if, after all this, he won't tell his captors why he resigned - he's not going to sell whatever information is in his head, and it certainly won't be squeezed out of him involuntarily.

I'm also a little worried, because I saw somewhere that the show's ending was never truly resolved, and the mystery of his resignation solved. That will drive me batty. Like, forever.

Again, I'm only at the fifth episode. I'll keep watching, because really, even after all my brazen talk above, I'm way too far in to go back now.

Poor Number 6. I hope he makes it off the island. But maybe he can hook up with the Oceanic 6 if he does!

In These Stones, Horizons Sing

Magnet #302 - Wales Millennium Centre

So, today I'm headed for Cardiff. Yes. Cardiff. In Wales. Yes. That Wales. For the whole day. Yes. A whole day.

There's a few reasons why. Chief among them is that even though there's a Doctor Who Exhibition at Earl's Court here in London, not two stops away from me, I'm going to the DW Exhibition in a mall in Cardiff. The show's shot nearby, and uses several exteriors around town. So it just seems more authentic (for the new incarnation of the series), to go visit this location and then walking around town.

But, a really big reason is for this building here - the Wales Millennium Centre. It's a working theatre, designed by Jonathan Adams. And, if you've ever watched Doctor Who and its spin-off Torchwood, you'll have seen this gorgeous building. Belowground is where the Torchwood hub is, on the show. But, the venue is on the 1001 Buildings to See Before You Die list, and so I'm checking it off with (hopefully) a tour today.

My favorite part of the building is the facade, where the giant words are first in Welsh, and then in English - and if you look carefully at the magnet, you see the phrase is: In These Stones, Horizons Sing. There's just something awesome about it.

OK, I probably won't be back in time to edit this post, and the next magnetpost will be superlate tomorrow night.

And, gosh. It looks like I'll have to buy a whole other magnet to talk about the actual tour. I know you're shocked.

A post-tour eta:
I had the best tour yesterday - a native Welsh actress from Swansea, with a gorgeous accent to boot. So much fun, and I was the only one on her tour. Plus, how fitting is it that she was actually in a Doctor Who episode, as well.

She was very proud of the heritage of the building and Wales, and it was a lovely thing to see. She went through all the details behind the design elements, and explained the inscription on the front of the building. It's not a direct translation - the poem was written half in Welsh, half in English. It says: "Creating truth like glass from inspiration's furnace, In these stones horizons sing."