It's a surprisingly bright February afternoon, the sun is trying it's hardest to keep free of the clouds threatening to cover it and bringing a nice warmth to Swansea' s streets.
In the sunshine, Swansea's best bits are thrown into light, and the city seems to shine a little brighter.
If you take a walk around the 'ugly, lovely town', as Swansea-born poet Dylan Thomas once called it, I'm sure you'll find that there's plenty to be cheerful about, from smiling cherubs to jolly stallholders and new businesses opening up in the area.
Read more: The new coffee and pie shop inspired by Australia that's opened in Swansea
As I walked around Swansea's streets, here are seven things that made me smile.
Swansea's guardian angels
All you need to do is look up, and you find angels staring back at you. Buildings all around the city centre have angels incorporated into their architecture.
Oxford Street's Waterstones, or as it used to be known, the Carlton Cinema de Luxe, was one of Swansea’s most impressive buildings when it opened in January, 1914.
Its distinctive and beautiful façade, with bay glass windows on the first and second floors and decorative friezes in Doulton ware featuring dancing cherubs, towering over its patrons, must have caused a hush of awe.
Now the angels watch over patrons of the popular book store, heading in to get the latest bestseller.
Angels can also be spotted above Founders & Co in Wind Street and cascading down the wall of Crusts, on the corner of Singleton street.
The Indoor Market
It will come as no surprise to Swansea's residents that the market was voted ‘Britain’s Best Large Indoor Market’ in 2020, and its recent garden addition is enough to bring a smile to any weary shopper.
The market has been in the same spot on the high street since 1830, and continues to provide the city with a wide range of products, from fresh fruit and veg, to clothes and traditional Welsh delicacies.
The new market garden, close to the famous cockle stalls, is visible from every direction due to its 7.5m-high pergola, the shape of which mirrors the market's monumental domed roof.
Here, shoppers can grab a slice of the award-winning food that can be found throughout the market.
The greenery of Wind Street
Swansea Council has invested £3 million to implement its vision of turning the street into an all-day destination with more opportunities for family fun, eating and meeting for coffee, rather than it just being somewhere people go in the evening.
Part of this transformation included the planting of hundreds of plants and flowers.
The street, which curves northwards from Quay Parade, now features outdoor seating areas, flower beds and greenery, and performance areas.
Whilst at the moment, the freshly planted shrubs have a lot of growing to do, by summer the street will become a green haven.
Castle Square art
Castle Square is one of the main pathways through the city, connecting High Street, Oxford Street and Wind Street with an impressive fountain in the middle.
But sat on the pillars at each entrance to the square are pieces of art, done by local primary school children, depicting different pieces of Swansea's history.
There are 6 pictures in total, showing things like the Swansea Blitz bombing in 1941, and King Edward II fleeing to Swansea in 1326.
The fountain is also home to its own piece of art.
The upper pond’s leaf sculpture was inspired by the Dylan Thomas poem entitled Rain Cuts the Place We Tread. This described childhood games in Cwmdonkin Park with the words: "We sail a boat along the path, Paddle with leaves, Down an ecstatic line of light.”
Swansea Castle
Whilst Swansea castle may no longer have the structural integrity of its neighbours, it provides a stark contrast to the modern buildings around it and reminds everyone who looks at it of the rich history of the city it once protected.
It stands on a clifftop, below which the river Tawe originally flowed, and its position was strategic: it commanded the lowest crossing of the river, the main east-west route in south Wales, and a good harbour.
What's visible now is only a small part of the most recent castle on the site, which in its heyday in the late 13th century stretched from Welcome Lane in the north to Caer Street in the south, and from the clifftop in the east, almost to Princess Way in the West.
Whilst the only inhabitants now are the pigeons, there are not may cities that can boast having castle ruins just a stone's throw from their shops.
New independent businesses
It's been a rough time for businesses in recent years, so the news of new bars, shops and cafes opening in the city is enough to put a smile on anyone's face.
New additions to Wind Street in particular include new board game café, Social Dice as well as new bar, Heaven.
Heaven Swansea replaces the former La Cantina unit in Wind Street and aims to bring something completely different to the Swansea hospitality scene.
Residents will have also seen the old post office, previously known as Idols, being transformed into a new gin bar, owned by Creative Dining Group, which runs both Gin Ne Sais Quoi and Positano Italian, breathing new life into the building once more.
The beach
Now, I know Swansea beach is not the jewel in the crown when it comes to seaside locations nearby. We are blessed with fantastic beaches, with the Gower Area of outstanding natural beauty just a short journey away.
But there are very few places where you can shop in a city centre, and then walk to the beach, and Swansea is one of them.
The beach itself is always full of fantastic shells and pebbles, and is the perfect place to grab a breath of fresh air just a few steps away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre.
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