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Views of Bristol

Haven’t been able to dive back into our Adventures in London Part II, nor did I fully get to share a few of the landmarks we had the pleasure of visiting in Bristol. With so much to do, I’m falling behind! Here’s the best of our visit to Bristol 🙂

The Clifton Suspension Bridge (& Visitor Center)bristol-crossing

There’s a visitor’s center on one side, with the history of the bridge and Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the guy who architected it (among other things, like the Great Western Rail!). He was voted #2 in BBC’s “100 Greatest Britons” poll of the early 2000s. Shakespeare was all the way at #5! I guess in day to day living, practicalities of travel one up more literary/dramatic cultural achievements.bristol-suspension-bridge

clifton-suspensionThe wrought iron suspension bridge was built without any government funds, which means it took a LONG time to complete, 30 years of start and stop work, all dependent on whether there were enough funds to continue building. It was originally designed to have Egyptian motifs as decoration, but these details didn’t make it into the bridge we see today. It was the tallest and longest bridge of its day, a marvel.

Left: View of the river below from one side. Right: View of the river from mid-bridge.
Left: View of the river below from one side. Right: View of the river from mid-bridge.

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Even today the bridge does not get funding from the city or government. It maintains a 1 pound toll to cross by vehicle. But biking or walking is always free!

Also, the bridge is illuminated between dusk and midnight. Another second and spectacular view.suspension-night

Side note: there’s a stone slide accessible from this vantage point. Click here to watch me slide down =)

Cabot Tower

Cabot tower sits in the middle of a beautiful green park with edible plants all over! It’s hard to see below, but all the dots have a number that corresponds to a plant, like wild plum, crab apple, Oregon grape, or black currant. cabot-hill-map

cabot-towWe didn’t forage, our appetites full from Kurdish wraps, freshly made (bread too). But we did see lots of tiny ladybug friends all over the tower.

naan-ladybugs
Yep, all those dots in the center picture are ladybugs! Betcha never usually see naan wraps and ladybugs together. Neither do we.

There are over 100 steps to the very top, through a small—no, make that TINY—staircase. If someone is attempting to go the opposite direction you have a fun/awkward shuffle to sidestep each other without tripping on the few inches of stair that comprises the width of each step close to the center.cabot-tower

But it’s worth every step and every awkward encounter for these views.

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cabot-tow-views

Get Your Knits!

Bristol takes lots of pride in their city, as they should. In fact, over 250 volunteers knitted a version of it over 3 years, complete with landmarks, titled “Briswool” that is on public display (free!) at the Bristol Energy Hub office. It’s a pretty adorable display.

briswool
Left: Clifton Suspension bridge with the famous hot air balloons during the festival (in August).
briswool-1
Upper Left: Cabot Tower (red bit), Planetarium @Bristol (round, ball-looking thing). Upper Right: Avon river and Harbourside life; Thekla; bike life!

Of course what post would be complete without some sort of food nod? See, I’d already snuck in some wild forage-ables and naan. But you know that with me there’s always more food involved.

Pie

We tried the original Pieminister in Stokes Croft—now sold in many London shops, including stalls in the famed Borough Market as well as pubs across London and Bristol. I got the chicken, portobello, and chestnut pie upon first visit (and venison, smoked bacon, and red wine gravy upon our second visit). Jon got chicken, smoked bacon, and tarragon (and then the traditional British beef steak and craft ale pie).

Their storefront has their slogan/great life advice painted across the building.
Their storefront has their slogan/great life advice painted across the building.
piminster-pie-cider
Plus slaw, crispy onions, and gravy
Neon words to live by. And pie. Lots of pie.
Neon words to live by. And pie. Lots of pie.

Sunday Roast

Did I mention we also had a Sunday Roast? We stopped by The Huntsman in Bath, for an iconic supper.

Upper Right: Sunday prayer at The Huntsman. Lower Right: Order at the bar, pay, and let the bartender know where you're seated.
Upper Right: Sunday prayer at The Huntsman. Lower Right: Order at the bar, pay, and let the bartender know where you’re seated.
sunday-roast
Traditional Roast, served with a giant Yorkshire pudding, honey mustard glazed carrots & parsnips, twice-cooked roasted potatoes, creamed leeks, red wine gravy & braised cabbage.

Up until now I had no idea that a Yorkshire pudding was a spongy fluff that is more like a gravy vessel than any kind of bread that I know of. Silly me, of course that’s why it’s called “pudding!” And that gravy does deserve an elaborate food-vehicle for consumption.

Exhibition Cider

Last, but certainly not least, we had the famous Exhibition Cider at The Coronation Tap, or “The Cori” among locals. It’s brewed locally exclusively for The Coronation Tap. They only sell it in 1/2 pints because depending on the batch, it can have an ABV of 8-15% (read: extremely potent). It also tastes just like apple juice. Seriously. This stuff is deliciously dangerous.

exhibition-cider
The Cori was the first cider house in Bristol and used to have a set of rules, now framed for humor and history. My favorites: No use of the word “scrumpy” (which was apparently a word for “rough strong cider” back in the day); No moving furniture; No spirits (beer and cider only). It was a truly strict cider house!

We met some lovely Bristolians at The Cori who showed us a fantastic time, including a secret bar, complete with telephone booth entry and all!

Thanks Tamas and Natalie!
Thanks Tamas and Natalie!

2 Comments

  1. red red

    Beautiful Bristol shots! Love all your food insights! The “Cori” sounds amazing!

  2. Barbara Crowe Barbara Crowe

    I love it when we have a chance to spend time with the people who live in the area. We love to share some food and drink and find our what their daily lives are like. These moments are priceless.

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