a jaunt to bristol

Last Wednesday both my mother and I managed to get the day off and catch the train west to Bristol. The main purpose of the trip was check out the university campus and city, but aided by the beautiful weather, we managed to turn it into a lovely day out.
We walked the streets and steps of the city in order not to miss anything, gradually browning under the warm sun. We bought sesame cookies and apple cake at a foodie market, then walked up a hill to the university buildings, most of which were positioned along a wide leafy avenue well-travelled by cyclists and clever-looking folk.
ln a green, pretty garden in the midst of the university we found students quietly reading, talking and lunching in the sunshine. We joined them for a little while, enjoying the views of the beautiful architecture framed by the bright blue sky.
Then we carried on walking, via an art gallery, along more roads, past Brandon Hill Nature Park (of course I was excited because it sounded like Brandon Flowers), towards the college green and cathedral. A lot of the older Bristol feels a bit like Cambridge; the buildings are similarly grand and intellectual, with views of spires and towers at every corner.
We had a delicious middle-eastern mezze platter for lunch in a rad church cafe; falafel, tzatziki, houmous, pitta bread, salad. After walking through the dim, cool church interior listening to the sounds of somebody playing hesitantly on the piano, we ventured back into the sunlight and explored the Corn Exchange markets and the harbourside. The market contained lots of straw hats, colourful bracelets and art, accompanied by the smells of all kinds of ethnic foods in the air.
Bristol's cool; it feels pretty laidback with a definite ethnic/hippy vibe floating through the streets, and I liked it a lot.
Some snaps from the day:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Other than jaunting about Bristol I've been working, studying and doing a bit of gardening in between. I've been a busy bee, but a happy one!

More posts to follow, I promise!