Bristol at night

Ian and I generally take a walk every night after dinner. Over the past week, with surprisingly clear skies, we've watched the moon grow full. I snapped this picture as we made our way to the park near the suspension bridge, the moon was quite bright and it certainly felt like a fall/Halloween night.

Zoo days

Saturday 17 October - Ian and I decided to go to the zoo today. I haven't been to the zoo in ages and Its been about a year since Ian and I went together. We had a great time visiting the reptiles, fish and bugs and then wandering around to see the red panda, seals, penguins and red panda. It was quite crowded with pushy little kids and their inattentive parents but we had fun.

Clifton Downs

Now that we are moving up in the world, literally that is as we are now further up the hill, we are much closer to the Clifton Downs. I enjoy running on the downs because it has many paths both paves and simply worn in the grass and great views of the Avon Gorge. On sunny days there are often families out playing ball and flying kites. The Downs is a popular place for joggers and dog walkers. I also collect blackberries after my run, they are great for breakfast or a snack and recently I collected a bunch of bright red rosehips to make into a wreath. Being so close to the downs is like having a little oasis of countryside in the city.

Ballooning Around

We finally have some nice weather here in Bristol, well in between the rainy days that is, However, the hot air balloon companies have been taking advantage of the clear days and I often see balloons floating about the city 3 or 4 five days a week. It is always amazing to suddenly see them just above the horizon. They are certainly a fixture of life here in Bristol.

Bradford upon Avon

Saturday 11 October- We decided that if the weather was nice today we would finally go to Bradford Upon Avon, a Cotswold village that we have often passed on our trips to Portsmouth/Fareham and which I have wanted to visit for a long time. Well it was a lovely morning and after a leisurely breakfast we walked down to Temple Meads to buy our tickets. The tickets were a bit more than I was expecting but they turned out to be well worth it. We arrived around 11:30 and made our way from the train station to the information office. We then began our adventure through the town. Bradford upon Avon straddles the Avon river and so the waterway frequently makes an appearance as you explore the town. It is also rich in historical buildings including a Saxon church, a Norman church (the most complete one in England) two medieval bridges and a tithe barn as well as weavers cottages and wool mills from the 18th and 19th century and various other old and interesting bits. We really enjoyed our time in Bradford upon Avon (not to be confused with just plain Bradford). The weather was wonderful, sunny and warm but not too hot. The town was full of wonder full smells: flowers, baking, fish n' chips, wood/peat fires, cut grass. We saw all the major historic sites and ventured up and down some of the winding sides streets. We had lunch at the Bridge tea house, complete with classical music and waitresses in full Victorian servants costumes. After lunch we wandered along the river and visited a few shops near the tithe barn. We stayed in Bradford upon Avon until the 5:20 train took us back to Bristol. It was a very full but rewarding day. Definitely one of my favourite adventures in England.