DAY 25-27 Melbourne to Bristol 12,429 miles as the crow flies
There is always something usual and edgy happening in Bristol. It’s unique combination of history and pure right out there makes it a fun place to hang out for a couple of days….
Wow! Gorillas in Clifton village
The old and the ultra modern sit well side by side in Bristol. On one hand we have outside our docklands door Brunels SS Great Britain the worlds first great ocean liner – now nestled in a dry dock under the watchful eye of the brightly colored terrace houses of Hotwells.
A signpost shows Melbourne is 12,429 nautical miles away; a voyage taking the 630 passengers and animals 83 days in 1852.
So the Tim’s forthcoming return at Christmas – 30 hours on China Southern should be a breeze!
See No Evil.
On the other hand, at the urban cutting edge of modernism is the Nelson Street Art in Bristol city centre. This street was a nondescript corridor of bleak, grey buildings now it hosts the most ambitious permanent street art project ever to take place in the UK….
12 buildings including a Police Station, office block and car park have been transformed from drab to fab…
This is the largest street art mural in the UK
Bristol is believed to be home to the legendary street artist Banksy You can get a map and follow a walking tour of his work. Ironically the ongoing debate as to whether Bankys work is street art or vandalism finds Love Rat below, now with splashes of red paint…. Hummm, I think there is a clue as to whodunit above!
Banksy Love Rats on Park Street Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Richard Cocks
Elegant and Edgy Clifton village…
The wonderful Georgian architecture of Victoria Square, Clifton
A stroll through the lovely buildings, gift shops and trendy cafes of Clifton village – the most beautiful shopping quarter in Bristol – brings us to a viewing point on the Bristol Downs of the Clifton Suspension Bridge. This world famous Bridge was also designed by the great Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, although he never lived to see his creation finished in 1864.
It was a grey October day, temperature at 1 degree and spitting with rain when we were there, so we didn’t linger for a stroll across the bridge and went home for a cuppa and cake instead!
The Clifton Suspension Bridge’s spectacular setting on the cliffs of the Avon Gorge has made it the defining symbol of Bristol
There is lots to see and do in Bristol, hope to be back to explore more soon.
Little Wandering Wren
Location:Bristol, Avon UK
