After being back in London from my Scotland adventure, I wanted to do something special for my friend Charu’s Birthday, so I surprised her with a 3 day trip to Bristol. Since we both had not been here it was a perfect getaway we could explore together.
We took the Megabus from London Victoria Bus Station to Bristol and got there in 2.5 hours. A tad longer than the train but way cheaper and the ride was effortless and fun.
We were dropped off near Bristol Brunswick square and our Uber was waiting there to take us to our home-away-from-home, which was just a 10 min ride.
I had found a wonderful loft townhouse in the city center by the harbor via Airbnb. Our Bristol home was much better than we had expected, which was spread out on two levels and had amazing views of the city from the terrace. The warehouse turned townhouse was meticulously decorated with a modern twist, exposed wooden beams, and skylight views from the master bedroom.
I took the cosy bedroom on the first level and gave the master bedroom to the birthday girl. Can’t believe we have been friends for over 20 years. I’m so grateful to our friendship and love.
Day 1 was about getting lay off the land. Since it was sunny, we opted for an outdoor lunch overlooking the canal at the nearby Ostrich Inn Pub. The food was yummy minus the absent minded server.
We wandered around the harbor while admiring the beautiful architecture and colorful houses.
Without a map to guide us, we followed our instincts, which led us to the Bristol Cathedral. So peaceful and majestic. The cathedral gardens are a hidden secret, so glad we discovered it and spent some time in this tranquil setting.
Near the Bristol City council stands the Statue of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, the founder of Brahmo Sabha and father of Indian Renaissance, was known for his efforts to abolish the practices of sati and child marriage in India.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy
Took at quick peak inside the Bristol City Council, wish they would have allowed us to explore the building.
We walked past the College Green park across from the council building and got to Park Street, which is lined with cute boutiques, cafes and restaurants. After having tea at Bird & Blend, it was time to do some retail therapy.
We hiked up the Brandon Hill to the Cabot Tower. The narrow stairs might deter you from going up the tower but brave up and just do it because the view of the city is simply spectacular from here.
After descending down from the skies, we found a bench nearby to sit and admire the surroundings. And then suddenly out of nowhere, the hot air balloons started appearing in the sky.
Charu was ecstatic because we had read in one of the brouchers that last week was the Balloon festival and she so wished that we would have come here then. But, we learned from the locals that due to bad weather, the hot air balloons never went up the sky and we were in for a treat today since they decided to pop up on a clear sunny day. Yay!!!
After having a wonderful first day in Bristol with so many surprises, we headed back to our apartment to relax, unwind, watch the sunset and soak in the tub. On the way back we stopped at Sainsbury to pick up some stuff for our breakfast.
Day 2 was a late start because of overcast and rainy morning. Over breakfast we prepared a rough plan about what we wanted to see for the next few days.
Our first stop was St. Mary’s Redcliffe church which is a gothic masterpiece with slender soaring spires that stands 89 meters high.
From the church, we went to the Queens Square and as it started pouring again, we found a cute cafe to have tea and cake. Once it stopped raining, we went to Saint Nicholas Market, which is an indoor market with lot of cool stuff to shop for, since I’m traveling light, that was not going to happen even if I was tempted to buy a cute hat.
The Castle Park area is not too far from the market, so we wandered through the park in the rain, stopped at Lush to pick up some bath bombs and got back to the Bristol Bridge.
We decided to have an early dinner at Glassboat Brasserie. The views from the boat restaurant overlooking the bridge and canal was stunning and so was our 3-course meal.
We walked back home before it started to pour again. It was perfect weather to have a bubble bath and use the bath bombs we had purchased today to relax and rejuvenate.
After a relaxing bath, we had wine and chocolate while watching an hour of a Bollywood movie before calling it a night.
Day 3 started with a yummy breakfast. Since the sun was shinning, we decided to take the ferry around the city. This is the best way to see Bristol. After doing the round trip via the ferry, we decided to get off at Wapping Wharf, check out the shipping containers converted into cute shops and cafes, and walk around the neighborhood.
Later, we found our way back to Park Street from here we took the bus to Clifton Village. Explored the neighborhood of cute cafes, pubs and shops before heading to the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Wow! That sums it all up about being at the bridge. You just have to be there to experience the thrill and nature’s beauty. We chickened out on the prospect of climbing the rocks to get in the caves, watching some daredevils climb the rock was enough for us.
We headed back to the Clifton village to explore some streets we had not ventured on. We were a bit hungry by this time from all the walking and exploring and, by chance we stumbled upon a cute tapas restaurant.
After the Birthday girl made her wish, we headed back to our apartment and it was time to call it a night.
Next day, we had to say goodbye to Bristol and take the bus back to London.
To sum it up, we had no high expectation about Bristol when we got here but after being in this city, we have to say that we fell in love with this wonderful walkable city with canals, colorful homes on hills, modern architecture blending with the old, cute cafes, boutiques, pubs and restaurants everywhere. It’s a central city for easy access to the Cotswold and London but it’s still not crazy as London it any big city.
