When I think of Bristol, I think of what Oscar Wilde said: “The old believe everything, the middle-aged suspect everything and the young know everything”. Its collaboration of old and new along with its rich diversity means that it is a place for everyone to enjoy and explore.
From Gloucester Road to St Nicholas Market, this colourful city has everything going for it. For me, it’s the city of life, a city where you can mature in and a place that you can re-activate that inner child and feel free to try a whole manner of new things that Bristol has to offer.
I have lived a train stop away from the city of Bristol my whole life, and it is only now that I’m exploring it’s every nook and cranny.
My favourite corner of Bristol is Park Street. Starting at the lively waterfront and making my way up to the top, seeing what my beloved street has to offer this time around.
A trip to the aquarium at millennium square is highly underrated and is definitely NOT just for kids! As what started as a spontaneous decision for a rainy day, with little hope of being entertained, turned out as a brilliant kick-start to a date with my partner. We fell head over heels for stingrays and stared hypnotised at jellyfish, re-kindling our long lost childhood interests that were long forgotten.
Leaving the sea life behind us, we headed towards the college green and my passion in life, Food! Our much loved ‘La Tomatina’ greets us with the smell of chorizo sautéed with sweet onions and the aromas of freshly mixed sangria from behind the bar.
Every time we visit it’s the same story. The menu is so inviting, we just want it all! The waitress serves us our dishes of homemade, age-old recipe tapas. But of course, this wouldn’t be tapas without the fresh from the fryer Churros that I’m sure holds the power to solve any crisis in an instant!
Curiosity got the better of us as we then set off for Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, not knowing what to expect.
As a big history and art lover, it was love at first sight with the great halls architecture alone! Discovering a mass collection of Egyptian artefacts and even mummies was a revelation and delight. Despite my favouritism, I couldn’t help but become somewhat infatuated with the spectacular box kite aeroplane welcome.
Along with dinosaurs, wildlife specimens and precious minerals, the museum displays an insightful look into Bristol’s past with old town plans, landscape sketches and even maps dating back centuries to give you a look into this city’s once rural heritage.
All perfect weekends, however, must sadly come to an end. Whether you like to cosy up with a hot chocolate or a freshly made gelato, this city’s got it covered. Personally, I like to top mine off with an ice cold mixer in one of park streets laid-back local bars. Through this I find myself reflecting on how much I admire this city and how much its really grown on me even in after a day.
Whatever your interests are, there is something for you in Bristol as its rich diversity and progress creates an environment for trying something that might not be your everyday idea of fun. You can be a kid again or mature into culture, the choice is yours and I for one feel it’s a breath of fresh air into my weekends.
