Bristol Round Up

A pleasant week in Bristol saw a number of tasks completed including replacing the van horn, giving the bike a good clean and check over in advance of the Brecon Beast in 3 weeks time, seeing various friends and enjoying the for me now rather novel concept of living in a house. The dogs soon got used to my presence on their walks as we ambled along the Avon to greet the swans, moorhens, free ranging pigs and an assortment of other canine companions.

Out at Portishead I enjoyed an excellent meal with old friends with the new housing and cafe culture surrounding the former power station and dock site reminding me perhaps surprisingly of Perth in WA.
A good friend from my nursing training days joined me for the weekend and we enjoyed a bike ride out to Bath along the converted railway line with the restoration enthusiasts at Bitton manning a good cafe and running a diesel loco from the '70's. The Kennet and Avon canal took us through the heart of Bath to a pub for lunch before we returned stopping in Bristol to look at the terraced property I first purchased in 1983.
Arnos Vale's 50 acre cemetery containing some 50,000 graves was a peaceful and moving experience with the volunteers facing a mammoth task of keeping the undergrowth at bay and preserving the tombs and headstones that help chart the expansion of Bristol over many generations. Our cycling continued with a ride through Bristol's waterfront attractions and out towards the Bristol Channel along the Avon. The graceful Clifton suspension bridge soared above us and Portishead yet again provided a sun drenched spot for refreshment.
Our final day has been spent admiring the street art in the city centre, sourcing guides to Turkey and eastern Europe in anticipation of my next trip and being suitably impressed by the displays at the University of Bristol Botanic Garden up on the Downs.
Having just enjoyed a night at the pictures I am now lurking in the early hours under the flight path at Bristol Airport to collect the returning holidaymakers with a transfer over to the Brecon Beacons tomorrow for more cycling and hopefully some tops if the weather holds.
Piccies lurk here and my whereabouts will soon reappear here.