A very enjoyable trip to Bristol
As promised, I’m devoting this post to a very pleasant experience we had recently: a trip to the city of Bristol, 80 or so miles to the southeast of Oxford. 
We went there to visit some friends of Ori’s, who had lived in Halifax for a few years before returning to their native UK. Knowing that we were in Oxford, they invited us over for a weekend, and we pounced on the opportunity to see a bit more of the UK.
Although the weather wasn’t cooperative (it was cold, windy and rainy the whole time), we still enjoyed ourselves. Bristol is near the southeast coast of Britain, and very close to Cardiff and the Welsh border. (We didn’t hear any funny accents, though.) We took the train, which was very fast and quiet and full of businessmen. We were impressed with the Bristol (Temple Meads) train station, and from there we hiked into town.
We made a stop at the church of St Mary Redcliffe, which seemed to be a vibrant, prosperous church with an active congregation. This was evidenced by the ongoing renovation of the organ, which had the transept filled with tin pipes, many of them more than 20 feet long.
Our next stops were the Red Lodge and the Georgian House, two historic Bristol houses now operated as free museums by the city. They were very nice, and the latter in particular showed one of the ways in which Bristol became a city of note: slavery. Being near the coast, Bristol also has a strong nautical heritage, and many an expedition set off from there. Of special interest
to us was the connection to explorer John Cabot, who, though a Venetian (we walked past his house on the Riva dei Sette Martiri every day in Venice), sailed to the New World from Bristol under the English flag.
After a lunch at the Llandoger Trow, we explored the city a bit more, spending some time on Park St., which had a distinct studenty feel. On the whole, Bristol seemed to me like it would be a much better place to be a student than Oxford. Oxford, though nice and historic, is undeniably dominated by the University, and it sometimes feels like there’s no room for anything else. Bristol, on the other hand, has a lot to offer in other areas,
while keeping the livable student atmosphere in many parts of the city. Its university is also one of high repute in the UK. If I had to pick somewhere else to settle in England, I think right now it would probably be Bristol!
We met up with Ori’s friends that evening, and spent several hours catching up and trading stories of our respective cross-cultural experiences.
The next day, we visited the famous Clifton Suspension Bridge, which, when I told them I was going to Bristol, was the only thing my friends at work asked if I was going to see. It lived up to expectations, especially given its age (almost 150 years) and the depth
of the (Avon) gorge it crosses. Following that, we all went to the Bristol City Museum and enjoyed the Egypt, geology and animal kingdom (i.e., taxidermy) exhibits.
Our final stop, and probably my favourite of the trip, was the Bristol Cathedral on College Green. We happened to arrive in the middle of an excellent free solo piano recital being given by Yukino Kano. Her beautiful renditions of pieces by Chopin and Debussy made me wish I had kept up with my classical studies. After the recital, we explored the cathedral, which again gave the impression of being a true center of community life. For example, the church was hosting a display of
artwork by the best local student artists. I couldn’t believe that some of the artists were as young as 13, and the degree of talent, technique and emotional awareness on display was astonishing.
Ori’s favourite parts of the cathedral were the medieval chapter house (where monks would have convened and discussed the operation of their monastery) and the adjacent cloister. It seems that churches always play a major role in our sightseeing wherever we go, and there’s always something different and interesting to see at each one.
We caught our train back to Oxford with no problems, and we’re still remembering our time in Bristol fondly. We’ve heard about the Bristol Balloon Fiesta, which takes place every August, and I think we’ll be heading back to see it this summer. In the meantime, we’re hoping to repay the favour by having our friends over to Oxford. By the way, photos of the trip are posted in the gallery here. Please take a look!
Although the weather wasn’t cooperative (it was cold, windy and rainy the whole time), we still enjoyed ourselves. Bristol is near the southeast coast of Britain, and very close to Cardiff and the Welsh border. (We didn’t hear any funny accents, though.) We took the train, which was very fast and quiet and full of businessmen. We were impressed with the Bristol (Temple Meads) train station, and from there we hiked into town.
Our next stops were the Red Lodge and the Georgian House, two historic Bristol houses now operated as free museums by the city. They were very nice, and the latter in particular showed one of the ways in which Bristol became a city of note: slavery. Being near the coast, Bristol also has a strong nautical heritage, and many an expedition set off from there. Of special interest
After a lunch at the Llandoger Trow, we explored the city a bit more, spending some time on Park St., which had a distinct studenty feel. On the whole, Bristol seemed to me like it would be a much better place to be a student than Oxford. Oxford, though nice and historic, is undeniably dominated by the University, and it sometimes feels like there’s no room for anything else. Bristol, on the other hand, has a lot to offer in other areas,
We met up with Ori’s friends that evening, and spent several hours catching up and trading stories of our respective cross-cultural experiences.
The next day, we visited the famous Clifton Suspension Bridge, which, when I told them I was going to Bristol, was the only thing my friends at work asked if I was going to see. It lived up to expectations, especially given its age (almost 150 years) and the depth
Our final stop, and probably my favourite of the trip, was the Bristol Cathedral on College Green. We happened to arrive in the middle of an excellent free solo piano recital being given by Yukino Kano. Her beautiful renditions of pieces by Chopin and Debussy made me wish I had kept up with my classical studies. After the recital, we explored the cathedral, which again gave the impression of being a true center of community life. For example, the church was hosting a display of
Ori’s favourite parts of the cathedral were the medieval chapter house (where monks would have convened and discussed the operation of their monastery) and the adjacent cloister. It seems that churches always play a major role in our sightseeing wherever we go, and there’s always something different and interesting to see at each one.
