BEING IN BRISTOL – DAY 2

Nah, still not done yet! Sorry! Ohhh, it’s nice to be so inspired again. Sitting at my hotel’s pub, being surrounded by chatting, it’s actually quite loud and if anyone were with me, we would barely hear each other without shouting, increasing the sound level to another 10%.

Anyway, waiting for my dinner, it’s burger again (I just couldn’t resist, they are just so much better than the stuff one gets back at home, even at my love-hate restaurant “Sissi & Franz”) I continue giving an account of my visit to Bristol.

Day 2 basically started the same way as Day 1. Withwonderful British breakfast, thrown in with some watermelon and a croissant with Nutella. Bliss, pure bliss.

I knew I had to get some sightseeing in, well, not exactly had to but want to. With an estimated half hour of walking time I left the hotel at 9 a.m. (fearing I might lose my way again) and with my trusted Google Maps App I had no trouble at all finding my destination. Which is THE place to go when in Bristol: Brunel’s SS Great Britain (the first ocean liner, for anyone who didn’t know that). And being an engineer it was even more essential to go there. One just has to admire the technical inventions of those times.

Of course, I was half an hour early. Gee, what a surprise. But I didn’t mind. The sun was shining, I was sitting on a bench next to the river Avon and I just enjoyed the view.

I knew, I had approx. 1 and a half hours to get everything done. The museums, the ship, the souvenir shopping. For a tour that usually takes 3-4 hours. Well, I got it done in one. My proud record – I think my running through Madame Tussaud’s many many years ago, when smartphones were still a thing of the big unknown and plain cameras were the only way to take pictures, loaded with film rolls, took longer. And for those, who are wondering, why I was running through Madame Tussaud’s taking pictures of basically everyone I knew and didn’t know? My camera didn’t work the first time I was there and I had to borrow the one from our host. And being me, even then, I took as many pics as possible. As far as I remember approx. 3 rolls, 36 pics each. You do the math …

Where was I? Right! Rushing through, taking pics of basically everything. Well, since one doesn’t have to pay for the pics to be developed at the horrendous price of 25 years ago, it doesn’t matter, how many pics one takes with one’s smartphone. (Even though I tend to print them out for my photo albums. And I tend to print ALL of them! I just can never decide! And I love to thumb through them physically!) The marvellous thing? I was basically alone on the ship, leaving the others behind in the first room of the Dockyard Museum. And let me tell you! It was awesome. And I wish I had had more time to explore and look into the tiny cabins and rooms moreextensively. What was creepy, though, as one walks through the quarters, moans, sighs and voices are following you. From the man sitting on his bunk sewing. From the man being treated by the ship’s doctor. From the seasick woman retching into a bowl. And since I was basically alone … it definitely gave me the creeps. Ghost voices from another day and age.

Isambard Brunel sure was a fascinating man. Withthe first ocean liner just one of his many inventions and accomplishments. And I’m really looking forward to reading the guide book and the book about Brunel I bought. (Apart from other souvenirs! The usual cup, a fridge magnet, a fabric bag … the usual!)

Ohhh, look at that! Nearly 700 words just for my vacation report of the morning of Day 2. But don’t worry, I will stop right here and continue with the rest of my day’s adventures in next week’s post! Cheerio!

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