Yikes, not what we were expecting and feeling old. We landed in Stokes Croft, Bristol, and were surprised by the juxtaposition we saw. There were restaurants with many hipsters while next door there were down and outers.
Walking to our place in Stokes Croft, and as a Banksy fan, I was excited and elated to see Banksy's "Mild Mild West" mural near our apartment. We were staying across from Turbo Island, a 30x30 yard triangle of concrete, which felt different than what the website says. When we arrived, there was a pop up rave by Bass General and Stacked Out Entertainment on the big green dnb party bus. There was never a big crowd, but there were always some people dancing and having fun. Of course, Patchen and I were wondering how late it would go because through our wimpy single pane windows, it felt like we were on the island with them. This was my first instance of feeling old because 20 years ago, I would have run out and joined them. Then, as stated on the Turbo Island website, a fire burns every night; however, the fuel isn't always appropriate. For example, they burned a refrigerator with all the plastic and metal that it contains. As the evening wore on, we noticed more people who looked as if they had nowhere else to stay other than Turbo Island. One guy was on a stair bent in half from what appeared to be drug use. To us, it felt dirty and questionable (feeling old again), and one Bristol local described the area as colorful. If we were in our 20s without and 11 year old, perhaps we would have felt differently. Also, the place we stayed was janky, so that didn't help.
We walked to the Clifton Suspension Bridge, visiting the playground and sliding down the rock, and we had ice cream while chatting with locals. It was fun to see another side of Bristol, and one that I realized at my age, I prefer. We saw Banksy's "Well Hung Lover", the Christmas Steps, and wandered into a bookstore with no book over £5. Another day, we took the train and bus to see Stonehenge, which was out in nature and more to our liking. Stonehenge is something I've always wanted to see.
The energy and art of Bristol is captivating, and if I could do it again, I would stay in a different area and visit Stokes Croft.
Sheffield felt opposite of Bristol, and we were greeted outside of the train station by a manicured courtyard with an innovative Cutting Edge water fountain in Sheffield Square.
Walking out of the train station and onto Sheffield Square we were immediately impressed with Sheffield. We saw the Cutting Edge water fountain, which is a 300 foot long and 16 foot high stainless steel sculpture and waterfall with a cylindrical shape. It reflects Sheffield's history as the place stainless steel was invented. The other waterfall is a multi-level water cascade, which shows the importance of water power in helping develop Sheffield’s industries.
We followed a digital scavenger hunt learning about the quirky nuances at the popular sites, and although it went long and we were ready to quit by the last clue, it was a fun way to explore and learn about Sheffield. It hailed on us during the hunt, so we warmed up in the Fat Cat Pub on Kelhman Island. Sadly, we couldn't get out to the Peaks District which has hiking trails and what we were hoping to explore.
More pics here.
Comentarios