Ship Shape

SS Great Britain

Last weekend was the 40th Bristol Harbour Festival. The festival is always a vivid spectacle of music and dance, arts and crafts, food and drink (lots of it!), and of course, a wide variety of floating vessels from tiny steam boats for two people to huge Royal Naval Mine Sweepers.

We decided to take in the sights on Sunday afternoon. After depositing the girls to go off with friends to enjoy the festivities, Hubby and I took Rosie for her first stroll around the harbourside. We started on the Hotwells side of the harbour, quite a ways downstream from the main event. It was a chance to marvel at how much Bristol had changed since we were teenagers. It really is a beautiful city now, with so much going on and slowly every square inch of it is being revitalised.

Rosie was very good, although she didn't really like the mass of people near the Watershed or the noise of the Top Gear ride by the Arnolfini. 

A tall ship outside the Arnolfini

Everywhere we went, The Matthew appeared to follow!

And no self respecting Bristol Event would be complete without a Banksy. This one is on the side of The Thekla, an excellent music venue  on a ship moored next to the Mud Dock.

Sunday was very warm, so after walking for quite some time we decided to have a nice cool refreshment here:

They do great food too!

Rosie was feeling the heat too.

Then it was time to head back, this time on the other side of the harbour.

No, that isn't Rosie hitching a lift - I don't think she is quite well-behaved enough for that challenge just yet!

About half way home, we stopped briefly at the Olive Shed to listen to the crazy violinist. Excellent - another highly recommended Bristol establishment!

I think Rosie really enjoyed herself. She had a lovely long walk, experienced lots of new sensations and made a few new friends too.

I'm not so sure the swans were that keen to get to know her though, but these familiar faces seemed very happy indeed!