The next stop on our tour of the United Kingdom took us southwest to Bristol. We took the train from Manchester in the afternoon and enjoyed the scenery of the English countryside. Our close friend John lives in the city and was generous enough to be our tour guide throughout our stay, driving us to adjacent towns so we could visit places to which we otherwise wouldn’t have had easy access.
My experience with trains is limited to Amtrak and the Long Island Railroad, so I was excited to see the difference in comfort and accommodations that Britain offered. To provide a comparison of scale, the United Kingdom is approximately 243,610 sq km compared to Texas which is approximately 678,052 sq km. Because we were traveling around the United Kingdom for two weeks, we knew that transporting our six collective suitcases could be challenging so we purchased first class tickets for our three-hour train ride from Manchester to Bristol. Trains and other modes of public transportation are commonly used by the British, so opting for an upgrade allowed us to more easily stow our luggage without worrying about capacity limitations.
Our first day in Bristol was primarily spent visiting neighboring towns and villages. The first stop of the day was Cheddar Gorge near the village of Cheddar, Somerset, England. The limestone gorge is most popularly known for its geology and ecology, attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists annually to visit the caves and trek through its climbing and cycling routes.
As the name suggests, the area is also notable for originating cheddar cheese made in the lower part of the gorge. Of course we had to sample the namesake and purchased cheese to pair with their Somerset cider, Cheddar Scrumpy. I wanted to bring back original Cheddar cheese but TSA regulations are very strict, so we decided to purchase another bottle of the cider instead.
We continued our tour of the English countryside by visiting Glastonbury, notable for the legend of King Arthur and the Holy Grail. As a lover of the arcane, I especially enjoyed the whimsical shops that lined the streets which catered to practitioners of wicca and spiritualism. We purchased some natural incense from Star Child and experienced traditional British afternoon tea at the Abbey Tea Rooms.
For our second day in Bristol we decided to visit the City of Bath, known for and named after its Roman baths built circa 60 AD. Our friend John is quite familiar with the history of the city and taught us about its 17th century Georgian architecture. Much of the city is crafted in Bath stone, a limestone of honey coloring that gives the city its distinctive appearance.
One of our goals for this trip to the United Kingdom was to shop for keepsakes and clothing. Jared was drawn to a garden fairy house in Cheddar Gorge and I found a beautiful feather quill and ink set at Bath. Decorating our home with items throughout our travels is a wonderful reminder of the memories we made, so we are quite intentional about searching for pieces that add sparks of joy.
A trip to the United Kingdom wouldn’t be complete without sampling fish and chips. John recommended his favorite eatery renowned for the traditional meal, Hamblins Fish & Chips in Bristol. The owners were exceptionally welcoming so it was no wonder that this was a local favorite. Since it was our first time sampling this staple dish, they were sure to provide us with the sauces that complemented the flavors. These excursions over the past two days were a wonderful way to break up our visits to larger cities, like Manchester and London, and we wouldn’t have been able to do so without a knowledgeable local – so thank you for playing tour guide for us, John!
