A different take on Bristol
Posted on August 7, 2009 - Filed Under Travel
I’ve been to Bristol many time on business trips and during those trips managed to take the most available common tours for tourist. But, this time, during my stay at a Bristol Hotel, and not on business, I’m going to explore on my own and find out some alternative points of interest. I love museums, so I tried to find ones that were off the beaten path.
The City Museum surprised me with their collections of Bellini’s, Millais, Renoirs and Gainsborough. Who would’ve thought a city run museum could obtain such quality painters? The curator must have some pull with other museums. I really enjoyed the exhibit which showed the work of Bristol’s school students. I took note of some of the students names for whom I think might just make it as an artist. There was some real talent there.
For me bridges should be in museums, but they’re so functional and huge, there would be nowhere to exhibit them. So, I went to the Clifton Suspension Bridge which spans the Avon Gorge. The bridge was completed by 18864 and designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Unfortunately, Brunel didn’t get to see his bridge get completely built due to financial difficulties that caused the project to be abandoned in 1843. Too bad, because the bridge is a beautiful testament to one of the best suspension Bridges in all of England.
My next off-the-beaten-path not what one might consider a museum is the SS Great Britain ocean liner. The SS Great Britain was the first grand ocean liner designed by the same Isambard Kingdom Brunel of the Clifton Suspension Bridge. He’s creation was to transport passengers in grand luxury from Britain to New York. He set a new standard in engineering with the first large iron hulled ship and the first to be driven by a screw propeller. She’s now in dry dock, and they give tours everyday. So, that concludes my alternative points of interest in Bristol. I hope you will find your own points of interest and write about them, so others may know that Bristol is truly a splendid city.
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