Bristol (United Kingdom) | A Different Side to the City - Day 82

I am eager to ship my equipment back to Idaho and leave the house around. 9 am. As I walk out the door, Simon, my host, says, "I'm not sure if UPS is open. Today is a Bank Holiday." I quickly flashback and remember that this was a Bank Holiday weekend. I glance at my phone, and Google tells me UPS is open today, so I say goodbye to Simon and head out the door. I catch the first two buses that will take me to Emersons Green, near the UPS Customer Service Center. The M3 bus promptly leads me northeast of downtown Bristol. I arrive at the UPS facility and find it abandoned. Rats! 

The United Kingdom is a wonderfully annoying place to travel to. Between the Industrial Actions and Bank Holidays, I wonder how this country gets anything done! Nevertheless, this trip wasn't a complete waste; I know exactly where the facility is and how to get there tomorrow. I arrive back in downtown Bristol around noon, still carrying my cardboard box. A thought crosses my mind, "What can brown do for you?" I laugh. Apparently, nothing today!

I head back out to grab lunch and decide to do laundry this afternoon while I toy with the idea of heading to Bath, England. Blond Adam and several other folks I have chatted with in Bristol have mentioned how beautiful the city is. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it work yesterday, as I called my folks and talked with them for a while. So, by the time we finished, no return trains were available. Nevertheless, it felt great to visit with them, as it had been almost two months since I last spoke with them. 

Bath is not in the cards today, either. I try like mad and simply cannot make it work. The last train leaves Bristol Temple Meads at 7 pm, and all trains until 1 am are sold out. I cannot create an account with Great Western Railways in time to get a ticket and watch the last rain leave Bristol Temple Meads. I have accepted over my time traveling that if something does not come together quickly, it is simply not my time, and another opportunity will present itself. So, I decide t wander around Temple Meads, located on the southwest side of downtown. Temple Meads is a historic train station built in 1887 and is now the modern part of Bristol. Below are the new buildings and construction along the River Avon.

Looking east along the river Avon. I like how the building on the north side is reflected in the structure on the south side.

This part of Bristol is ultra modern with great architecture. Yet, as I wander through, I only see modern, clean lines, no evidence of street art.

There are some remarkable shapes and unique buildings in this part of Bristol. This just adds to the city's uniqueness, and I can feel my admiration for it growing. Also, I can't recall another city having such a sweet and salty personality.

This part of Bristol is developing fast. All the buildings going up are composed of steel frames and modern shapes. It is almost as if the city has a Jekyll and Hyde personality. I stop and ponder, which do I prefer? The version where street art in old downtown Bristol has pushed its historic building into the background or this ultra-modern version consuming open spaces? I like the street art. I believe it makes this city stand out amongst others I have visited. The delicate tension within the city makes Bristol a memorable destination. All cities have tensions, but Bristol openly embraces it and displays it to the world. I love that!