Bristol (United Kingdom) | Forgotten Storie & Photos

When I opened my phone today, I noticed that I have several pictures from my travels to date that have yet to make it to the blog. Most days, I take many photos, nearly 3,500 so far, of things that catch my eye. But unfortunately, sometimes the pictures don't fit into the story, or I simply forget to include them. So, I decided to revisit these photos and tell their stories as part of a collage of sorts. 

Back home, I frequently drank hot Chai lattes. Since I've been on the road, I have occasionally indulged myself with a hot Chai latte; on occasions when I've encountered them, which is pretty infrequent. Is there anything better than starting the day with a warm, friendly smile? (Bristol, UK)

On the morning I left Whitesands Beach, everything was muted, except the Smalls Lighthouse near Ramsey Island. The lighthouse is bright white as the sun reflects off it against the gray sky around 8 am. This lighthouse also has an interesting past. (St. Davids, Wales)

On the hillside adjacent to St. Davids Cathedral are several old stone tombstones. The writing on most is hard to read. This one dates from 1858 and is that of a woman who passed away before her husband. The headstones appear to be scattered about haphazardly on the hillside. Notably, many tombstones are leaning against a wall to the right in this photo. They are all dated from the mid-to-late 1800s; unfortunately, they appear to have been separated from their graves. (St. Davids, Wales)

The central part of Oystermouth Castle in The Mumbles part of Wales is stunning from this angle. I especially like how the road leads the eye to the entrance in this photo. (The Mumbles, Wales)

The day I hiked to Three Cliffs Bay from Swansea, I passed this row of beach cabins along the path in Langland Bay. They remind me of the 1950s movies where everyone dashes from their cabins to the beach. Today, they are all locked up, except one where two old ladies were locking one up after taking out a couple of beach chairs. As I passed, I thought how neat it would be to own one of these. How much do they cost to own or lease? I also love how they line the walkway. (Landland Bay, Wales)

On the first day I arrived in Cardiff, Wales, I walked past Cardiff Castle right in the middle of downtown and wrote that I planned to revisit the Castle in a future post. I did revisit the Castle and the interior grounds after returning from my unplanned detour to Bridgwater, England. But unfortunately, I forgot to include its story and pictures. The shell keep is the oldest part of the Castle's interior, pictured below. It sits on the hill in the northern part of the property. (Cardiff, Wales)

The clock tower, located on the corner of the southwest wall, is also beautifully decorated and stunning. (Cardiff, Wales)

For me what makes Banksy's Well Hung Lover so appealing is how he matched the windows of the building, giving the appearance that the lover is hanging out a side window of the building. I didn't include this photo originally as it is hard to see the detail in the piece and I felt like my post on Bristol that day was quite long. (Bristol, UK)

When I passed by these mopeds in Bordeaux, France, I couldn't help but laugh. These are Uber Scooters that you can rent via the Cityscoot app. This is the next step in the evolution of privatizing public transportation. Notably, I only saw them one day, and I am not sure how popular they are. Though popular enough as I never saw them again. I wanted nothing to do with renting them or any e-scooters in Bordeaux. The traffic is too heavy and erratic for me; I'll stick to buses and trains. (Bordeaux, France)

Another oddity I encountered in many French cities was these "self-cleaning" public restrooms. After a person leaves the toilet, the door locks, and the facility runs a disinfecting program. It usually takes a few minutes, then the door unlocks, and the next person enters. The facility repeats this process every time a person leaves. The concept sounds nice, but the application is not so lovely. First, you best not be in a hurry. I sometimes had to wait for 10-20 min, depending on the queue of people waiting. Secondly, the facility does not pick up any paper or dry itself before the next person enters. So, on a hot day, like in Arcachon, it is like walking into a steaming sauna. And, if people before leaving toilet paper on the floor, the facility has no way to remove it, so waded up wet clumps of toilet paper on the floor are common. Personally, I prefer a good old fashion porta-potty. (Arcachon, France)

 

I like this picture; it reminds me of a steampunk airship or something from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It is actually the dome from the Sanctuary of My Lady Lourdes Cathedral. The dome's interior is beautifully decorated. However, for me, it is the exterior that caught my attention. (Lourdes, France)

When I visited Moissac, France, several pieces of bronze art were displayed throughout the town by the sculpture Emmanuel Kieffer. These sculptures were amazingly well done. I spent a few hours tracking down every single one, 8 in total, on display in town that day. I remember thinking to myself that I have frequently seen themed presentations in other cities I have visited in the past, but this was the first time I allowed myself the time to see the entire collection. Below are a few of my favorites. I love the gentleness presented here by the gentle kiss of both figures. "Kiss." (Moissac, France)

"Excalibur" and that dramatic wild mane was a great contrast against the stone outside of Moissac Abbey. (Moissac, France)

"Harmonie" was a great piece that changed form as I moved around the piece. (Moissac, France)

I believe the sculptor did a fantastic job of capturing the power in these creatures by the way he left few voids in the sculpture. "Urus" (Moissac, France)

I love this picture of the sun setting behind the La Cité of Carcassone. The orange glow reminds me of fires blazing in the distance. I can easily imagine what it might have felt like to be under siege and at war. (Carcassone, France).

I passed this poster wandering around Marseille, France, and had to laugh. I am a huge fan of RuPaul's Drag Race and have watched nearly every season. I think the show is hilarious, creative, and very entertaining. However, even though I am a big fan, I can't help but feel like Drag Race has "jumped the shark" when I see this poster. Yet another example of American culture finding it's way into cultures abroad. (Marsaille, France)

Saint-Marie-Majeur de Marseille Cathedral might have one of the most unusual exteriors I have seen. The contrast between the alternating dark and light stones is beautiful and unlike any other Cathedral. Unfortunately, even though I found the Cathedral stunning, I was tired of writing about Cathedrals and opted to leave out of the blog. I chose to include it here, as it one of the most dramatic building I have seen. I believe a person could spend years visiting nothing but ancient churches in Europe. (Marsaille, France)

I tried on many occasions to capture the narrowness of streets in France. This might be the best example photo I have. This particular street is barely wide enough for four people standing side by side. France is not a place for closterphobic people, with narrow streets and towering buildings. (Nice, France).

One of the last murals we visited with Mark along Shankill Road in West Belfast. Undoubtedbly one of the best tours I have ever taken. The contrast between the realistic (Loyalist) and artistic (Nationalist) murals is stark and was consistent with the contrast between Mark and Robert's presentation styles. Mark presented "only facts" while Robert weaved an emotional story. 

While visiting the Ogham stone, I was visited by an extremely curious and friendly cow. I was able to reach down and scratch this individual on the nose. I have spent a lot of time around animals, wild and domestic, and this was definately a first for me. I have never had a cow be brave enough to come within inches of me. (County Tyrone, Northern Ireland).

In Streedagh I stopped at a wonderful mural dedicated to the Spanish Armada, the second I had seen. Adjcent to the mural were several small murals, this one shows the path the Armada took getting to and leaving England. It also shows all the wreck sites. (Streedagh, Ireland)
 

One of the unexpected delights I discovered while in Ireland, were these Lotus Biscoff cookies. These little wafer cookies have a unique taste that is unlike anything else I have had. I was hooked immediately as they are wonderful with tea. The cookies smell and taste wonderful. Full of spice they remind me of a hard gingerbread cookie. I came across them again while in Milford Haven, Wales and they were still amazing!  (Donegal County, Ireland)