Random couple of days in beautiful Bristol

I know, you're probably sick of me talking about how beautiful it is here, but I'm inspired to take photos often at random times during the day and then inspired to share them with you. Part of it is the difference from Abu Dhabi and part of it is just that this climate and greenery is absolutely perfect for me. We were recently in hot, dusty Malta on vacation, and while I loved the trip, I was so happy to get 'home' to green Bristol. And so, you will just have to suffer through my numerous photos and romantic gushing about the place.

I had training on Thursday and Friday in another building so plugged the location into Google Maps and ended up on this lovely 15 minute walk through a park and some hidden alleyways to get to the building. What a treat! Usually the route is along the busy city streets, but this was not only a shortcut but beautiful as well. The weather was pretty overcast both days with pouring rain at times - luckily, I managed to miss the rain showers.

The next photo is Cabot Tower which must have some great views of the city. I was there before it opened for visitors so will need to go back some time with Brian and check it out. Hopefully on a sunny day where the photos will be even better.

Around a corner on a small alley kind of street, there is a Banksy! If you're not familiar, Banksy is an anonymous and famous street artist (he? she? they?) that started in Bristol. This one has a plastic protector to ensure it doesn't get vandalized.

For lunch, I went back through the park and found a nice spot to eat my sandwich. It was overcast and a bit chilly, but how wonderful to have lunch outside in a park!

Random brick wall and tunnel below. It's one of the things I love most about living here - the old buildings and surprises you'll find tucked away in corners. Didn't have time to explore as I had to get back to class.

By evening the sun had come out so Brian and I decided to meet up for dinner at our favourite burger and cider place on the harbour. This is near where we stayed when we first arrived so holds a special little place in our hearts . . . okay, not really, it's all about the burger and cider!

The door is always open! We have a spare room with a double-bed or lots of lodging options closer to the city centre. You can fly into the Bristol airport or into London and take the train. If you 'fancy a visit' just let us know.

Air Balloons over the backyard

I was sitting in the backyard one night - Brian was on a work trip - looked up, and saw this. To be fair, there are lots of air balloons in and around Bristol - they even have a yearly festival that is known world wide, so it's not that surprising, I suppose. Even so, pretty cool.

And a bonus shot of my flowers! Pretty pathetic, I know, but when you rent, you have limited options.

Lim Fjord, Croatia

Our last stop on our Venice/Croatia adventure was to the Lim Fjord which was on the drive back to Venice. We were told by our segway tour guide (18 years old) that it was beautiful and that you can't miss it. Well, we know from years of travel experience that as soon as someone says, 'you can't miss it', we will, often a few times. And that was the case. I'm still not sure we ever reached the viewing spot you see in all the photos - doesn't seem like we did, but we did at least get out in the sunshine for a while and see some nice scenery.

And what's this? A sign for a winery? Well, of course we'll stop! And a cute little place too. We were the only ones there (this is low season for Croatia) but the guy in the shop was super knowledgeable and let us taste everything they make, I think! We weren't overly impressed, but did go home with a bottle for our trouble.

And then it was back to Venice and one of the worst hotels we've ever stayed at - I seriously think a park bench would have been more comfortable. Sometimes booking.com reviews just don't get it right. And then back to Bristol for less than a week before the next bank holiday and another trip!!

Rovinj's streets

After our segway tour, we relaxed in the hotel bar for a while before dinner and then just wandered around the small town. Very hilly cobbled stone streets made for some really great photos.

Segway in Rovinj Croatia

After our day in Pula, we got back on the road to visit Rovinj, which was about an hour from Pula on the way back to Venice. We like Rovinj a lot better - cuter place with a lot more old world charm. Pula was quite industrial and except for the Amphitheater, there wasn't much to do or see. Rovinj, on the other hand, had a lot more to offer - including a segway tour which allowed us to see everything in about 3 hours.

Harbor right outside our hotel - we were right downtown in the thick of things.

A view of the main square by the harbor.

A beautiful view of Rovinj from the other side of the bay.

Our guide didn't really say what this sculpture was, but it was very pretty.

This one's for you, Kevin! :)

Patron saint of Rovinj's church.

This is from the public gardens/ forest on the outskirts of the main town. A massive park of trails, beaches and small cafes. As it was low season here, there wasn't a lot of people about. Our guide said it's wall to wall tourists in summer.

Roman Amphitheater in Pula Croatia

The main attraction in Pula is an ancient Roman amphitheater that is really well preserved. The day was a bit cool and it took us forever to figure how and where to park, but eventually we made it and really enjoyed walking around the structure.

It was hard to get a good photo, but seeing the sea through the coliseum windows was really pretty. Even on an overcast day.

These are olive oil jugs that were on display underneath the coliseum. They had a small area excavated and an exhibition down there. Pretty cool.

Road trip to Pula Croatia

Looking to get away from the crowds in Venice, we rented a car and drove into Croatia. The driving was easy (oh wait, that's cuz Brian was doing it!) Poor guy just mastered driving on the left and now was back to driving on the right. But we love road trips and this was no exception. It rained most of the day so it was a good day to be on the road rather than walking around outside.

We arrived in Pula to find our hotel was closed! Here they had booked us in a sister hotel next door but never told us. After a few extra heart palpitations, we were settled in our room and with the view below - not too shabby.

Here's that same view the next morning. We were in for a gorgeous day!

A view of the harbor near our hotel. 

One of the streets of Pula!