11th May Investigating Isambard


 After sleeping the sleep of the dead, we took the train back into the city for part two of our Bristolian adventure. And realising the local buses were free for TOM, on account of his bus pass and it only costing £2 for me ( a benefit of the nationwide reduced fares to help out with the cost of living crisis, today we didn't have to wait for the Hop on Hop on bus to meander its was around the city to reach us. In fact by 10.30am we were enjoying a sedate cruise down the waters of the docks on route to see the first thing on our agenda.

Although not born in Bristol, one of its most famous sons is Isambard Kingdom Brunel, builder of railways, bridges, boats, train stations, tunnels and viaductS. two of his most famous engineering achievements just happen to be here in the city, the Clifton Suspension bridge and the ship that once hed the record as the largest passanger ship on the ocean when launched in 1845, the SS Great Britain. It would not I have to admit have been on my list of 'must do' things during our time here but part of the balacing act one has to play when travelling as a couple is to sometimes do things that make the other person happy. 

Carefully restored after being transported back to the UK in 1970 from the Falkland Islands where it has been intentionally scuttled and sunk in 1937, whilst one might ask why anyone would want to spend all that money restoring what was at the time just a hunk of rusting metal, they had done a fine job and set up the exhibition in an interesting way so to be honest it wasn't really something I had to endure.

A couple of shared pizza in 'Spoons and as it was now a glorious day and we still had our useable bus tickets we headed back out to the suspension bridge, not to walk across it, but simply to sit in the sunshine and admire the view. By the time the bus came to take us back into the city we had the entire double decker to ouselves. Just smashing Grommit!!

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