Eleni Drinks Tea in Bristol

I needed cheering up on Saturday so I took myself out on a date.

And what's a girl to wear out on a date with herself?  Why, a very happy maxi dress from Red Velvet, of course:

Sorry it's a bit blurry, the sun was shining and I didn't feel much like posing, I just wanted to get out and play.  Still, I have heard other bloggers say it and I definitely believe it's true: when you wear something from Red Velvet, you feel just a little bit of their magic rub off on you.  Such inspirational girls, Elsie and Emma (and the rest of the gang).

I decided to take myself off to Bristol for the day.  It's really close by, I could have driven in The Nerd, but I didn't want the added stress of trying to figure out parking and directions, I just wanted to get there, so I hopped onto the train.  Since leaving London, train rides have become a treat again, rather than a daily chore :)

It was a beautiful autumn day:

I had a vague notion of getting some Christmas shopping done, but beyond that I didn't plan what I was going to do, I just followed the signs to Harbourside.  I stumbled across a stunning church, St Mary Redcliffe:

Covered in lovely details:

 

 

It was beautiful inside, too, and the organist was practising, so the mood was utterly serene.  Sorry, but I'm a bit funny about taking pictures inside churches, so you'll have to click here to see a picture of the Chaotic Pendulum - a scientific demonstration inside the church.  It's kind of like a set of scales, with water dripping onto the centre, and once it's full it will either tip to the left or the right so the water can pour out.  The crazy thing is that there is no way of predicting in which direction it's going to tip.  With all the science and all the facts in all the world (and I am a big fan of facts), nobody can figure out how this baby's going to tip up.  The notice next to the pendulum says: "Some people look to science for certainties on which to base their lives.  Increasingly we realise our knowledge can never provide certainty, even for this simple machine.  The world is a more wonderful and a more surprising place than we could have imagined." 

After a spot of contemplation in the church, I continued on my pootling.  As I crossed the river I dreamed (once again) of living on a houseboat...

 

...or at least in a house that looks out onto a stretch of water:

...or perhaps in a converted old warehouse-type building...

 

I wandered round the shops and got a couple of presents, but didn't find any treats for myself (although I very nearly bought myself a ukulele...I'll put one on my Christmas list instead, I think).

I spent most of the day marvelling at the weather and the architecture.  Here's a pub called The Elephant:

 

...and here's a joyfully colourful churchy-looking building, now sadly converted into a bank:

 

And just to prove that I am not exclusively interested in old things, here is a cool bendy glass wall/door which took my fancy:

 

I know at first glance this would appear to be another old buiding...

 

...but the tunnels either side of the gateway were covered in the most amazing graffiti:

 

In fact, much of Bristol is covered in amazing graffiti:

I even found a tree covered in knitting.

 

I've hardly been to Bristol since I moved out here to the West Country, so I was glad I got the chance to explore it a bit.  It was nice to get out of Bath for a day, but although I discovered a 1950s-style bowling alley that plays The Ramones and has a vintage shop inside (SO awesome!) I wasn't entirely blown away by the shopping in general.  Eight years in London definitely spoiled me.  As luck would have it, it's my sister's (30th!) birthday this coming weekend, so I shall be back in London town with my nearest and dearest, and I will be able to visit all my old favourite haunts.