Bristol

A bracing walk across the Clifton suspension bridge to Ashton Court, an impressive 850 acre park complete with a herd of fallow deer, 400 year old oak trees and a mansion from the 1400's. At the top of a steep hill, we met Mick and Jayne, an enthusiastic Yorkshire couple who are on an over 800 mile cycling trip from Lands End to John o' Groats. They weren't even out of breath! An inspiration to us all.
We continued on a circle walking tour of Bristol ably led by Clare and Simon with a ferry boat ride, a visit to the Arnolfini modern art gallery, a pint at the Llandoger Trow pub which was the location of inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island and a performance from some lively street musicians. The grand finale of a grand day was an evening out at the Plantation Club with a buffet of Caribbean food (jerk chicken, curried goat and channa and plantain for the vegetarians) cocktails with little paper umbrellas made by the Cuban bartender (of course he made a perfect Mojito) and an outstanding jazz and R and B performance by Celestine and her band. Ran in to a friend of Simon's who has just completed a project on the end of the Motown music organization in Detroit. Interesting.