The Bucket List

When I travel to a new place, I try to get involved with the locals and live a full experience. It is more difficult to do so if we are only there for a weekend trip. However, there are more and more people coming to Bristol to settle up here. Whether you are local, born and raised here, or you are a foreign who is living here for some time, you deserve to enjoy Bristol completely. And Bristol also deserves to have you around! :)

I have been living in Bristol for 3 years now and so far, I have tried fully enjoy my time here. Partially by writing this blog but also by participating and learning new things about the city every day. And I am loving it! 

So, here you are: my own Bristolian Bucket List. I hope you enjoy it!

THE BUCKET LIST 

(or a TOP 10 of things you need to do while you are living in Bristol)

1. Attend to a festival! There are many, especially during summer: Love Saves The Day, Air Balloon Fiesta, Harbour Festival, Walking Festival, Food Festival, Stone-Carving Festival... and for some of them, you don't even have to pay! Concerts, markets, exhibitions, activities and events. There is no time to waste in summer.

2. Taste local brew: whether you like cider or beer, Bristol is surely a place for you. There are many micro-breweries in Bristol area producing beer and cider. Bristol Beer Factory, BrewDog and Great Western Brewing Co are some of the local brands. Try The Apple Cider Boat for any kind of locally produced cider, or Zero-Degrees if you prefer beer. Going to a Cider/Beer Festival will also get you familiarised with brands you haven't heard of!

3. Cycle (or walk) the Bristol-Bath Railway Path: it takes around 1.5h to do it cycling and around 5h if you prefer to walk. I did it last summer, which was the hottest summer in many years, and I turned out it was a very beautiful walk (more info about the path here). Surely, a MUST if you like nature and sport!

4. Listen to (at least) one live music concert: most of the bars and pubs around Bristol have (free) live music each night. Choose one and enjoy many music styles. If I had to choose one, I would suggest going to The Old Duke for some Jazz Music. The atmosphere is FANTASTIC!... and don't forget donating some pounds!

5. Support local economy by buying locally grown food or pieces of art by local artists. For me, it is very important to support the locals with their shops and promote it. Stokes Croft would be the perfect area but also Clifton and Bedminster have very beautiful independent shops. Paying with Bristol Pounds would be another way of showing your support.

6. Volunteer for an event or charity. There are many non-profit societies that are willing to have some help for their events and charity events. City Farms such as St Werburghs Farm, for example, are continuously looking for some hand to help maintain the farm and there is always help needed in festival and big events. The upcoming Green Capital Opening Ceremony is currently looking for volunteers to help organise the event next weekend, for example.

7. Show the city to a friend/family member/tourist. There is no better way to visit the city than with somebody who knows about it. Bristol Cathedral, Cabot Tower, Suspension Bridge... and don't forget to go down the slide close to the Observatory! And if you don't know the city that much, check out the Free Walking Tour that starts by the Cathedral every Saturday at 11am. And absolutely necessary to check the graffities out! Bristol is widely known by its high quality stencils. Which is your favourite? 

8. Enjoy every season! I can tell you any season is the same as the one before so make sure you enjoy each and every one of them! Enjoy Summer by having a beer while sitting on the sun at the Harbourside or picniking at the park...and Winter by having a mulled wine at the German Market or sliding down Park Street in a snowy day. Note how trees change colour gracefully in Autumn in Blaise Castle Park or how the picture of Bristol Cathedral changes in Spring as flowers start to blossom.

9. Have a Sunday Roast in one of the best places in town. There are many places that serve excellent Sunday Roasts but the best I've ever had was at The Albion in Clifton. Absolutely well prepared and presented Sunday Roast! (Price around 15-18 pounds) If you are looking for a more affordable option, I would suggest The Eldon House in Lower Clifton Hill with prices between 8-10 pounds.

10. Participate in a language exchange session. It's never late to learn Spanish, Italian, German, French... or to improve your English. There are many sessions happening in different places in different days of the week. The best place to see what's going on is probably Couchsurfing.com. Don't be shy and try it out!

I have to say that this is my personal bucket list and I would be happy to hear from yours too. What would you add to this list?

INTERESTING LINKS

Links to older posts on the blog:

• Festivals 
• Visit to the Bristol Beer Factory
• Winter Cider Festival
• Bristol - Bath Railway Path
• Have a beer enjoying the sun at the Harbourside
• Autumn colours at Blaise Castle Park
• Mulled wine at the German Market
• Bristol Cathedral