50 Shades of Orange // Brandon Hill.

In case you haven't picked up on all the Anne of Green Gables quotes filling your social media feeds this past week, October has officially arrived! It must be nice to be October, it seems to be a lot of people's favourite month...

October means many things: Halloween, earlier sunsets, cooler weather, etc. Much to my excitement, it also means all of the trees start changing to vibrant shades of orange and red. It may not sound earth-shattering to those of who have always lived somewhere with a vibrant-coloured Autumn, but for someone from Texas where trees go from green straight to dead, it's pretty dreamy. 

Brandon Hill is one of my favourite places in Bristol. Walking to the top can make you feel a bit out of shape, but the views are hard to beat. It's a great park for jogging/walking, dogs-watching for those of us who don't have a furry friend, and trekking up Cabot Tower. It buzzes with families and picnics during the summertime and even has a resident ice cream truck that sits atop the hill.

During Sara's recent surprise visit to Bristol (which I had mischievously known about for weeks, hehe) we met up at Brandon Hill on a sunny Sunday afternoon in order to get a few shots of her and J that weren't selfies for a change. I think we succeeded, aren't they the cutest? Having Sara back in town was so nice and went by far too quickly. 

I'd be lying if I said I was too excited about winter creeping up on us - save Christmas and getting to go home and see my family, I'm not a big fan of cold weather and shorter days. That being said, I'm definitely enjoying Autumn! How can you not with colours like these and the "not too cold but not too hot" weather?

Are the leaves changing colours in your neighbourhood?

Chance of Balloons.

The Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is arguably Bristol's biggest event of the year and Europe's biggest balloon event. Four days of colourful balloons gracing the skyline morning and evening, what's not to like? Bristolian souvenirs are always decked out with hot air balloons and artists and photographers can't help but capture the magic of the weekend.

Friday evening, I trotted over to Brandon Hill and found a grassy spot along with a number of spectators, picnics and all!

There was a bit of a delay, assuming some sort of wind caution, so I sat there for quite a while people dog watching before the first balloon peeked out from the trees covering the Clifton side of the landscape. A few more followed and before we knew it, over 100 balloons were making their way across the sky! All colours and even shapes, it was a spectacular thing to see.

No, your eyes aren't deceiving you - that is in fact...a minion balloon.

On Saturday, I planned to meet up with some friends after work out at Ashton Court, where all the balloons take off from and where the famous night glow takes place. The festival site includes food and live music, making it a really fun event for the city and visitors. However, I was not the only one with this idea. Ashton Court is about a 45 minute walk from central Bristol on a good day with no detours - but the sheer number of people visiting the festival was overwhelming and for the first time in its 37 years, people were being turned away from entering the site. They closed the car park and suspended the bus services from the centre, asking people traveling on-foot to turn around and head back home. My friends had left a little earlier in the day and said it took them over three hours to get there. Yikes! Getting off work a little later than usual may have saved me a long walk to the site just to be rejected. Since this is the first time it's ever happened, I'm sure something will be changed next year in order to prevent something like this happening again - it's hard to blame the organisers, the chaos was so unexpected.

If you find yourself in Bristol in early August, consider yourself lucky! The weekend was such a treat.

Have you ever ridden in a hot-air balloon? I never have but now I kind of want to!

Reasons to Love British Rain.

This Sunday marks the first day of British Summer Time, we lost an hour of sleep and gained several mm of rain overnight. Now that we're in "summer mode", everyone has taken to their social medias to groan about the windy, wet weather, exasperated about how we never get sunshine - slight exaggeration, in my opinion. Although I love being out in the sun and am ready for picnic days as much as anyone, I try to find comfort in the grey skies and wet pavements. Here's a few reasons why rainy England 'aint so bad after all...

1. Drinking tea with the window open and reading a good book.
The promise of being curled up on my bed with a mug of tea, a fresh book waiting to be read, a gentle cool breeze coming in from the window with the sounds of rain + happy birds...what's not to like? With the addition of some fairy lights to my flat, it's the perfect way to spend a lazy Sunday. And as far as some nasty wind goes, um - I lived in Lubbock, Texas for 5 years so English wind you cannot scare me. 

2. Not having to mess about your hair, because you're going to throw it up in a ponytail anyway.
Enough said. No blowdry no problem!

3. Chucking on the wellies and going for a squashy country walk. 
While sporting a pair of wellies in the city will raise a few eyebrows - I get comments from strangers practically every time I wear mine, out in the country it's practically a requirement! A colourful pair of wellies is enough to brighten anyone's day, and you have no excuse not to jump in puddles and get that strangely satisfying sensation from stepping in a squishy bit of mud. No tip-toeing required, charge right on through the fields.

4. Spending time in museums.
If the idea of being hoarded up in your own room all day would drive you insane, it's a great excuse to whip out the umbrella and trot down to a local museum. You can spend hours roaming around the M Shed or the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery for free or the ss Great Britain if you don't mind getting a bit wet on deck!

5. The smell outside when it's all settled.
You're not alone if you love the smell of rain, aka petrichor. Bristol may be a city but we're not shy of parks and greenery, I can seriously smell all the wet trees and soil from the courtyard outside my window right now.

6. Rolling fields of green and colourful gardens now have a shimmering layer of dew to them. 
While London shimmers in the sun, the nitty gritty of England really sparkles after a bit of rain. With a bit of West Country bias, I think there are few things more beautiful than the rolling hills and country gardens with a fresh layer of rain. Being from an area of the U.S. that has been in a drought for I don't even know how long where all of our plants turn dusty and die, believe me when I say that the rain may put a damper on your day, but it paves the way for some gorgeous scenery later on!

You can't get all of that ^ without some showers.

Are you a rain-lover or hater? What do you do during a rainy day?

My Favorite Coffee Spots in Bristol.

I don't think I'm terribly hard to please when it comes to coffee. I don't know the difference between a Kenyan or Colombian roast or how to work a french press. Although I'm satisfied with my instant coffee at home, I do like branching out every once in a while and give myself a morning treat. Bristol has a great coffee and cafe culture, with an almost overwhelming amount of options. As the months have gone by, I've collected a handful of favorites - some strictly for the coffee, others nudging their way in with their treats, free Wifi even tacks on a few points.

Goes without saying that I have NOT been to every coffee shop or cafe in the city, so if you are screaming at your screen that I'm missing the pinnacle of Bristol cafes, do let me know. It's a marathon, not a sprint!

1. Boston Tea Party

One of my weekly stops, Boston Tea Party has multiple locations around Bristol as well as dotted around South West England. The original is smack dab on Park St. and is a local and student favorite for their multiple seating options (downstairs, two large upstairs rooms, and a back garden when the weather is nice) and all day breakfasts. I opt for their plain black filter coffee or a flat white if I want something a bit sweeter.

Bonus: Free Wifi (password upstairs & downstairs - look on the wall) + stamp cards for hot drinks.

2. Small St. Espresso

Another Sara recommendation that took me way too long to try. Wedged on a street in the old city but hidden away from the hubbub of Cabot Circus, this tiny shop features exposed brick and industrial decor along with arguably the best flat white in the city. The baristas ask you questions about what type of coffee or bean you prefer, without a hint of pretentiousness.

Bonus: Their treats are from Hart's Bakery - saving me a 20 minute bus ride for the best almond croissant ever.

3. The Bristolian

Supposedly home to one of the best full English breakfasts in Bristol - which I'll have to, uhh...research... This cozy cafe exudes warmth, with cushy chairs, well-loved books strewn about, and even a stand alone shelf with board games. It's the perfect place to refuel if you want to go exploring the shops and street art of Stokes Croft.

Bonus: Unpretentious food and service in a part of town that I don't always feel cool enough to be in + vegetarian options + free Wifi (ask for password)

4. Friska

Perfect for a break between uni classes, this relaxed cafe includes a shop with vintage clothing and vinyl records upstairs. Their coffee comes from local roasters in Clifton and serve lunch as well.

Bonus: Free Wifi (password at the bar)

5. Hart's Bakery

The furthest away from me but well worth the bus fare or walk, the coffee, staff, and pastries here are just legendary. Situated in a large, almost warehouse-like environment, the bread is stacked on shelves and the bakers are buzzing around the ovens behind the counter. It's a bit chaotic in the mornings, but in the best way possible. Seating options are slim and you'll be at cafeteria style rectangular tables, maybe nudging elbows with your neighbor, but it's worth it.

Bonus: The pastries speak for themselves and are my personal incentive to get to the train station extra early. It's that good. Don't take a trip to/from Bristol without filling up here first!

6. The Crepe & Coffee Cabin

Blink and you'll miss this robin's egg blue shack nestled on Prince Bridge. I haven't frequented this place much recently as the seating is essentially a pair of bar chairs on the inside and two bistro tables parked outside the entrance, so it's more suited for sunny days to sit and watch the boats float along the river, or for coffee on the go. They have a short and simple coffee menu and a dangerously long list of crepe options (even though they'll honestly do any combo you want). When I bit into my sweet crepe on my first visit, it was so good that I worried a little about my incoming coffee - sometimes places sacrifice quality of one for the other, yeah? Not in this case.

Bonus: They do some seriously Instagram-worthy latte art. Would you like a Banksy mural in your mug?

source

Do you have a favorite local cafe in your city?

What the Brizzle?

Bristol is known for lots of things. We're colorful, a bit crowded, street art enthusiasts thanks to hometown hero Banksy (you may have heard of him), and drinking cider on boats accompanied by live music is the norm.

So would you believe me if I told you that this wasn't lining the idillic streets of Stratford-upon-Avon nor torn out of a Hansel and Gretel storybook page?

Nope - it's in Bristol, folks.

20 mins from the city center by car, 40 by bus, lies the suburb of Henbury, which feels like a world all on it's own.

Blaise Hamlet is a tiny plot of land with 9 fairytale-worthy cottages plopped right in between typical suburban streets. Designed by John Nash, the mastermind behind multiple UK icons including the Brighton Pavilion and Buckingham Palace, this hamlet is over 200 years old and one of the earliest examples of a planned community. It was created for retired workers of Blaise Castle (more on that below) to live in, and still functions as real homes today. We did giggle at the fact that none of the residents we saw were younger than 70 years old, but it made it all the more adorable.

Small enough to do several laps around, you are able to quietly roam between cottage to cottage, taking in the towering chimneys and gape at the picturesque thatched roofs. I'm sure it's even more beautiful in the spring and summertime, as each cottage is accompanied by a generously sized garden, awaiting their time to bloom.

Up the road lies acres and acres of greenery, with two very prominent historical structures.

A playground!

I kid, I kid.

Next to the playground, is this.

Sitting on 650 acres (!!!) is Blaise Castle and Estate. Scattered around the forest and greenery are caves, hiking trails, ponds, footprints from the Bristol giants, and a cafe of course! It wasn't too crowded when we went, although there were plenty of pups running around and loving life in the open fields, so I can only imagine how packed this place gets on a sunny summer weekend.

It was still pretty great on a sunny winter day though.

Peeking out behind the trees, you can see the grey towers of a castle in the distance from the house.

After a bit of a hike through mud, rock, and woods, we arrived at the top. Overlooking the gorge as well as bits of South Wales on a good day, Blaise Castle is small enough to walk around as many times as you please. I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out the difference between a castle and a tower (shhh....I still think this looks like a tower).

Both the house and the castle have very specific opening times and dates, so if you are wanting a peek inside either, I would plan according to the websites: House/museum here, castle here.

As much as I love hopping on a train to somewhere new, it was just as fun exploring a hidden gem on the outskirts of home - I had to keep reminding myself that this was actually in Bristol..."But where's the graffiti?"