Winter Weekends in Bristol

My family loves to jalan-jalan. When we were in Malaysia, weekends will be spent eating out, going to the movies, window-shopping or just browsing through books at MPH Subang Parade. However, this routine somehow changed when we came to Bristol. Apart from attending the various functions organized by MCB or makan2 at some Malaysian friend's house, weekends will be spent at home. Eating out? Not so easy as we have to find halal outlets. So our choice is limited to Cedars Express, Diamond Kebabs & Pizza, Bristol Kebab House, Subway (halal) and the likes (I miss fusion food ... huhuhu ...). Window-shopping? Most shops close by 8 p.m. on Saturdays and 4.00 p.m. on Sundays. Browsing at the bookshop? Borders in Clifton just closed down. That leaves going to the movies, but movies are seasonal (*sigh*).

Refused to be sucked into the doldrums, a few weeks ago, I just went like: "That's it! No more staying at home during weekends. Rain or shine, we have to make an effort to go somewhere ... anywhere!"

So, these winter weekends, we have been out and about :D.


Bristol Harbourside
(For more information about the place, go to this link. :P)

The pictures below were taken just before the big freeze struck UK.














Bristol Museum

There was a wildlife photography exhibition at the museum when we went there. We had the chance to see award-winning photos on display. They were amazing original compositions (no Photoshop touch-ups) that showed the real skills of the photographers. I noted that most of the photos were either shot with Canon EOS or Nikon (that says a lot about these two brands). As hubby wanted to stay longer there, I took the children to other parts of the museum.

I managed to persuade my youngest son to look at 'hantu' rather than play at the children's corner (which was pretty crowded). Well, the 'hantu' was actually the egyptology exhibits ... hehehe. We saw, among others, ancient coffins, paraparnelia, pharaoh masks, parchments or stone slabs inscribed in hierogylphics, and a sneak peek of a mummy.

Then we moved to another section which showcased Bristol's wildlife. So, there we were, identitying each animal as we go along. There were also fossils of Bristol's prehistoric creatures.

Another section houses minerals and precious stones found in the region. I Discovered that Bristol used to be the mining ground for the precious stone, Celestine. That reminded me of a student of mine with that name (Hi dear, how are you? :)).

Apart from that, there were vintage pianos, china wares and a gypsy wagon on display. My daughter was quite disappointed because she had wanted to see exhibits on the Kings and Queens of England. Err ... I think she had this museum confused with the wax one in London :P

My verdict: not much of a museum but certainly not a bad place to take your children on a cold winter weekend. Btw, it's free :).