Happy Haunting!
You can find out more about what I'm doing for All Hallows Eve on my Master of Theatre for Young Audience blog.
Happy Haunting! I came to London a few days earlier than planned so that I could see my friend Roger and his granddaughter, Anabelle. We had a great two days together spent catching up and visiting some nice neighborhoods and parks to play in. They even accompanied me on my first trip to Hackney City Farm. Anabelle loved showing me her favorite animals and the weather was phenomenal for late October. We had a lot of fun. Thanks for a great visit!
A couple days ago I posted THIS article about Playground Coffee House on my Facebook page. I may not have said it, but I felt a strong urge to head there and swing on one of their swings, and thought Dayne would like to join me on that adventure.
Surprisingly, I got a few emails from my friends and family who also felt that I needed to go and swing on the swings at Playground Coffee House, and to be sure to let them know when I did. So, on the one Saturday in October I did not have class for seven hours, Dayne and I decided to head there for a morning cup of coffee. OH MY GOSH, was it a blast! Unfortunately I can't upload the video I have of us swinging to the blog, but to my surprise we did not have to wait to sit on them, they were available as soon as we arrived. We must have sat there talking and swinging for over an hour. We loved it! Well, I may have loved it a little bit more, but it was a great start to the day and my latte was immaculate. We even came back to play board games on Sunday before Dayne caught his ride back to London. Playground Coffee House has two floors with board games and other activities (including the swings) scattered throughout the area. I loved all of the bright colors, but both times we visited I thought the temperature of the building was too cold for me to be 100% comfortable. If anyone comes to visit, we will likely make a stop here. Their drinks were great and if you have nothing to talk about, there's plenty of games available to you. You'll never be bored. Last night we attended a surprise 30th birthday party for a friend of ours at The Brunel, a wine bar in Bristol. The surprise was perfect, and we got there early enough to hear some great stories about the man of honor, courtesy of his father. It's hard to see them all in this picture, but I was obsessed with the decorations. They looked like they were done professionally! Also, it was awesome to see so many friends from the wedding together, since that was when I first met just about everyone here in Bristol. Overall, it was a great night out in Bristol!
It wasn't the best day for a good view, but we still had fun. The walk through the park and garden on the way to Cabot Tower was very pretty with little courtyards, lots of flowers, and ponds. It was a little scary to climb so many steep, slippery steps, but the sight was great even with the fog. The pictures don't do it justice. I'd love to come back on a sunny day. Finally, a day without any class or (much) homework to worry about. A day I can write in my blog!
I love the way my schedule for my Masters course is set up... a few weeks of really busy work where we are in class almost every day (including Saturdays) followed by two weeks of primarily working from home, and we only go to class once, maybe twice a week. This is the first week since the course kicked off at the start of October that we've only had to go in once, that was for puppetry on Monday. I chose to go to a workshop held by Trestle Theatre yesterday, so I had two long, busy days of class in a row. Now I am off until next week Monday! Pretty nice, huh? I'm still in the beginning administrative stages of actually working here (getting insurance and background checks and all) so on at least one of my days off after sending a few emails and making some connections, I try to be brave and explore by myself. Actually, last Friday I wasn't by myself. My house mom, Nina, also had the day off so the two of us went to explore the Mall. I found my new favorite store, Joules, though I didn't splurge on anything.... yet! The Friday before that I discovered North Street and spent a few hours visiting various shops and cafes, stopping at Carter & Bell to do some reading for class. Both Fridays were lovely, and helped me pass the time while waiting for Dayne to arrive from London, where he lives and works. Today is not Friday, and it's also wet and rainy outside which means I haven't been out exploring. This is probably a good thing, because I had tons of laundry and blogging to do. I'm happy to report that I have been completely productive today, after sleeping in... hehe! Along with laundry, my afternoon has consisted of tackling various administrative things, catching up with friends and family, updating my blog, drinking a few (too many) cuppas, and singing/jamming to Taylor Swift. I've also made a list of things I want to do in Bristol, because looking at my weekends for the rest of the year, there are very few when I will actually be in this beautiful city! I'll save that for a separate blog post though, as my laundry is done! A few weeks ago I spent one of my off days exploring North St., a busy main street just across the river from Bristol City Centre. It is home to many different shops, cafes, and restaurants, and I was able to stop in many as I walked down the road. Towards the end of my jaunt, I noticed the sophisticated “Curtis & Bell” on the corner of the street and decided it would be a good spot to stop for some lunch and reading for class.
I immediately was drawn in by the bright orange color throughout the entire cafe, well accentuated by the occasional white or brown accent color. It is the perfect balance between energy and class. I found a table in the corner to drop my things and ordered the lunch special; chili with a roll of bread and a cup of tea. It was hard to pick just a lunch, because Curtis & Bell has a varied selection of pastries and cakes set up in their window that spans across the entire length of the cafe. Unless you sit in the front of the store, you have to walk past them all or sit staring at them. They taste as delicious as they look... I came back the next week and got a salted caramel eclair with my hazelnut latte. Perfect! Curtis & Bell has plenty of visitors throughout the day, and their outdoor patio is perfect to enjoy some of their homemade ice cream. Along with the tables and chairs, they have a few cozy nooks set up with smaller sofas for a more relaxed experience. My table towards the back corner was perfect for my laptop and meal both. I can’t help but multi-task. The staff are incredibly friendly and took a moment to let me know that it might be a bit loud for a few minutes as they were going to be mixing together ingredients for a recipe. They hoped it wouldn’t disturb my reading. I thought that was really kind. This is easily my favourite spot on North St. I know I have a few more places to stop and enjoy, but I will definitely keep coming back to Curtis and Bell. Today, Dayne and I headed to Whiteladies Road to visit a coffee shop that is on the list, "10 of the best coffee shops in Bristol." Our goal, as I may have mentioned before, is to visit all 10 of them. This is the 2nd one we've gone to, Brew Coffee Company.
It was a beautiful Autumn day, so we were able to sit outside on their front patio. We missed the bus into town, so we and did not get there in time to have brunch. This was a bit of a disappointment, as that was a highlight of Brew pointed out in the “Top 10” article. We ordered our coffees, (mocha & hazelnut latte) and decided what we’d have for a late lunch from the four menu options they had for us to choose from. We opted for homemade chili with yogurt, guacomole, and tortillas. At first, I thought it was a bit expensive, but we got a huge bowl of chili and it was very satisfactory to eat. Chunky, full of meat, vegetables, and beans. It took quite awhile to eat, so I felt we got our money’s worth. My hazelnut latte was the perfect balance of sweet and strong coffee. I did not need to add sugar, which is rare for me. They also did a really nice design on the top, which is always fun. At 3:30pm it was not too busy that we didn't have a seat, but the flow was consistent throughout our visit. Many people stopped by for coffee and a chat, while others came in for a full meal. I loved how relaxed the patio was despite being close to a busy street, I never felt distracted by those passing-by or cars and buses. As it got warmer out, I allowed myself to try a glass of their homemade peppermint guava ice tea, which was incredibly refreshing and the perfect way to cool down after the previous ‘hot’ courses of coffee and chili. After our stop at Brew, we walked up and down Park Street, which was a struggle for me on a full belly. I felt like I could have rolled down the hill on the way back down! Still, it was nice to be able to explore more of Bristol by foot. I’d like to go back earlier in the day (& maybe not on a Sunday) so we could have brunch and visit some of the shops on the street. Whiteladies Road is a bit outside the City Centre of Bristol, so we will likely visit some other areas of Bristol and the other eight coffee shops before we come back to Brew Coffee Company. So much to see, so little time! I look forward to returning. |
Hiya!Jacq is a "Made in the Mitten" gal experiencing life & love across the pond. She enjoys the theatre, both onstage and off, traveling, & taking pictures. You might spot her on her way to class or enjoying a hazelnut latte. She hopes to soon find a good spot to do yoga in the city. Follow her adventures as she discovers her favorite places & spaces in Bristol, Bath & beyond! Topics
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