My first encounter with Cabot Tower almost didn't happen. 🤷♂️ The tower honors a local, very wealthy seafarer who, if I'm not mistaken, was among the first to set sail for the New World, yet it sits tucked away in a park among the trees — if I hadn't read up on the city's sights beforehand, I would have easily walked right past it.
It's not particularly tall and has 2 levels — there's a small terrace about 2/3 of the way up, and then a staircase winds up toward the very top, so narrow that only one person can pass at a time. 🤌 Still, the climb is worth every step: you get a view of the whole city and some fantastic panoramic shots. Of course, that's assuming it's sunny and not raining — and lucky for me, it was sunny the whole time, really sunny. ☀️😎 Tip: head up in the morning while your legs are still fresh.
The other big landmark is the Suspension Bridge — hanging somewhere around 100 meters or more above the River Avon. 🌉 Its iron structure completely blew me away. 🙆♂️
The neighborhoods are unique too. Each one differs from the others in architecture, and it's easy to tell which is the wealthy part of town and which is the poorer one. 💁♂️ The Bristol University building is also incredible, built in the style of old English architecture.
There are some preserved buildings from that era, but not many — thanks to the Nazis and the bombings during World War II, the city was nearly leveled to the ground. Some of the surviving buildings were never demolished or reconstructed at all (mainly churches, since people took shelter in them and met their deaths there). They've simply been left as they are, to remember what happened and make sure it never happens again.
Man, the English countryside is really something! And I want to say to those who've only seen London — you haven't seen anything of England or the kingdom. 😉 Take a walk through the smaller villages and towns and you'll feel the spirit of the country. 🤌 England has a spirit of its own, trust me. 👌
