Bristol/Bath: A tale of two cities

ALTHOUGH the greater Bristol area has a population similar to that of Dublin, its centre is far more low-key but with a delightful buzz where the up-and-coming appears around the corner from the sedate and elegant.

It’s a modern city wrapped around the core of an ancient settlement with a proud sea-faring past — a place that feels, at times, like a smaller (and quintessentially English) Amsterdam.

In the middle, all streets seem to lead to the Avon — the river that has been Bristol’s lifeblood over the centuries. A huge tidal range !necessitated some inventive wizardry from the city’s most famous engineer, Brunel, to ensure a large waterway in the heart of Bristol to facilitate trade with the outside world. This is known as the Floating Harbour. Nowadays, the trading vessels have been replaced by craft more concerned with pleasure than barter and the dockside warehouses have been replaced by cafes, restaurants (including the largest in Britain), bars, nightclubs, museums, pleasant walkways and groovy-chic residential zones.