After a few days and nights in Bristol I have to admit that the city and the friends are treating us like royalty. 😉

Our friends have been great hosts and we have been well fed and have had a great guide and advice in order for us to go around touring the city. The temperatures are not as mild as I expected but hey, it is February already and I have not seen snow or rain, so no complaints!.

My first stop was the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery which has free admission and can be seen in one afternoon. Of course, the building and the quantity of pieces of art cannot be compared with those ones in London but a good amount of outstanding objects can be seen.

I was really fond of the Chinese collection . Since 2012 is the Year of the Dragon they have displayed many items with dragon patterns on one side of the large room. The whole collection is quite interesting, from porcelain to metal work they show objects used for ceremonies and daily life. The oldest item is about 2000 years.

The British silver collection is also very impressive. They have objects used for domestic purposes (mostly for the dinner table, coffee and tea time) but also at church.

The museum has  hands – on spots that reminded me of the Royal Ontario Museum where kids can touch and play while they learn. The collection of minerals, dinosaurs, animals and birds is well presented.  I noticed a lot of visitors, sitting relaxedly and sketching.

There is also a bit of French and British paintings, a small Egyptian funerary gallery and an incredible traditional gypsy caravan perfectly decorated which definitely was a big surprise for me.

The museum is right beside the University of Bristol and only five minutes away from the cathedral and the central library. The area is beautiful and active.

Bristol is walkable and has very charming sunsets, well… the sun has been shy most of the time so we have moved from gray to total darkness.