30 Hours Road Trip to Somewhere

A spur of the moment weekend road trip is always fun. I love the spontaneity! Well it is not just all smiles. I do get a little grumpy at times when we get into distress of getting lost in the middle of nowhere. But the smiles float to the surface again, after a little quick release of angst. Thank God P’s patient with me. Before I get into this little distress it was all happy and exciting. Let's start the journey.

BRISTOL

On a late Saturday afternoon, we thought lets go on a little road trip to somewhere. Yes, somewhere. We weren’t sure where we were heading until just minutes before entering the town on the Sat Nav. Bristol it is! It wasn’t too far from London so it’s very doable for a short weekend break. When we arrived at Bristol, we came across many interesting things even though only for a few hours. There were mismatched architecture in the newer part of the city, the Old City being our favourite with more character. Lots of Street Art were everywhere. We even spotted a few Banksy. Our dinner restaurant find was a romantic cosy little Italian Restaurant called Sergio's (review post to come).

Tips: Make sure to wear flat shoe if you are planning to explore Bristol on foot. It's pretty hilly.

Bristol's oldest pub, The Hatchet Inn

WESTON-SUPER-MARE

When we left Bristol, we were not sure where to go except somewhere along the coast. Then we decided to head to.. I can’t remember where.. But the Sat Nav stopped working mid-way through a narrow dark alley with no sign. What was worse, our iPhone battery were dead! Great! What a timing. This was when our instincts were put to test. Luckily we end up in some small town (Weston-Super-Mare) by the coast. It was practically dead at 1am. Found a Premier Inn and hoped they have a room to shelter us, two lost souls. Fully booked!! Why? It didn’t seem like the most interesting of towns to be. Oh well, what do we know. The receptionist was kind enough to let us charge our phones and wait in the lobby for a little while. They did sort of ask us to leave when my phone was charged to about 80% cause they had to clean the area. Okay. Never mind. We parked the car in some grassy open parking space and slept in the car. Yes, we slept in the car! Best thing was, we weren't the only one. There were about 3 people in their sleeping bags on the grass.

By morning, we found out why they were sleeping on the grass. There was some concert where Jessie-J will be there. The queue to the concert got longer and longer as the hours past. Well, all we wanted was to walk along the beach. Curiously, it was almost empty then we saw a danger sign that says ‘Sinking Mud’! First time to come across this on a beach. Better not walk too close to the sea then. We asked around for the best breakfast place and was recommended the award winning Dr Fox’s Tea Room (review post to come soon). 

BURNHAM-ON-SEA

Next stop! Again, somewhere along the coast was our plan. We found Burnham-on-sea on the map so we headed there. It seems like a nice place and we spent a few hours soaking up the sun on the beach. Just where we were parked was what looked like a quaint little Tea Room / Café called The Long Parlour (review post to come soon). We had an afternoon tea break there and was pleasantly surprised with it. The roast smelled really good but too bad we had a big breakfast and only wanted something light. The traditional Somerset tea came with scones with clotted cream and jam was really lovely. If I ever come back again, I am sure to try the appetising looking food too.

SIDMOUTH 

Later, we headed southwards. Sidmouth is a charming seaside town beneath the red cliffs. It is also on the Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site. Besides its natural beauty, it is enchanting with its attractive independent shops, and the town itself exudes calmness. It is no wonder 60% of the residence are over 65 of age. A relaxing town perfect for retirees. Even though we are far from being 65, we still enjoyed its serenity and beauty. Dinner was in The Black Horse Pub (review post to come).