Bristol Harbour Festival and Good old boats!

Loved the harbour at Bristol.  While not used today, it was the scene of great nautical history, and unfortunately some shameful as well.  Many seafaring adventures began at Bristol as ships left at high tide through the Avon Gorge.  As ships became bigger, they were unable to travel up to Bristol and the harbour met its demise.  However it has been reborn as a center city draw for eateries, clubs, and other attractions.  We surprised to find ourselves there during the Bristol Harbour Festival where boats braved the high, flooded rivers  to gather under the spars of Tall Ships for the fun of the weekend.  Here are pictures from around the harbour and of course my(David)  personal favorite --old wooden boats!  

There is an old saying that every boat has a soul - Sometimes you have to look deep, but it's there! 

Here are more Wells pictures,  the protective walls held these cross-shaped openings for archers to shoot in a fairly wide field of vision.  We walked around the top of the wall which was called the ramparts - apparently a favorite walk of the current bishop.

We enjoyed the gardens everywhere we toured.  Certainly the reputation for English gardens is well deserved.  These are a few pictures from the gardens around the cathedral, bishop's house and protective walls at Wells Cathedral, probably our favorite.

Here we are in the Chapter House at Bristol Cathedral built in the 1100s.  We gathered here everyday before Evensong for tea and cookies--then a few minutes of silence before processing into the service under the charge of the verger followed by the clergy.  While we were shocked at first that we could stay quiet that long (just minutes, really), we grew to treasure this time in the Chapter House!