A perfect 10 for a Bank Holiday weekend in Bristol

Easily the best Bank Holiday I can remember for a long time, not only because of all the amazing sunshine which transformed the whole country, but for all the wonderful things Bristol offers.
The weekend kicked off nicely with a boozy Friday night at the newly-refurbished Anchor Pub, which is now part of the Mezze chain. Unfortunately we arrived just too late to make good on the promise of free flowing champagne, (and for some reason the two girls in impossible heels seemed to get served ahead of me) but nevertheless enjoyed getting used to the new-look pub and the several pints of Gem while chatting to an ageing hipppy call Cosmic Sam. I’m not even joking. His name was really Cosmic, something or other.
What was once a neglected relic with carpets and decor from 1973 has in the a matter of weeks been transformed into a modern, contemporary, Mediterranean-influenced gastro type pub, that I’ve been waiting to arrive since I moved here two years ago.
Saturday was full of chores and carbloading for Sunday, when Amy and I took on the Bristol 10K. We’ve both been looking forward to it, and after my decision to pull out of the Edinburgh Marathon, I could really enjoy the occasion and revel in the atmosphere. Amy did  a great job of setting the pace and we finished in a steady 1hr 20mins.

Approaching the finish at the Bristol 10K

It was quite a contrast to the last time we took part, about four or five years ago, when it was a much smaller field of runners and we were much less prepared and in the end was barely able to keep up with a woman dressed as a sugar plumb fairy, with the figure to match, and a few power walkers. I think they were even starting to pick up the cones and reopen the roads as we plodded along. But this year we smashed our previous time by almost 20 minutes, and had a great time being part of this amazing spectacle.
After finishing the run we hit the Burger Joint on Whiteladies Road for a well-deserved pint and mahoosive gourmet burger, which I’d been thinking about most of the way round.
The rest of the afternoon passed in a weird blur as I kept falling asleep on the sofa, in the bath and found myself almost in bed at about 6pm. It was all we could do to muster and get back round the pub for a few more pints in celebration of our achievements.
So today, with the sun shining, my little Schwin Fastback push bike was looking like a very tempting prospect, as news of Team Sky in Italy’s Giro came on the radio. Having just had the bike overhauled at Mike’s Bikes in Portishead, (which is definitely worth a plug as they did such a great job) I decided it was time to road test it properly.
Being lucky enough to live on the cycle network I headed towards Bristol on the Avon River Trail, went through the city and out to Bath, then back again, clocking up about 45 miles in the process.

Of course, everybody else in the world had the same idea and it was very busy, which is great of course as it gives people a chance to get out and enjoy the countryside, like I was. I just wish I could have had it all to myself. I’m waiting for the sunburn to kick in now as it was really properly hot on the road. Despite taking two drinking bottles I had to stop at an ice cream van on the harbourside in Bristol for what turned out to be the best can of Coke and Magnum ice cream I’ve ever had. Much needed at that point.

The view of Bristol's floating harbour and the Balmoral this evening

I also discovered why they have signs on the road there warning cyclists not to ride along the dockside at the floating harbour because of the danger of getting wheels caught in the old tram lines. I discovered this after getting my wheel caught in one of the old tram lines and falling haplessly off my bike, right in front of one of those signs. Must have made someone’s day.
So now back to work, at least it’s only three weeks until the next bank holiday, which I’m sure will be as sunny and amazing. This is England in the springtime after all.