Tess and I are begin to adjust to our nomadic lifestyle

Our first day away from the North has been in Bristol, where we spent the night in a lovely dog-friendly guesthouse – The Washington. A couple stars above what we’ll be getting the rest of the trip, made affordable by the fact the room was a single bed without an en-suite shower – but for £51 it included a lovely cooked and continental breakfast. 

We were up early to make the most of the day, and  to explore without me having to lug around 18kg of luggage. Did I mention I think I’ve overpacked?I’m hoping as the trip progresses I’ll get stronger and the bag lighter – but the inconvenience of a large bag has definitely made the prospect of shopping for gifts make me feel the same way as when someone suggests ice cream after an all you can eat buffet! 

The rain was pouring and little rivulets were forming on both sides of the street. Bristol seems a lot hillier than I’d pictured and so the water was really gushing in places. Mum says I’ve been before, but I must have been very young as I have not even the faintest memory. 

We ventured up to a great vantage point, and after much difficult posing under false pretence of me throwing a stick, captured the half decent photo of a slightly soaked sewer rat. 

Shame as had we waited until after lunch the day really cleared up and the views would have been much more stunning. But we weren’t the only ones to choose an inopportune time for the viewing – sadly a whole coach load of tourists had parked up for an hour and the vast majority didn’t venture off their vehicle to see the view. 

We worked from the hotel bar in the morning taking advantage of their 2 for 1 deal for lunch, packing a steak sandwich for the long train journey to Penzance. A brief walk down from Clifton into Bristol, took us through the university, where dad once studied and passed the cathedral, where we had a quick game of fetch the monkey and chase the bird.

We crossed the river Avon and headed to the quays, where the Mokoko bakery kept us warm for the afternoon, before catching the direct 4-hour train to Penzance – arriving well after 9pm meaning sadly we missed a lot of the scenic journey due to cover of darkness.