I was lucky enough to have Friday off work, and we had plans! We were up bright and early, and by 7.30am we were on the M42 and on our way to Bristol. The roads were surprisingly clear, and traffic moving along nicely. Everything was going well till we turned off the M5 for Bistol, our aim was to head for the Park and Ride. I had googled the details before leaving home and having seen a sign post we knew we must be heading the right way. However the Sat Nav kindly took us into the middle of a residential area and announced 'you have arrived' - the hell we hadn't!! After quite some time driving around, it became apparent we were not going to find a park and ride, so we decided to bite the bullet and just head into the city centre. That was easy enough, but we were in for a HUGE shock. Oh my god, the car parking was so expensive. We pulled into the NCP car park under the Holiday Inn, and were mortified by the parking charges, but you know what can you do.....you're there, and have no idea where else you could go. The sign posting in Bristol 
left a lot to be desired I have to say. I am sure if you're a local and know where you're going then its not a problem, but to a visitor its a nightmare. Anyway, having resigned ourselves to our fate, we popped into the Holiday Inn, and met the wonderful concierge Derek, he was amazing and very helpful. Considering we were not guests at the hotel, he went above and beyond. It was interesting to find out that as far as Derek knew there was no Park and Ride on that side of Bristol - the plot thickens!
The rest of the day was better, we had a coffee and took a few moments to compose ourselves then headed off to explore. We looked around Cabots Circus, St Nicholas's market and the Harborside. I have to say, I think Bristol is very expensive and that came as a surprise. But it was nice to experience somewhere new. The highlight of the day was having lunch at Za Za Bazaar, the place is amazing and apparently the biggest restaurant in the UK. It certainly is HUGE! Its a world buffet with food stations serving Indian, TexMex, far eastern food etc. Everything was delicious and plentiful. The best part was the desserts....oh my lord, they were to die for! Little mini lemon meringues, pannacotta's, banoffee pies, jelly in shot glasses, and little slices of cake.....heaven on a plate. SO if you ever go there, leave plenty of room for dessert!
We left Bristol late afternoon and headed to our hotel, the Holiday Inn Express just outside the city centre. It was really upmarket to our usual Travelodges!! It was a lovely comfortable hotel and there was a pub next door. So after checking in, we went to the Fox Den for a drink, we might have stayed for more....but that would have meant taking out a second mortgage. We returned to the hotel for a quiet evening, and early night. Yes - the Ivans' are party animals!
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