06-April-08 Driving to Bristol Ikea

I decided to go to Ikea to get some very basic furniture (futon couch, kitchen table, end tables, chair). There will be an Ikea store in Southampton (30 minutes East) in 2009, but until then, the closest store is in Bristol (2 hours NW). I only had a detailed map that covered from Bournemouth to Bath (2/3 of the way), but not from Bath to Bristol. I had expected to use the Map function in my blackberry to get me further.

What I found out on the way, is that there was a major diversion (roadwork closure) on the way to Bristol, and I ended up having to go a very circuitous route (aka LONG WAY) to get there. But it ended up fine getting there. I was able to pop on a motorway late in the drive, and there were great signs directing me to the Ikea store in Eastgate Centre.

The Ikea store is large and very busy, but it is not as big as in the US. Things are much more cramped in smaller spaces. The furniture is somewhat similar, but most furniture sizes are much smaller, which is typically European. After I had finished shopping (parking was nonexistent), I decided to head into Bristol city centre to see what was there. And since I didn't really have a map, I was limited to the Blackberry map. The online map showed the streets, but in Bristol, the street names are nowhere to be found for some of the main streets......I could see the side lanes with names, but didn't know what I was driving on. So I just drove around for a little while (mostly in circles) and then ended up parking and walking for a bit. Bristol is inland from the sea just a bit, with the River Stern forming a big waterfront for the old city centre. Many old shops, but there are a lot of modern glass & steel buildings, so it doesn't feel very antiquated. If you like the waterfront, it's a nice place to visit. I really didn't venture much out of the city centre, so I can't give much more of a summary.

As I left, again, there were NO signs for major streets, so I just headed in the general direction I needed to head back to Bournemouth. I ventured out of town and reached a small village where I could then re-gauge against the Blackberry map and determine my location. But the roads in that area were not big enough to show up easily on the Blackberry map, and I stopped to get a regional map. That proved quite helpful and I took several local roads on the way.....and this was a bonus to see great countryside with many cute towns, each with their own church/rectory, and ventured through many narrow, curvy, hilly roads. It took a little bit longer, because the roads go through a small village every 8-10 miles, and you have to slow down to 30-40 miles per hour and then speed back up. As it was Sunday evening, I didn't encounter much traffic on those roads. And luckily I made it back home safe.....and only getting lost a little bit. :)