Hello dear readers of vegberlin,

I was not posting anything the last months (!) and Camila already threatened to ban me of it. So I finally decided to write a post and by dooing so, internationalize it a bit. But thats not the only reason, why I write in English this time, its also because it is about a place in the UK – this time its all about Bristol! 🙂

Bristol is not only a port city and has beautiful quarters with tipical victorian houses, it is also a place of important English history. In the harbour you can visit the famous steamship S.S.Great Britain, built by Isambard K. Brunel and when you walk through the city you easily find buildings connected to the pirate history of England.

Its said that the famous pirate Edward “Blackbeard” Thatch was having some drinks in the pub above and that it was possible to escape from the officials via secret tunnels beneath it. And while walking around the historic part of Bristol, we discovered another interesting aspect. Bristolians even though they are bound to an amazing history can be sometimes very modern and progressive too.

But of course one of the most famous persons from Bristol is street-artist Banksy who started his career some years ago in Bristol and nowadys you still find some of his most well known art pieces at the walls all around the city.

Walking up Stokes Croft you pass by many other street-art and also some real nice and interesting meeting points of urban alternative culture. One of it is “Cafe Kino” which unites splendis vegan food with the screening of arthouse movies in the basement – a real must see!!!

We ordered each one of those tasty vegan Burgers with sweet potatoe chips beside and of course: a very good organic ale… 🙂

Beside the fact, everything there was vegan and organic, they also have a certain philosophy behind. Wooden plates on the wall describe every aspect of it.

At the window beside the entrance, you find another interesting information. There is a blue sticker which shows kind of a Pound-Symbol but shaped as a “B” and it says: “We accept Bristol Pounds”. The city of Bristol recently introduced its own local currency – the Bristol Pound – to support local sustainable business and it seems more and more citizens and shops are tending to use and accept it as a up-to-date tool for local economic developement.

Actually I knew already about it before our trip to Bristol and when I saw the sign in front the place where you can exchange Sterling Pounds to Bristol Pounds I imediately bought some of them to test, if it really works. The girl at the desk of Cafe Kino did not even look strange when I asked to pay with it. Later on I realized the sign in many shops around, so I assume its not a big thing and many other people do it as well :-).

 

The notes show nice works of Bristolian artists and in the end I didnt spent all of them, cause I wanted to keep some as a souvenir. Almost all of the shops who accept Bristol pounds have strong commitment with sustainable products and some are also supporting vegetarianism like you see in the foto beneath. The Bristol Pound is not a vegetarian currency but it is at least vegetarian friendly.

I really liked our trip to Bristol, because I also felt a bit like a boy on the playground: using different money, discovering new exciting places, eating delicious veggie-burgers and having fun like a pirate. Bristol is a city which you probably dont expect so much, but you get surprised easily by its many different faces. Its definately worth a visit!

You will find Cafe Kino at 108 Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3RU – five minute walk from Bristol Bus and Coach station,

and on the 70, 71, 72, 73, 75, 76, 309, 310, U1, U2 and X11 bus routes. For advance bookings, please call the cafe on: 0117 9249200

Bristol Pounds you can get at the Bristol Visitor Information Centre E Shed, 1 Canons Road, Bristol, BS1 5TX or at any other of the eleven bristol Pound Cash Points

A new way to pay with Bristol pound is by mobile phone using “text2pay”