Bristol birthdays

It was my mate Tim's birthday yesterday and he had a little soiree to celebrate. I saw the opportunity to ride from Pontypool to Portishead as a way of getting some miles in. After doing a route check I worked out that the Welsh side was pretty easy (apart from a couple of decent climbs) and then once over the bridge and past Avonmouth it got to be tricky cycle lanes.
Onward then.
I paused on the old Severn Bridge to snap a picture and also experience the bridge I normally pile over on the bike or in the car. I was amazed by just how much it moves. You can feel it bouncing and rumbling as vehicles pass.

 I resisted the urge to empty my bladder into the Severn from the side of the bridge. I did think about it for some time though.

Next bridge to cross both literally and metaphorically I suppose was the Avonmouth flyover alongside the M5. After snaking my way through the industrial parts of Avonmouth I managed to locate the cycle track that took me up alongside the M5. I pondered about bladder emptying as I was going over that one too. Again discretion got the better part of me and I found a hedge once back on terra firma. This interesting sculpture is called Stronghold and was created in 2001 by the artist Pat(rick) Daw Now adorned with low quality graffiti it was still a good point to ponder on things.
Pushing on and after numerous bollard threadings and passing by of car storage areas I was out on the Sheepway and not far from my destination. It felt good to be on the roads again after the gravelly cyclepaths.
It was a good party.