This England: Rick Takes a Hike -- A Guest Post

While I was admiring the magnificent architecture and glorious peace of Wells Cathedral, Rick took advantage of a beautiful day to do a hike.

 

Here's another guest post by Rick (actually, his Facebook post of that day) to give you an idea of the beautiful countryside as seen on foot.

This England: Time for Tea in Bath

One always hears about rain in England and we got the Bath version on this day. And it was odd -- it would pour relentlessly and hard; then stop; then drizzle; then pour again. It was a good morning to stay in for a bit, especially after our walking day in Cardiff. Rick worked on his family tree, I read. But around noon we decided it wasn't going to clear up and we certainly weren't going to stay in the house all day, so off we went! After all, it was a good day for an afternoon tea!

This England -- Let's Go to a Rugby Game!

I confess, when Rick said he wanted to go to a rugby game while we were in Bath, I wasn't exactly keen. I mean, what do we know about rugby? I'm not even fond of football and at least I know the rules.

But it is a very English sport and when in Rome (or Bath), get into the swing of it! So, while Rick was out riding his bike from Bath to Bristol and wherever all it took him, I was charged with getting rugby tickets! They weren't terribly expensive and we felt lucky to get them late the day before.

This England -- Let Rick Ride! A Guest Post

For the most part, Rick and I did pretty much everything together during our trip. But there were a couple of times when we split up because a cyclist has to ride and when it's beautiful, new territory, nothing could have kept Rick from the bike. 

So, I'm turning this post over to him, sharing his Facebook post about his cycle ride on our first day. As I was exploring Bath and getting rugby tickets, this was his day!

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This is one of my rare journeys that is not 100 percent by bicycle. My first day here,however, was a bike trip. I walked a mile or two to the canal where I rented one for the day. 

 

This England: Exploring Bath

All things considered, we woke relatively rested for our first full day in Bath -- and a beautiful one it was. Rick decided it was a perfect day to rent a bike and go on a long ride. I decided to go into the city. Erika asked in the last post if we had a car available or used the bus. For us, it was the bus -- usually (with a couple of exceptions) a very reliable way to get around the area.

So on this morning, I hustled down to the bus, only to stand waiting and waiting. Finally, I wondered if I might be in the wrong place (or had just missed the one before, which is what I realized had happened). Hope and Anchor had turned their closed sign to open so I crossed back over and asked if I might get a cup of tea and a little advice.

This England -- Welcome to Bath!

One thing we knew for certain when planning our trip. If the cottage we stayed in during our last trip to Bath was still available, we wanted to rent it again and have a longer visit. It was, and we did! (This photo is from my walk in the area.)

At first we thought we might visit Dublin or Edinburgh first. But we decided to spend the whole first week of our holiday in Bath (Midford, actually, about three miles outside the city) and branch off from there. It was a smart idea. (See the travel tips at the end of this post.)

England: A Bit More of Bath

Bath is a lovely city. I'm really not sure how large it is -- we didn't explore as we might have on a normal trip with normal feet and more days. We missed some of the museums and attractions I would have enjoyed seeing.

But anyone passing through as we did couldn't help but notice the city's charm. There were tea rooms of course.

I think I would have enjoyed tea here but it wasn't timing out right!

There were charming sweet shops.

Pedestrian squares...

...and cafes.

Sally Lunn's is the oldest house in Bath and home of the world famous Sally Lunn bun.

Another angle. So colorful!

The Avon River cuts through the center of town.

Pulteney Bridge (1774) crosses the river. If you look above the bridge, you will see a number of shops built directly upon it. The bridge is designed by Robert Adam, whose work we saw in the library of Kenwood House earlier in the trip (HERE). His original drawings are in Sir John Soane's Museum, which we also visited HERE. I wish we'd known then that we would be seeing the bridge in person! .

They are as charming from one side as the other.

I have to admit that this shop looked very inviting!

Some of the alleys and passages were very narrow with shops on either side that evoked memories of a time gone by.

We didn't "do" Bath Abbey. But the exterior was imposing...

...from any angle.

The architectural details were quite beautiful.

This one, too!

There are rows of beautiful homes...

And streets that demonstrate the hills of the area.

Many tourists congregated in the square outside of Bath Abbey. (That white fellow in the middle of a photo is "riding" an unsupported bicycle, holding the pose. These living street manniquins always shock and dazzle me.)

That included the pigeons! These fellows found us as we were enjoying a delicious pasty while sitting in the square!

And even more crowded around this fellow. He was perched on a very tall ladder...

...and managed to disrobe, piece by piece, while juggling knives.

Definitely a charmer and one of the better street performers we saw.

I look forward to a return to Bath. A beautiful city with much to offer!

(And yes, I "pinked up" the sky in this photo. It was so gloomy that day and it gives it a nice glow!

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England: The Roman Baths

Apart from the Cotswolds there was one attraction in Bath I had longed to see. It had received wonderful 'reviews' from many a friend and was filled with history. It was the Roman baths.

We took the bus into Bath and walked about six blocks to the square that included the famous Bath Abbey and the baths themselves.

Bath was a Roman fortification and the baths were a place of relaxation and socialization for the soldiers and others of the outpost. After purchasing our ticket, we opened up onto this terrace overlooking the waters.

The wide bank of windows allows all standing within the building to have an excellent view.

There are numerous statues surround the balcony which covers three sides of the building. The fourth, on the right above, is part of the museum.

The statues, we learned were reproductions but they were excellent ones, showing a good deal of age, yet well maintained.

The tour is a long one with excellent audio and interesting mini-films along the way that show how the various artifacts on display may have been used during the period.

I'd allow three hours. And it is handicap accessible for the most part.

There were some terrific audio visual effects too. This wall is what is original.

It morphed into this, showing reconstruction based on archaeological findings.

Then this, showing what the original colors would have been.

There were numerous scale models...

...and ancient stone pieces, reconstructed from fragments.

The waters for the baths runs through the building on the lower level...

...and out into the bath itself.

From there we are actually on the terrace and couldn't resist a photo op.

A robed guide moved among guests, answering questions.

His ensemble was well made -- and on a chilly day, probably most welcome!

At the far ends of the terrace level were inset shelves with pottery rescued from the ruins.

And, from here one could enter the male and female baths. The one we saw was loaded with coins!

Archaeology continues to be in progress here, as in this space.

As a "fabulous parting gift" we were all given a taste of the mineral water from the baths. It wasn't bad (it would have been better chilled) but seemed salty and you could definitely taste the minerals.

The admission price for this one is hefty but it was worth every cent. I learned plenty and found it all fascinating.

(The downsides -- a lot of people means sometimes it's hard to see some of the things clearly. Be patient!)

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