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.)

Remembering

Remembering. It's time to remember.

 

Last weekend Rick and I went to see John McCutcheon, a wonderful singer/songwriter, who was appearing locally. We'd seen him once before and were eager to return. As always, he did not disappoint! (The only disappointing thing was the very large crowd -- that was good -- almost all of whom were "of an age." The only place you see more gray hair is at the symphony. What will happen to music like this if no one under 50 ever hears it?!)

England: Goodbye, England, till Next Time

It's time to wrap up this series on our England trip. To be honest, I'm sorry to see it end -- I've had fun remembering our good times and friends old and new, discovering new places and seeing old favorites. (The posts from Paris/England 2018 are archived at the menu tab above.)

We awoke on our last day at Morgan's Forge to find that the temperatures had dropped and frost had settled over the hillside, like a thin dusting of powdered sugar over a beautiful cake.

The hills, so green the day before, were now a most pastel shade of green, almost as though a mist had settled upon them, as magical as Brigadoon.

If we hadn't known by looking outside the window, we'd certainly know it from looking at the window itself. This was the coldest day of the trip and the day we had to leave.

We finished our packing and headed off down the hill to wait for the bus. It was a bit brighter by the time we left. Not quite this bright -- this was the day before -- but we were happy to pass by the charming houses along the way.

I never did find out who Hazel was, though! I must have passed by this gate a half dozen times or more and always wondered!

We would be taking the bus from Bath to Gatwick Airport, outside London for our trip home. Our luggage included our overhead bags, a large bag of things that Rick had, his computer, and my wonderful Baggalini expandable carry-on. (It was $20 online and one of my best all-time purchases ever!)

Our bus ride was fairly long and mostly uneventful. I did get a good deal of Gerald Durrell's "My Family and Other Animals" read along the way, though, when I wasn't looking out the window.

I was thrilled to spot a rainbow. A good omen.

That night we stayed at a Premiere Inn, which is a chain of reasonably priced hotels. It may have been our worst evening and later, night's sleep. Above us was constant clomping. Back and forth, forth and back. Over and over and over and over. A visit from the manager calmed it down again but it started around 4 a.m. When we went down to breakfast the next day, we learned it had been a family of four that had the room above. When we spotted one such family, with a girl about four wearing little boots reminiscent of a go-go dancer or cowgirl clomping back and forth from her table to breakfast bar and everywhere else, we knew we'd found the culprit! I wouldn't want to be that kid's mom -- I don't have the energy or patience!

Early the next morning we boarded our WOW flight home. I was very sad to learn recently that WOW has suspended business. (It was a bad scene, leaving many stranded; only a few days before I got a promotional email for a $99 Europe ticket.)

We both loved the service and ease of the flight over and were hoping to take it again. What we had saved on flight tickets helped us get more convenient, nicer hotels, helping to make the trip more economical.

 Goodbye, WOW. Goodbye, England.

Home again. We had been gone three and a half weeks. Lizzie recognized us. Now I'm trying to figure out when I can go back.

England: Welcome to Bath and Morgan's Forge

Back to England! I'll have updates on Rick when we know more but right now we're just waiting for blood clots to dissipate before he can have surgery; then lengthy recuperation. Maybe remembering England will brighten up his days; it does mine! A visit from the Baby Grands sure helped -- even if Rick and Little Little Guy slept through part of it!

Our time in England was nearing its end and so was my foot! After our last morning in Oxford, Rick (of the newly trimmed haircut) and I made our way to the Oxford station and took the train to Bath. It was a most pleasant ride with green fields, cows and sheep, patiently grazing in the late afternoon sun.

Our first and only stop in town was at the grocery store for breakfast food. Then we hailed a cab and headed to our destination, Morgan's Forge. This charming house was located in Midford, a bit over three miles from Bath.

This is what we saw when we arrived!

Heaven. That's all I can say.



Morgan's Forge is owned by a former colleague of mine and his wife and had been her father's before that. It's located high atop a hill, a five minute walk down the hill to the pub and bus stop; a ten minute (or so...) walk back up!

Yes, it's steep.

But the views! Check out the sheep!

This was the view out of the upstairs front bedroom window. It's like something from an English novel.

From our bedroom window, a view of the terrace -- lovely purple flowers still in bloom!

Of course Rick settled in to check email as I settled. He was, after all, still working!

I poked around, checking out the garden and patio.

What a haven. If only it was warm enough to settle out there with a good book!

Soon it was time to hit the Hope and Anchor pub for dinner. It was located at the foot of the hill. That's not us in the pic walking down the hill -- but it might as well be! We did it a lot!

The Hope and Anchor was charming as all get out!

I had a delicious goat cheese/feta/roasted veggie pie with the salad and chips.

After being fully satiated, we walked back up the hill. It was pitch dark and so still. The only sounds were our footsteps. And then, we settled in the comfy living room, lit a fire, checked out British mysteries on the telly and planned next day.

For Rick, a bicycle rental and a road trip.

For me, a bus trip into the Cotswolds.

If, that is, we could leave our cozy space! (And we do! Next time!)

(If you are planning a trip to the Bath area and interested in learning more about Morgan's Forge, let me know!)

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Morgan's Forge

This is where we will be spending a few nights outside of Bath, UK. Morgan's Forge. I hope it looks exactly like this!

A quiet spot in the country but not too far from Bath should be just the trick about now. Can't wait to tell you more about this spot. Can't wait to get there!