There is something faintly just a little different in Bath from the rest of the places I have visited in England. It's a little more European, maybe a little bit Italian. But considering it was first settled by the Romans, maybe that's why. As soon as we arrived I grabbed up Emily and Kathy and shoved then onto one of the ever present Green and Tan tour buses and off we went on a circular tour of the city. The whole area is very impressive. The river Avon cuts through the eastern part of the city of Bath, carving through parks, meadows, and rows and rows of Georgian houses. But the part we are interested in lies between the Abbey and the river. This always formed the border of Bath and in medieval times housed the market gardens and fisheries of the Abbey monks. Nowadays the whole river bank is a good place for strolling with its pubs, parks and even river trips taking you under the bridge and up the river Avon. The river Avon is particularly idyllic here. And below the bridge is a gushing weir which sometimes has fishermen standing in frothing water waiting for trout or breen to go through. Also mallard ducks can be observed on the Avon as well as families of white swans gliding slowly by. Did I read the brochure or what?
As we tootled along, the tour guide pointed out an area of more modern houses. He said that these houses had been built as a result of an urban renewal project carried out by the German Luftwaffe during WWII. I had not realized that Bath had been bombed heavily during WWII. According to our tour bus guide on just two consecutive nights in late April 1942, over 400 people in Bath lost their lives on an essentially senseless attack by the German Air Force here on one of the country's most beautiful and historic cities. I just don't understand this kind of destruction.
One of my few quibbles about Bath is the Parade Gardens. Granted, they are very beautiful and set at water level and they have extensive views of the river - but does Bath Council really have to charge £1.50 to visit? Most cities in the world do not charge for visiting their public parks. The park itself is beautiful with statues, flower beds, deck chairs, topiary covered lawns, and a bandstand; perhaps the charge is due to the upkeep? I can see where the city might figure that this is a good way to tap into the tourist trade and certainly the price is way below what a tourist generally pays for admission to an attraction, but I keep thinking about the locals. How would I feel if I was a resident of Bath and had to pay £1.50 to visit my own city park?
We rode across the Pulteney Bridge and that is one of the coolest places in Bath. All the way across it is lined with the booths for shopkeepers. On my 2001 trip I wandered all across it and the shops and restaurants are worth a look. First of all is a Cornish pasty shop whose delicious smell hits you as you approach. Further on are galleries, souvenir shops, Indian restaurants, tea and antique shops. On the other side a stairway of stone steps descend to the river bank. From here you are just below the bridge and can view its great span from another angle.
.One of the last places we passed before we got off the bus was the Jane Austen Center. I would have liked to go back and seen what they had to offer but we had gotten a late start this morning and there is so much to see in a limited amount of time that you just can't get everything in. After our tour we decided to splurge and go to Sally Lunn’s for lunch. It was nice, but kind of a let down. The food was pretty good, but not outstanding. The prices, now they were outstanding. We did get the waitress to take a picture of the three of us.
After lunch, Kathy and Emily toured the Roman Baths and, since I had toured them before and am also a little claustrophobic, I decided to sit in the square outside the Cathedral and people watch. There was one of those mime people we keep seeing everywhere we go outside the Cathedral door and it was a hoot to sit there and watch people talk to him and to watch him go through his very slow motion mimed answers. Children get a huge kick out of these characters. This is the first time I have ever seen them, so they must be the latest thing in street performers.
By the time that Kathy and Emily had finished their tour it was about time for us to walk down to the train station and head back to Weston-Super-Mare. Joanne had driven down from Scotland a couple of days ago and had gone straight to Farham to visit with one of her good friends and was driving up to us today. She and kids were supposed to be there by the time we got back and I was looking forward to seeing them.
Emily’s Side of the Story
Got up...went to Bath...It was cool. Sally Lunns's sucked, well maybe not, but it sure wasn't what I expected. It was built in 1482..10 years before Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492, and then Sally Lunns came about in 1680. Just a little historical knowledge for you.
Kathy and I then went to the Roman Baths..Grams had already been, plus she gets claustrophobic in those things. The Roman Baths were fun...hot...interesting...packed...the whole of America was there. Tour bus man thought he was funny and cool, but he needed straight teeth, eyebrows plucked, and a haircut to even qualify for the "I am funny and cool," club. He kept calling us all children and there were like 3 kids on the whole bus. Every tour that I have been on-over here, regardless if it’s on a bus or I am touring through something..the guides always ask.."Are there any Australians in the group?" and then there aren’t any, and then they always go "Oh well, doesn’t matter." Then they go, "Are there any Canadians?"..No..."Oh well, wasn’t important anyway." AHHHHHHHH What’s going on here. Then it’s always, "When we fought the French...which is ALWAYS a good idea." HAHA..the Bloody Frenchman.
Left Bath..Came back to the house and met my cousin Joanne for the first time...and her kids Jorell and Jade..they are a hick-a-bob-a-hoot-a-nanny<---you have to say it really fast..its great..*smiles*> The kids are great...funny. Then I called the Holiday Inn in London, because I had left my caricature there...anyway..they threw it away...and Grams left her passport there..and I left my brown shoes and my blue bra..so we had to go BACK to London....Then we crashed...
More to come...will write the rest of the installments on the train tomorrow...don’t know when it will get posted...cause we will be up north for 2 wks...but hopefully will get done sooner than 2 weeks...stuff was left out cause..."What happens on the road, stays on the road."
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