Bath

 Blog 3 

Bath, England, UK 2022

Bath, England, dubbed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. A city I have longed dreamt of visiting in England, since I first read Pride and Prejudice. A meca of Georgian Architecture thanks to King George, who had desired a style well-designed, and balance architectural style based on symmetry and detailed proportion. I hate to burst his royal bubble, but Bath existed far before King George put his thumbprint on this great city. In fact, the city of Bath was founded by the Romans in the 1st century AD. Hence, the ever so famous Roman Baths which are located in the heart of Bath, Somerset, England. While the Baths are far less attractive use now adays with their vile green hue, algae driven naturally, there are a number of Bath houses that are still in use today. They are far more modern spas and were not in our wheelhouse at the time of our visit. Woe is me.

But I digress, let's go back to where we left off at the end of my last submission. After leaving our hotel, aka, grand palace in the Cotswolds, we headed southwest to Bath. Which from the De Vere was only a hop, skip and a jump away or in actual distance 21 miles or 47 minutes. 

We arrived at our hotel, The Boathouse, located on the River Avon around 10am. Our room was ready immediately, so we grabbed our bags and headed to our stay for the next two days. I was eager to begin exploring the newest city immediately.

Before I booked the hotel, I had spent some time finding just the right view I wanted to wake up to each morning. This place took the cake as one of my favorites ever! Each room boasts not only a view of the rolling golden hills, the River Avon but also a lovely privy, sorry loo, sorry toilet, what Americans call a bathroom. This will come in handy whilst you're in Britain, you know, as everyone has to go, you know what. 

Our room, the one I selected from about four available was especially due to the delightful copper tub. While I'm not quite a fan of high-backed metal headboards, it did face the French doors that opened to a private balcony. The balcony was fit with two lounge chairs, table and a two-person swing to have our tea at night and take in the ducks in the morning. I spent as much time as possible on that porch in my two days at The Boathouse, but with a whole city was waiting to be explored, there just wasn't enough time to dilly dally. 

After hanging out the dress clothes that were packed for our anniversary dinner the next evening, we strolled downstairs to check out the pub. The hostess and bartender were incredibly friendly and courteous, explaining dinner times and how to go about making reservations for dinner and our free breakfast ticket!! YES, another reason I chose this place. I love some freebies. And this isn't your everyday Holiday Inn Express with day old meat and dried cereal or a waffle maker that broke five years previously. Sorry, sore subject.

We made our reservation for dinner that night and then were outside on the deck to take in the sights. This is September in England, and I must say, an amazing time to visit. We barely had any precipitation, and the weather was not terribly cold or hot for that matter. It was Goldilocks standards. 

Just outside the buildings and adjacent to the parking lot was a driving bridge that crossed over the River Avon. It beckoned me to drive over its arches, for I needed to know where exactly those golden fields led to. But first, we decided to take a walk. One of my favorite things about driving from city to city, as opposed to taking a cruise or going on a tour bus, is the endless opportunities to make our own schedule. If we want to take a stroll down a walking path for two hours, gawking at every houseboat we see, we can. We complement every rooftop garden, giggle at every pants-less gnome and pet every dog that they allow us to touch. By the way, in England, dogs are EVERYWHERE. Super dog-friendly people. In fact, The Boathouse is a dog-friendly hotel, it's on the website, check it out! 

We made our way back to the car and began driving down the winding streets guarded by woodland stretching for miles on both sides. We weren't bombarded by large cluster of houses or business, we were just in nature, and it was beautiful. 

As we drove closer to the center of Bath, we saw more and more architecture building up, but not the skyscrapers of London or the country cottages of the Cotswolds. Instead, they were somewhat cloned images, stacked side by side and across from one another for an entire street length. I could only imagine that from an aerial view of the city, it would almost appear like a domino set. 

Each building neatly placed against its copy, with stone carving columns and pediments detailing their keen interest in the Palladian style architecture, a Venetian style known for its symmetry. This style was wildly popular in the 17th and 18th century. The buildings were built with none other than (Ding Ding Ding, you guessed it,) Bath stone. Because the stone dates back to the Middle Jurassic period, which is responsible for its amber-like color, and is comprised of oolitic limestone, its hard surface is easily squared, giving its buildings walls neat and clean edges.

There's a reason why these buildings are still standing today. In fact, the care of these gorgeous relics is a testament to their regard for history. Every year, the owners of the buildings use a cleaning agent to remove any staining or algae that can grow on the porous stone in such a wet temperate climate.

So where did we stop first in Bath? Well, of course, it was the Jane Austen Centre. The team of cast members who worked at the costume guided museum were spot on. They not only played many of my favorite characters from Jane Austen's books, but also made you feel like you were somehow transported back in time to a place where conversations were quieter, spending time outside was a must and reading a good book was not just a hobby. There you were able to don your own Regency style wardrobe, write with a quill using an ink well, sip tea and tastes delights from the era. I found it fascinating to step into her world. I even took home a copy of my favorite book by Jane called Sense and Sensibility, as well as a stick of wax and a "C" stamp. I'm a nerd, I know. Outside the entrance, we posed with the figure that is supposed to be the closest likeness to Jane, as they have several different interpretations of what she actually looked like, but apparently, they have no concrete evidence.  I highly suggest visiting the Jane Austen Centre.

We turned right and walked up the street to an actual house that she lived in Bath for a period of her life. And it was a short life at that. Jane Austen died at only 41 years old. That's only 5 months older than I am at this moment. While the cause of her death is still a mystery. Some have suggested it may have been Addison's Disease.

 While she lived here at Gay Street, she also found residency at 5 other buildings in Bath. The most famous was 4 Sydney Place at the Sydney Gardens. While there, it was easy to imagine strolling along the dirt covered roads, hearing the crushed rocks under the wheels of the horse-drawn carriages. The banter of town folk as they pass one another, arm-in-arm with their suitors on their way to the parks to have impromptu social gatherings of gossip and drama.

Nick and I were famished after the tour, so we stopped for a spot of lunch at a Thai restaurant we had seen while walking the town. The outside gripped our attention immediately. After all, the restaurant was named, The Giggling Squid and its exterior resembled a church more than the run-of-the-mill restaurant. But wait, hold my beer, the inside was WILD! Not only were the walls strewn with wildflowers, but the ceilings were also hung with pressed flowers, framed to perfection in this English garden extravaganza. Complete with metal, Cinderella-Carriage-like bird cages for parties of four to dine in. Now, that could have been the end of the story. Great atmosphere, fantastic location, terrible food. But no, the food was spectacular and on top of everything, it was super affordable! WOWZA! If this place was in Rhode Island, I would eat there every week. Well great food, great service and a full belly and we were back to the streets walking about. 

 Another hour of popping in and out tourist trap shops and our feet were ready for some putting up. We found our car and headed back to The Boathouse to grab a beer and rest on our balcony before our dinner reservation. We were so pleasantly surprised when we arrived the dining area for supper. It had a cozy, warm and inviting space, as though dining at your own kitchen table.  Friendly staff with smiling sincerity, is something we often fail to see in places that don't require us to tip them. C'est le vie. 

We both dined on traditional English fare, tipped our waitress for a job well done, and headed up to bed with a porter and stout in hand to watch a little English Tele. 

In the morning, we headed out immediately to the city only a five-minute drive down the road, to where we would meet our captain to begin our very first boat expedition on the River Avon. Now as many of my friends and family know, I am not a boat person, per say. I do not dare take on the vast dark ocean, thanks to Titanic, and have a terrible fear of drowning. That being said, I love the idea of floating on a river in a kayak, not the rapids, a leisure float. And luckily this the River Avon, not the Amazon. It's neat and tidy, just as the Brits love it. 

This boat excursion we selected was perfect for just that. While the boat that we had envisioned was not the one that we found docked, we were at least content and felt safe to board it none-the-less. We were just excited to go for a boat ride and what did we know about boats anyway, we only pontoon. 

This beauty had not been updated since the 1980s at least. And while the interior lacked luster of the boat I had hoped for after watching too many make over shows; I felt a sense of comfort in my dwellings surrounded by a glass in a 180-degree view. 

The captain and the tour guide were more than hospitable offering drinks to sip while we cruised along. We were only on the boat for a mere 30 minutes, but the views we took in, guzzling along the river were absolutely spectacular. The turning point was the Pulteney Weir. An engineer feat of not only technology, but of raw beauty. The Weir was built to prevent flooding in Bath. Built in the 1600s, this horseshoe shape dam was completely redesigned in the 1970s to include multiple flood gates. The Pulteney Bridge stretching across the river and abutted by the elegant Empire hotel, made my heart ache, it was so beautiful. The bridge was named after Frances Pultaney, who secured the money to build it from Parliament in 1770. It is one of only four bridges in the world, that have shops along both sides. Naturally we made sure to stop in every store that was currently open following our tour.

 After we disembarked the boat, we started the walking tour portion. We were impressed by the tour guides knowledge of the buildings, past and present, that may only have a stone in the street to represent it now. The City Walls or Burrough Walls, that once surround the city was disassembled and brought down to only a few stones high. Now on Orchard St., it sits across from the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases.  

Next on the tour, our guide took us past the Roman Baths, a place we had planned to return to after the walking tour had concluded. She talked about the natural springs that flowed through the town of Bath and how it was the reason, in fact, that the Romans decided to settle here. Having the springs nearby meant they could continue their traditions brought from Rome, where they too would have grand bath houses provided by a natural hot springs. While the ancient Romans had their faults, as do all past and present civilizations, they sure knew how to bathe and most of all relax.

So, an hour later, we were back to the baths to take in more history. We were so unaware upon walking up to the Roman columns once more just how incredible the inside of this historical space could be. With examples of clay pipes that they designed and built to create the first ever plumbing systems. They used these pies for wastes, gutters and pushing hot water through the buildings. The Roman Bath houses were often dedicated to the Gods. On many surfaces to Minerva, no not McGonagall, but the Goddess of Justice, Wisdom, Law and Military Strategy. Yes, what does that have to do with a bath house? Great question! Long story short: during the 18 century they discovered a bronze head of Sulis Minerva. She was a goddess that was closely associated between the Celtics Sulis of the UK and the Romans Minerva. Eventually, she became a unified identity for that particular spring. She was told to reside over its safe keeping. The springs were far from just for bathing but a highly important part of social structure, health and religious practices. They said it contained healing powers, now understood by its large calcium and mineral deposits that have been known to aid in healing.

Big decisions and meetings of the minds occurred in these bath houses. Can't you just picture it now, our Congress meeting together in bathing costumes or worse, scantily clad. No, I don't want to picture that either. Sulis Minerva was a cult goddess. She was the forethought of all who came to the temple. They said that they would often place items at her alter, and even times, performing sacrifices in her name. Because Sulis Minerva was the wisest, presiding over poetry, medicine and countless of other domains, people heavily relied on in this sacred space.

Another member of the gods to make an appearance was Oceanus. Though to be honest, staring up at his stone carved wild-haired depiction, I picture his mouth opening and a basilisk slithering out onto the wet stone below our feet. Luckily, no snakes. He was a rather intriguing character too. After all, he was the son of the heaven and earth, one of the Greek Titans, responsible for wrapping the gigantic Oceanus River around the world. Hence, we have oceans. Oh, come on, you love fun facts! 

So much has been preserved in this museum or rather preserved piece of invaluable history. The slick floors surrounding the large pool, the hollowed-out women's baths once filled with warm water and laughter. The steam rooms where big decisions were formulated on what was best for the city or discussion of warring towns. 

All of the room were built in an order that guests were generally known to follow. It was a system. Each part put in place to perform a different ritual cleansing of not only your body but your mind and your soul. The pillars seen in the pictures I have shared, will showcase an enormous set of pillars in several of the rooms. This was designed to keep the base floor separate from the elevated floor above. A large oven was maintained constantly, circulating hot air in between the floor levels. Heated floors anyone? I'll keep my present-day plumbing but given one chance to go back and experience that for a day, I'd do it! Would you?

Well, that tour surely inspired me to take a bath, and so I did, in my copper constructed beauty. A good twenty-minute soak and I was getting dolled up for our date night out at The Elder. the sister restaurant to the Michelin Starred pub in London known as The Harwood Arms at Fulham. It's the only pub in London to ever hold that prize. And boy, do I know why! The food was not only the best I've ever eaten, but the experience was immersive. They placed my entre before me in the center of a wide-rimmed bowl, and then while I rolled the camera, they poured the decadent sauce around its edges, allowing it to soak up the goodness but not overwhelm the dish. Excuse me, while I wipe my memory drool. Now, let's talk about our waiter. This man, though I forget his name after two years, was incredibly knowledgeable about the restaurants building. He explained to us that the proprietor was not only a famous chef, holding a Michelin star for 10 years, but he also owns a large piece of land where he keeps deer and other gamed creatures. This form of food-to-table, preserving the quality and also keeping animals free to roam and graze as near to naturally as possible, was just the whole package. It's the best-case scenario when it comes to consideration of the animals we eat. So, thank you, Mike Robinson, for that. 

After a bottle of wine and a full belly, I was done in and returned to our gorgeous boat themed dwellings to sip my final tea and rest my eyes before our departure to Cornwall. Bath, you were simply divine! Just ask Minerva.