Bath

No driving today! We’re staying the whole day in the city of Bath. People who like reading regency romance novels or Jane Austen will have heard of it, as it was very popular in the Georgian era (18th century or so), however the main attraction here are the Roman Baths. After a late breakfast surrounded by the elderly who seem to be the main focus group of this hotel, we set off on foot down to the center. It’s still pretty chilly, especially on the shadow side of the street, but it promises to be a sunny day. The Roman Baths are now a museum, party above ground showing off the new buildings (18th century) and extending to below street level, where you can still see a lot of the original Roman buildings. The audio guide as usual is too slow for us, but the museum is very interesting, showcasing the best finds and giving just the right amount of dry facts. It’s a bit a confusing jumble of rooms, since the site was modified quite drastically a few times, but it must have looked quite impressive when it was being used, both in pre-roman, Roman and Georgian times.

After the baths we explore the old city centre, buying a pic-nic on Pulteney Bridge and having a quiet lunch in the sun in the Parade Gardens. We wind our way ever upwards back to the hotel and on the way admire the circus, the Royal Crescent and visit the museum in 1, Royal Crescent. It shows what the house of a wealthy nobleman might have looked like in the time these houses were built, with many interesting details of day-to-day life.

A nap, post card writing, sorting of pictures, these activities fill the rest of the afternoon. We’re eating at the hotel again, yesterday we had a traditional Sunday roast but tonights menu seems to be a bit more daring..