After visiting the Cotswolds we were off to Bath for a couple of days. Our train arrived at about 11am, and we were kindly informed by someone at the information desk that it was a 20 minute walk to the YHA. 50 minutes later. . . . up a long hill. . . . we arrived at our picturesque hostel. Pausing only briefly to draw breath we headed back down the hill and into town. We had a quick bite of lunch sitting below the Pultney bridge, and then wandered up through the centre making our way toward the Jane Austen Centre. Robyn decided she wouldn't come in, as she wasn't so interested, so I (Miriam) did the tour and had a look about by myself while she sat and read in the park. It was an interesting centre, but unfortunately the new ITV dramatisation of Persuausion had just come out and there was a very heavy focus on that. We have a low opinion of it, for various reasons which I shall not expound here (I could, for pages). Anyhow, it was still interesting, and it was good to hear where exactly in Bath Jane had stayed and lived.
A wander through the shops was fun - it is a nice rambley town centre with little arcades and corners everywhere. We bought some tea to cook at the hostel and went up pretty early.
Having discovered that the hostel charged extra for breakfast, we betook ourselves to town to eat before joining a free walking tour at 10.30am. There was a large crowd gathered at the meeting point, but we were divided up into groups of 15 or so and sent off with a volunteer guide. Our guide was a lovely gentleman who told us lots of interesting stories about town figures and the architecture, etc. The tour lasted about two and a half hours, and went all about the highlights of Bath as well as looking at some more obscure areas. It was a very enjoyable way to spend the morning.
Bath is such a lovely city. The buildings blend with the surroundings so well, and the planning was very well thought out, with lots of gardens, squares and promenading areas. It is very happily situated.
The afternoon we devoted to the Museum of Costume, located in the Uppper Assembly Rooms. There was a very interesting display on the history of pockets, and an interactive one on corsets! Robyn and I both managaed to achieve a 26" waist, and I'm sure we could have gone smaller with a less generic corset (it sounds a lot - but try it yourself!). It was lots of fun - there were hoop petticoats to try as well, though most of them were a bit warped. The actual dress displays were okay, but perhaps not quite all they could have been, though admittedly some areas were being refurbished. The Assembly Rooms were very grand - beautifully proportioned and kept. We were only sorry that we weren't allowed to take photos of them.
Robyn took off with a book to a wee walled garden by the river - you pay 70p and you can use the grounds and take possession of a blue-and-white striped deckchair. It makes a fetching scene to look upon. I had a wander about town, revelling in the gift shops and antique stores, before meeting up with Robyn in time for tea. We decided to eat out - at Garfunkels, a chain restaurant we have seen all about the place. We were able to sit in a conservatory, and it was very pleasant. Back at the hostel we had a game of chess before retiring for an early night.
Wednesday we went in to the Roman Baths and Pump Room. I had expected the Baths to be a place of walk in, have a look, say 'oh, how nice' and walk back out again in five minutes. On the contrary - it is a very well set out tourist & history attraction, with information given by personal audio tour (some narrated by Bill Bryson!) and well presented displays. The Baths are very impressive (though it was not a little distressing to notice two pigeons either attempting to drown themselves or thinking mistakenly that they could swim). There are some lovely carvings and mosaics that have been excavated and reassembled. After spending an hour or two looking about we felt it necessary to take a glass of the waters, and so headed to the Pump Room. This is now a rather swank restaurant, but anyone can pop in for a glass. The water flows from a fountain, where it is caught in a glass and handed to you, all warm and minerally. Horrid stuff. I downed about an inch, and then politely left my glass on the ledge. Robyn only managed a sip or two. On the way out we were paused by a gorgeous piece of textile art showing the houses of the monarchy of England over the last 1000 years.
After a Sally Lunn to take the taste away we caught a little country bus, we made our way to Prior Park, a beautifully National Trust park just out of the city. The walk around the park is lovely - there are paths and wooded areas and landscaped gardens. We took ever so many photographs and made some sketches. The main attraction is the Palladian Bridge (one of only four in the world of this particular type of architecture).
We were back to Bath and collecting our luggage mid afternoon, where we found the greatest amusement in our wheeling our suitcases down the hill. Both normally quite well behaved (the cases, I mean) they decided that this was the time to make free and, bouncing off the paving stones, gave us a merry chase. My suitcase decided it preferred either the garden walls or Robyn's ankles to a sedate path, while Robyn's was frankly suicidal, and kept trying to leap into the path of oncoming traffic. We did make it intact to the railway station, and enjoyed a peaceful trip back home.
A wander through the shops was fun - it is a nice rambley town centre with little arcades and corners everywhere. We bought some tea to cook at the hostel and went up pretty early.
Having discovered that the hostel charged extra for breakfast, we betook ourselves to town to eat before joining a free walking tour at 10.30am. There was a large crowd gathered at the meeting point, but we were divided up into groups of 15 or so and sent off with a volunteer guide. Our guide was a lovely gentleman who told us lots of interesting stories about town figures and the architecture, etc. The tour lasted about two and a half hours, and went all about the highlights of Bath as well as looking at some more obscure areas. It was a very enjoyable way to spend the morning.
Bath is such a lovely city. The buildings blend with the surroundings so well, and the planning was very well thought out, with lots of gardens, squares and promenading areas. It is very happily situated.
The afternoon we devoted to the Museum of Costume, located in the Uppper Assembly Rooms. There was a very interesting display on the history of pockets, and an interactive one on corsets! Robyn and I both managaed to achieve a 26" waist, and I'm sure we could have gone smaller with a less generic corset (it sounds a lot - but try it yourself!). It was lots of fun - there were hoop petticoats to try as well, though most of them were a bit warped. The actual dress displays were okay, but perhaps not quite all they could have been, though admittedly some areas were being refurbished. The Assembly Rooms were very grand - beautifully proportioned and kept. We were only sorry that we weren't allowed to take photos of them.
Robyn took off with a book to a wee walled garden by the river - you pay 70p and you can use the grounds and take possession of a blue-and-white striped deckchair. It makes a fetching scene to look upon. I had a wander about town, revelling in the gift shops and antique stores, before meeting up with Robyn in time for tea. We decided to eat out - at Garfunkels, a chain restaurant we have seen all about the place. We were able to sit in a conservatory, and it was very pleasant. Back at the hostel we had a game of chess before retiring for an early night.
Wednesday we went in to the Roman Baths and Pump Room. I had expected the Baths to be a place of walk in, have a look, say 'oh, how nice' and walk back out again in five minutes. On the contrary - it is a very well set out tourist & history attraction, with information given by personal audio tour (some narrated by Bill Bryson!) and well presented displays. The Baths are very impressive (though it was not a little distressing to notice two pigeons either attempting to drown themselves or thinking mistakenly that they could swim). There are some lovely carvings and mosaics that have been excavated and reassembled. After spending an hour or two looking about we felt it necessary to take a glass of the waters, and so headed to the Pump Room. This is now a rather swank restaurant, but anyone can pop in for a glass. The water flows from a fountain, where it is caught in a glass and handed to you, all warm and minerally. Horrid stuff. I downed about an inch, and then politely left my glass on the ledge. Robyn only managed a sip or two. On the way out we were paused by a gorgeous piece of textile art showing the houses of the monarchy of England over the last 1000 years.
After a Sally Lunn to take the taste away we caught a little country bus, we made our way to Prior Park, a beautifully National Trust park just out of the city. The walk around the park is lovely - there are paths and wooded areas and landscaped gardens. We took ever so many photographs and made some sketches. The main attraction is the Palladian Bridge (one of only four in the world of this particular type of architecture).
We were back to Bath and collecting our luggage mid afternoon, where we found the greatest amusement in our wheeling our suitcases down the hill. Both normally quite well behaved (the cases, I mean) they decided that this was the time to make free and, bouncing off the paving stones, gave us a merry chase. My suitcase decided it preferred either the garden walls or Robyn's ankles to a sedate path, while Robyn's was frankly suicidal, and kept trying to leap into the path of oncoming traffic. We did make it intact to the railway station, and enjoyed a peaceful trip back home.
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