As our trip was winding down we made our way back to England. In a strange way it felt a little bit like going home. We were both so happy to be back in the U.K. We transferred trains at Paddington Station in London and made our way to Bath Spa. I could say this for every place we visited, but I wish we had been able to spend some more time in Bath. There is so much to see! So much history and such a beautiful city. I hope you enjoy the photos and some of the notes! Cheers!
Here is a great view of Bath we saw on a footpath that circles the whole city. This shot really gives you a good idea of how much Bath limestone is used to construct all of the buildings.
Here is a picture of the Pulteney Bride. It was constructed around 1770 and is one of the many famous landmarks in Bath. It was built by Robert Adam and straddles the River Avon. (There are quite a few River Avons in England.) The bridge is now lined with shops and is a major tourist destination.
Here are several shots of another famous landmark, the Royal Crescent. If you earn more than a few million pounds a year you can probably afford to live here. They are all the same on the outside, but the interiors are all very different. The Georgian architecture throughout the city is quite charming.
As we were wandering through the city we stumbled on a quaint little street fair. Locals prepare all kinds of food that you can sample and buy. These cupcakes were divine and we also tried all kinds of savory cheeses, sausages, and grilled veggies.
In the heart of Bath are the Roman baths and Bath Abbey. We visited the abbey on a Sunday and so were able to attend a lovely Evensong. The choir sounded simply beautiful in that amazing building.
Adjacent to the abbey are the Roman baths. The baths are enclosed in a beautiful structure that was built several hundred years ago. We visited the actual baths as late in the day as we could so that we could see them in the torch light. In some of the pictures you can see the abbey behind the baths. It was fascinating to see these Roman ruins in such a beautiful and well preserved setting. The site or museum was actually quite vast. It doesn’t look very big from the outside, but it goes down several levels and took us a few hours to walk through. Cole had been reading a Bill Bryson book all about England during our trip and he was delighted when one of the audio tours was narrated by Bryson himself! In Roman times the site was an actual temple and a lot of the ruins are left over from that building. You also get to see how the Romans channeled the spring water and kept the place heated. It seemed like the longer we stayed in Bath the more enchanting it became. It is no wonder it is a World Heritage Site.
If you are ever in Bath, please catch the tour with the volunteer Honorary Guides that begins outside of the pump room. Not only was it probably the best and most informative tour on our whole trip, it was free!
The Gorgan’s head was originally on the temple pediment.
Tiled floors that the Romans once walked across.
The Baths lit up by torch lights:
The baths at dusk. We were lucky it was such a beautiful night!
Walking back through the city of Bath at night:
