Bath, Somerset England

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In his book, London 2007, the travel writer, Rick Steves, describes Bath as the perfect weekend getaway from London. He said it is easy to tour the city on foot (true) and there is plenty to see and do. Bath has a great nightlife and good small restaurants that are not too expensive. He praised the Georgian architecture (we Yanks call it Colonial style), especially John Wood’s complex of buildings which form a Circus (circle) and Royal Crescent (half moon shape). A few days before our trip we watched a documentary about John Wood in which the host ecstatically praised Wood’s architectural achievement in Bath. So we were prepared for an interesting, fun weekend.

When we actually saw Wood's Circus and the adjoining Royal Crescent, we were quite disappointed. The facades of most of the houses are dingy with soot or grime and could use a good sandblasting. The architect was a Freemason, so there are numerous Masonic symbols on the facades and the interiors. The whole complex is in the shape of a key (another Masonic symbol) which can only be seen from the air.

The hilly Somerset countryside in which Bath is located is a patchwork of meadow, rivers, golden wheat fields and grazing sheep. I would have loved to stop the car at Bathampton (the outskirts of Bath) and hiked along the canal. In retrospect we wish we had.

The town of Bath is quite hilly and has narrow streets. Almost every building is constructed from the most plentiful building material around -limestone. Consequently, nearly all the buildings are the same creamy white (somewhat yellowing) color, making the town visually monotonous. There is stylistic uniformity because 90 percent of the existing buildings were contructed in the 18th century. We were tempted to turn around and go back to Basingstoke, but had already paid for a hotel room so we decided to stay. We parked, bought a pastie to go for lunch and walked around the town.

We were eager to see the Ancient Roman baths (Aquae Sulis), but there was a line around the block. So we opted to see the Bath Abbey just opposite in the square. Having seen Winchester Cathedral a few weeks earlier, we felt let down. The abbey is small, dark and crowded. The only surprise here was an American flag suspended from a pier. It was a gift from a group of U.S. soldiers to the British in 1947. I got some great photos of the abbey and the baths at dusk -the time cinematographers call "the golden hour." Now I know why.

From the abbey we walked along the Avon River and saw beautiful falls and gardens (see photos) From there we walked uphill to Fashion Museum. Jay humored me but looked bored during our whole visit. I wasn't too worried because I'm always willing to go to military museums with him. The museum turned out to be fun because of a group of amateur ballroom dancers who were trying on corsets and crinolines in the exhibit. They squealed when the museum staff member yanked on the laces to take their breath away in an effort to make their waists tiny (see photos). I think most women (and a few men) are curious about what it was like to wear a corset, a crinoline (or hoop skirt) and function -hard to imagine. In the 1870s and 80s a complete ensemble (with bustle) could weigh as much as 30 pounds!

On our way out of the museum Jay saw a man wearing gaudy print jeans and shirt. I said I hadn't seen him. Jay was astounded and couldn't believe it. I replied, "Now who notices fashion?"

In the afternoon we checked into the Abbey Hotel (really a Best Western in disguise) and had tea on the sidewalk cafe out front. We had a great spot for people watching. I noticed the gulls soaring overhead (they catch a draft and barely move their wings). They make a call like someone cackling and laughing insanely - I got the feeling nothing would entertain them more than dropping a load on someone's head. Watching those Alfred Hitchcock movies at too young an age etched my psyche with visions of bird revenge.

Watching people from all over the world walk by is endlessly interesting. We could see streets from here that are so narrow only human traffic can pass. It looks so much like Holland that Jay and I keep having to remind ourselves that we were still in England.

That evening we got into the Roman Baths (Aquae Sulis) without waiting. Bath is the only city in England with natural hot springs. When the Romans arrived in the 1st century, they were quick to build a huge bath complex and temple dedicated to the goddess, Minerva. People came here to worship as well as to bathe. There are many examples of lead sheets onto which people inscribed wishes and curses. They rolled up the lead sheets and threw them into the water. Most of the complex is underground. The part you can see at ground level was built in Victorian times to lure tourists. Part of the tourist complex is the attached restaurant, the Pump Room, where you can taste the curative mineral water. We didn't drink any as we know from experience in Germany that the spa mineral water doesn't taste very good.

The Roman baths wouldn't suit modern visitors because the great pool is lined with sheets of lead and the all the plumbing consists of lead pipes. There is a modern Thermae Bath Spa nearby which just opened in November 2006. On Sunday morning we spent two hours at the Thermae Spa. No nudity please - we're British. We swam in the rooftop pool and sunbathed a little. People were making the most of the little sunshine in England this summer. We moved to the Minerva pool below ground level. It was much more pleasant there. You could stretch out and float around the bubbling pool. There were some older women who couldn't swim and clutched blue styrofoam tubes under their arms. No pool was deeper than four feet, but they were still felt uncertain. They were good natured and kept a sense of humor about their predicament. We floated and let the currents carry us in swirls around the pool.

Between the rooftop and the Minerva pools there are four circular steam rooms that radiate from a large communal shower. The first smelled like eucalyptus, the second, lavender, the third mountain pine and the fourth frankincense. We recommend all of them except the frankincense, which didn't smell very good.

Afterward we had lunch at a pub and were happy to drive back to our flat in Basingstoke. Jay has become an ace at navigating the roundabouts and finding his way through the towns. Don't know how he drives, shifts, and interprets the road signs so quickly after a lifetime of driving on the other side, but he's great at it.

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Photos

Bath Abbey portal
This is at dusk, the "golden hour."

Bath Abbey aisle
American soldiers gave the flag to the British in 1947.

Roman bath
This is the main bath in the Aquae Sulis complex

Aquae Sulis columns
The torches are lit at dusk. I wish they were open after dark. The baths by torchlight would make a great photo.

Roman bath2
This is the main bath in the Aquae Sulis complex

Aquae Sulis reflection
The main bath as reflected in the chromium green water.

Aquae Sulis exhibit
These are a collection of carved stones found on the Roman site. Jay is on the far left

Dancing crinoline
This is one of the dancers trying on a corset and crinoline at the Fashion museum. It's difficult to tell in the photo that she is a tiny woman

Trying on Corsets
Notice the corsets have instructions printed on them. They are for museum demos only. The genuine article was made from different materials

Comments

[Deb B]

I need a new word for WOW
This is great...eventhough there were some disappointments for you two. As usual, thanks for sharing!

[Leisette]

re:Bath
Thanks Deb for the comments and being such a faithful reader. We actually had a good time. We just don't enjoy places that seem to rely only on tourism.