Marilyn's Blathering Blog: Bath

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July 14, 2014

Bath - Day Two

This was a lovely day. This is a lovely place! And, I'm writing this from my room in the hotel. It is late afternoon, and I decided to take a break from all the touring and visiting and busyness to simply sit, write, and relax. This is the very first time I have done this other than the end of each day when we say goodnight and go to our rooms. It was time that I took some space for myself. This has been a really nice trip and a nice visit. But, I'm ready to relax a bit while Connie is out there still roaming. We will meet for dinner.

We began today with the second of the bus tours in town -- the one that stays in town and gives an over view of all the various sites to visit. This time the tour was excellent because I had my own ear plugs and our guide was great. After we toured for several miles, we jumped off at the stop that was by the Fashion Museum and the Assembly Rooms. The Assembly Rooms were used in the 18th century for parties, card games, teas, and dances by high society. These rooms are actually mentioned in a couple of Jane Austen novels since she lived here for a few difficult years when her father was ill and died. But, she also wrote two of her novels in Bath. We didn't tour her home since it is not actually where she lived. But, the halls are beautiful, although one was closed for a private party. They have been restored after being bombed in the war.

The Fashion Museum is a fascinating exhibit of four centuries of fashion. It also has a presentation of the "Dress of the Year" which I had never heard about. Evidently one designer dress is chosen each year to represent the best of design. This museum has a display of those that have been chosen over the years. We also walked over to the circular Neo Classic buildings called the Circus. There's one on each side of a square which, all together, resemble a coliseum. All the fronts are similar, but the backs are not -- and some have "hanging loos" which were added years later since none of the apartments had them when built.

We began walking down Milsom Place, a good shopping venue, and Connie found a new blouse. I was delighted because I found Jamie Oliver's Italian restaurant. Jamie is one of the chefs responsible for changing the reputation for Britain's cuisine. According to one of his workers, this is the first deli and restaurant that he has built in England. We had to go in and have lunch -- which, by the way, was delicious! I think Connie was pleased! After eating, we caught the rest of the bus tour which took us back to the city center. We followed the tour with a walk through the Bath Abbey where King Edgar I was crowned in 973. Today's abbey is the last great medieval church in England. It has so much stained glass that it is nicknamed "The Lantern of the West." A trip through a few stores brings us up to this afternoon when I am writing this post. I'm lying on my lovely white comforter with the fan going in my room. It isn't hot, but it is pleasant with the moving air. Tomorrow we have train tickets to West Sussex and a town called Arundel.

Bath from the Bus