Brilliant Bath... UK gem
Street musicians can be heard throughout the city centre. We left our hotel and a block away, in the opposite direction that we walked last night, we came upon this open area. As in the other towns we have visited recently, there is a feeling of stepping back in time. In the US, our structures are not only relatively new, but they are not expected to last as long as the buildings here. We laughed about the fact that the Tahoe condo is 50 years old and that is considered ancient!
In our exploration, we came upon the widest and longest street in Bath… Great Pulteney Street was designed and built in 1789. In the photo, is a side street off Great Pulteney and happens to be the shortest street in Bath. Sunderland Street has only one address. Situated just off Henrietta Park, it is in a very peaceful setting.
Traveling through neighborhoods, we saw amazing homes. Curious about the prices… it was not too surprising to find that the cheapest property was around 500 thousand pounds and the majority were in the millions. It was interesting to see how many were leaseholds. Of course the majority had hundreds of years left on the lease… for example, one we saw had 971 years remaining. The most attractive neighborhoods were in the surrounding hills. So lush… well established plants, flowers and trees.
Here is an example how thick the trees can be… we passed by long stretches of forested land that would suddenly open to a vast valley. So beautiful and so unexpected! Previous to this visit, my impression of England was what we see in travel brochures. I imagined what you would find in the touristy portion… Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace… I envisioned dreary and misty weather year round. We’ve been fortunate to be four for four on sunshine.
Tucked away amongst the estates, we passed by a cemetery. It would have been nice to spend some time in the main part of the grounds where the large tombstones are. Instead, I was only able to snap a quick photo of some small plaques.
St John the Evangelist is a Catholic church located in Bath. Completed in 1780, just before opening there were fires due to an outbreak in anti-Catholic Gordon Riots. There is interesting information on the reason for and timing of the riots. I will have to research a bit more to truly understand.
Oops… this guy must have done something fairly serious. There were several police cars at the site. Officers talked to the man… waving hands and looking pretty angry. We didn’t want to be so obvious staring, so we have no idea of the outcome.
Built in 1774, the Pulteney Bridge connected the city of Bath with the Pulteney family land. Unusual in that it has shops built the length of it, on both sides. Crossing the River Avon, it is easy to see the horseshoe shaped weir. This was built in the 1600’s to prevent Bath from flooding. Hopefully, I’ll be able to take another photo tonight after dinner. I’m told it lights up nicely…
Mr Hubby waited as I walked down the road to get the bridge photo…
Every time we’ve walked by, there has been a steady stream of customers buying street food from this location. It seemed a good idea to check out what was so popular. Turns out, this tent was home to award winning Cajun/Creole food. If I wasn’t saving my appetite for dinner, this would be right up my alley. In checking, I found they have gluten-free items. If we eat before leaving tomorrow… L J Hugs will be our go to!
Continuing on, we noticed an overabundance of candy / sweet shops! Side by side, we saw cookies, pastries but mostly chocolate. What caught our eye and drew us in to the Fudge Factory, a sign that offered a free piece of fudge with every Irish Coffee. The little shop had outdoor seating, so we went inside and ordered up!
Not the best quality because it was through the window, I was enthralled with the candy maker. What an art… here he was making a coffee fudge and a nutty coffee fudge. The process was quite involved. This is only one small aspect of what went on. Initially, my attention was drawn to the coffee colored liquid he poured onto the marble slab. It was fully heated and very runny. Using a continuous motion, he moved the liquid with a paddle as it hardened. Eventually, it got to this consistency where nuts or other things were added to it. Because I was so interested, the lady who worked in the shop took a piece off of what was being made and served it to us. Needless to say, we went in and bought a few pieces!
The fun continues… walking into the queue for the Roman Baths, I noticed this beautiful dome above me. We figured we wanted to get the full taste of Bath’s interesting history. With a heavy Roman influence, touring the baths showed us just how much. We picked up the hand held device in English, so we could learn the significance of each room and what we were seeing.
From the top floor of the baths, we found a beautiful view of the Bath Abbey right next door. That was next on our list…
Such a lovely perspective… on the top, surrounding the perimeter of the bath are six statues. One is of Emperor Hadrian, the man who ordered men and women to not bathe together.
In an attempt to not bore the littles (who are actually biggies), I won’t post a gazillion photos. Only the most impactful and representative will end up on this site. Here we find an important statue in the areas history. This is the bust of Sulis Minerva. She is worshipped as a nourishing, life-giving goddess Beside the protected bust sat a replica meant to be touched.
There are spring waters flowing in the areas around the baths. This is a hot spring that flows into the big bath that was pictured above. One spring is also cold water.
From the opposite side of the Roman Baths, we had the greatest perspective! In this case, my focus was on reflections… Reflections of pillars, clouds, statues… such magnificence! Amazing to think that thousands of years ago, people from all walks of life gathered here to bathe… rich, poor… and until it was ordered to stop, men and women bathed together (often in the nude)
Away from the main pool, we found another pond filled by the springs. It was more intimate.
We saw these stacked tiles in several spots around the baths. Not quite sure what they were, we asked a guide. Interestingly, these tiles were intentionally placed in this manner outside of rooms that generated a lot of heat. With gaps between the pillars of tiles, heat could flow though and reach a room or heat a floor (if covered). It was a very efficient approach to heating
Later in the day, we walked by a bookstore. With colorful, inviting sings outside to draw visitors… this building was full of charm! There really aren’t many good bookstores left around. Still an avid reader, it’s nice to have an actual book in hand.
We even saw unarmed police on horseback! Although, they did have billy clubs!
No matter where we end up in our travels, if I see a great street musician, I forwarded it to my granddaughter. She is a great violin artist so I like to let her see the possibilities. Not sure if she likes any of my suggestions, but she pretends to…
Again we find tiles with tributes to those who have passed. Behind the tiles, the dead lie in state. The floors and walls display where dead have been “buried”. It’s interesting to read the family links and how short some of their lives were…
As a fan of selfies, I figured it would be wise to act like I was focused on the cathedral when instead, I was focused on a the intricate ceiling. So much detail. Until recently, I wasn’t aware of the different styles of architecture. La Sagrada Familia got me focused on materials used and styles. The ceiling in Bath Abbey sort of reminds me of the tree like theme at the Basilica in Barcelona.
Last impression of the Bath Abbey… flowers, stained glass and hanging lamps.
Two things I look for often… pipe organs and the bible. This cathedral was interesting because there really wasn’t a focus on Jesus.. We saw only one cross… this was oddly not the focus of the sanctuary. However, there was a bible on a beautiful gold stand. One of the priests came out to pray… not leading anyone to salvation, but instead he spoke on saving the earth. Interesting… he had a captive audience.
At one end of the sanctuary, were two flags… one a USA flag and the other to remember and honor the Prisoners of War from 1941-45. Barry’s Dad was a POW during that time. For two and a half years, he was in Stalag Luft III where “The Great Escape” took place. It was special to see these people remembered…
Heading toward dinner, we noticed a hot air balloon hovering over Bath. That would be fun… viewing the spires from above! With the River Avon and the historical sites this town has to offer, an aerial perspective would be amazing! Maybe next time…
In searching for eateries, I came across a Spanish Restaurant called Ole Tapas. Reservations were required… ten days before our arrival, I was unable to get a table for the first night and the second night was at 8pm. We took it. Anything that difficult to get in must be good… and it was! We ordered a bottle of Amarone and a charcuterie board to start. This gave us time to navigate the menu. We ended up with albondigas (meatballs), Barry had a four cheese pasta, pork belly and chorizo. Great combination of flavors! So relaxing sipping on wine and nibbling the cheeses and Iberian ham… seasoned olives… After running around exploring towns, stressful driving on the other side of the street… it was nice to relax and dine…
Another destination in the books… knowing it was our last evening, I figured it was time to take a photo of the bridge and river at night. I had a feeling it would be spectacular. My vantage point, just outside the restaurant, allowed for nice lighting, reflections and an appropriate angle to show the specialness of this area. It is a very captivating city that we have added to our “must return” list…
