For years, no, for many years, I have read books that were set in Bath, featured Bath or told of people’s experiences in Bath. And I don’t just mean the regency romance books by Georgette Heyer, or a couple of Jane Austen’s novels, or the many other fiction books I’ve read that involve Bath….I also mean Latin books and Roman history books too! Bath is one of those places that is not only filled with amazing Georgian architecture, wonderful views from the surrounding hillsides, many pleasant BnB s, but it is also a shoppers’ paradise, both for antiques and designer labels and much in between! Then there’ s the amazing archeological finds that show us a wonderful glimpse into Roman times in Bath. I thought I’d have a day in Bath (it was nearly 2 hours’ drive from Bicknoller), but even though I was there for hours and hours….I went back for a second day! Needless to say, there could have been a third, a fourth, in fact, a week’s worth of days, and then I may have done more than scraped the surface!
The first day’s visit involved Georgian bath and I also did a few walks that Jane Austen may have done when visiting/living in Bath. (From a book I’ve had for years) as usual, I examined a few things thoroughly, instead of whizzing around to them all! The Royal Crescent, ( & Georgian home museum), the Circuit, Jane Austen’s home at one stage (25 Gay street) , the Jane Austen Centre, tea rooms, the Pultney bridge , the Cathedral, and I ended up the day by having dinner in the oldest house in Bath, @ Sally Lunn’s. I sure was ready for bed when I returned to Bicknoller that night!

Day two was about Roman Bath…..and I spent quite a few hours at the Roman Baths! A very well presented visitor centre…..with great displays and media showing possible scenes from Roman times and many, many interesting relics with explanations of what they all were. Then there were the baths themselves……what a spine tingling feeling to stand where people stood two thousand years ago! Awesome! Because I had a social engagement in the afternoon , that was really the only place I visited…..but what an interesting few hours! The audio thingy that I got as part of my tour was really interesting , and really added to the experience. As well as the usual commentaries and explanations, there were additional buttons to press if you wanted more detail, and in some spots you could hear what Bill Bryson’s thoughts on the Roman Baths were, too. (He was also awestruck)

That supposedly random photo of the smiling lady and her dog (with views of Bath in the background) whilst out of it’s correct place, is meant to be there! That’s Lindsay (and her dog Curly), my afternoon social engagement! She is a friend of some of my friends from church, and she used to run a BnB , which I was going to stay in, in 2008. I didn’t, and we’d never met, but had become fB friends, and had emailed each other. So lovely to actually meet, talk and drink tea together!