A Quick Trip To Bath, England
What can I say about Bath that I haven’t already repeated to my family a thousand times? Back in January 2017, I spent less than twelve hours in this beautiful city, and I was already in love.
I mean, just look at this horrible panoramic photo I took! It still oozes charm!
More seriously, though, I have been dreaming of returning ever since I left. When I look at trips back to England, I’m looking for Airbnb’s in Bath.
I stepped off the bus and walked around the corner to this sight, and I’m still enchanted. Though there was little I could do about it, I regret not spending more time in Bath. There was so much I didn’t see and do which, of course, only makes me want to go back even more.
PC: Elaine Atherholt
And it was an amazingly short walk to a view like this.
I was there with my class that went over winter break in December/January 2016/2017, and we only had about two hours before we had to be back at the baths for a tour.
Though I don’t recommend two to five hours for all of Bath, I definitely do recommend the few things I did in that time.
1. Find a Georgian Garden. Our professor knew where a Georgian Garden was, somehow, and we definitely trespassed to grab a bit of rosemary to tuck into our travel journals. Just explore the houses, and the local greenery. It’s bound to be beautiful. I’m also sorry for the photo below, I’m not sure what this plant is, but I love it and took about a dozen photos.
2. The Roman Baths. If you’re going to Bath, especially for the first time, the Roman Baths are a no-brainer. There is so much ancient history packed into those baths, you won’t regret it. And the level of preservation is enough to make you feel like, if the water weren’t poisonous, it might still be in use. The tour only takes about two hours, but that’s if you scuttle along, and avoid the gift-shop completely. You can also buy a Latin version of Harry Potter, which is just hilarious to me for some reason.
PC: Elaine Atherholt
3. Shopping. The town is full of adorable little shops. I only got about 45 minutes to an hour to explore the shopping options, but I found a cat scarf so it was totally worth it.
4. Jane Austen. If you’re a Janeite then you know that some of Jane Austen’s stories mention or include Bath in major way. That’s mostly because she lived there for a time, and you can tour her house! There are also the meeting rooms where a lot of balls and other concerts and events took place. If you’ve read Persuasion, prepare yourself for a massive nerd-out session in these amazing rooms (that were free, and open to the public).
My short time in bath concluded with some of the best gelato I’ve ever had in my life.
So Bath is beautiful, and I need to go back and finish this quick trip that was far too short. If you have the chance, take in this majestic city and allow plenty of time to build in all it has to offer.
Happy Travels!
Spoiler alert: I do eventually go back, so stay tuned!