Before our parents get concerned, no, we did not actually go the spa on Saturday, despite how much our hands and feet need it. After our shopping day on Friday, we thought we would choose a more cultural activity and took a train to Bath Spa for the day! Before coming here, I never thought this small countryside city would be somewhere on my must see list in England, but after Brittany raved about it from her quick trip this summer, we definitely wanted to explore it. We decided we would make it a full day visit, planning to catch a 9 am train from Paddington. We thought we were giving ourselves plenty of time when we left our flat at 8:10, but we had no idea what we would have to do to get to that darn station. The Circle Line, the tube line that takes you directly to Paddington, was completely closed this weekend, so we were left with our trusty folding tube map to find an alternate route. After getting on a train going in the opposite direction, figuring out the very confusing signs at Earl's Court station, and a 20 minute bus ride, we made our way into Paddington at 8:59...so no 9 am. Luckily, the trains to Bath run every 30 minutes, so we hopped on the 9:30, but of course not before mistaking first class for coach - we knew the seats looked too nice for us.
After a serene hour and a half train ride, we finally arrived at Bath Spa. The city is charming the moment you look out the window; lines and lines of stately stone houses are set against the gorgeous green hills of the English countryside. Despite being a bit blustery, the weather was gorgeous, so we decided to enjoy the five minute walk from the station to our first destination of the day, the Roman Baths. These ancient ruins, dating back to when the Romans settled in Britain, were buried underneath the city for thousands of years until they were uncovered to reveal ornate architecture and an amazing natural spring. As we made our way through the site, we were able to see all of the different baths in which the community would come together to socialize. They were numerous different ones of various sizes and shapes, but our favorite was the Great Bath; it was once covered by a high domed ceiling but is now open air. We were able to walk around its edge, even dipping our finger in when no one was looking. Because it is heated by a natural spring, the water felt absolutely amazing; if the bottom hadn't been covered with green muck, I would have been tempted to jump in right then!
After making our way through the rest of the baths, we strolled through the center of town, lined with shops and vendors all eager to mingle with the Saturday tourists. We continued up the hill to our next stop, the Fashion Museum. Mrs. Hoag had told us this was a really fun place, and we can totally see why she loved it. In addition to seeing some amazing pieces of clothing (J. Lo's Grammy dress!), visitors could try on corsets and hoop skirts to get a feel for what women in centuries past had to put up with. Of course, Lauren and I had to do this, and all that we could say was we were glad we live in the 21st century! Not comfy to say the least. The museum was also featuring an exhibition called "The Diana Dresses," which is of course right up our alley. We got to see some of her favorite outfits, including her famous goat sweater (apparently the company that made it sold thousands the day after she wore it). We were wishing my mom and Mrs. Csordas were with us, as we knew they would have loved it just as much as we did!
Next up was my request, the Jane Austen Center. If you know me you know how much I love Pride & Prejudice (especially the movie), and I was excited to learning more about Austen and her time in Bath. She lived in the town for a number of years, setting two of her novels there. Ultimately, she came to dislike it as she thought its residents were too caught up in social society, but Bath's inhabitants still think of her fondly and are fascinated by her stories. We listened to a brief talk about Jane's life, and were then escorted down the stairs of the tiny building to the exhibition. Here we saw period costumes and features on Jane's everyday life in Bath and how it spilled over into her novels. I loved it, but the best part was yet to come. On the second floor of the building is the Regency Tea Room, and of course we were there just in time for an afternoon break. The menu is beyond adorable, with items such as "Tea with Mr. Darcy" and "Lady Catherine's Cream Tea," which we opted for. We both enjoyed delicious blends (of course I had to try the Jane Austen blend, while Lauren opted for her favorite English Breakfast) and two scones...soooo good! It was all just too cute, a perfect Saturday afternoon activity.
By the time we were done at the Center, the Sun had made it a little warmer out, so we decided to walk to the Royal Crescent. Once a grand collection of homes, this large semicircular Georgian building is now home to a hotel, museum and various flats and offices. The expansive lawn was dotted with people, undoubtedly the most entertaining being those celebrating the final day of the weeklong Jane Austen festival. They were dressed up head to toe in period costumes, and even had the slow saunter to go along with them. After taking some necessary pictures, we continued through the Royal Park and through the Botanical Gardens, which reminded us of the Secret Garden. We then slowly made our way back to the town center, and by the time we had returned to the Roman Baths we were exhausted and decided to call it a day. We hopped on a late afternoon train back to Paddington, taking one last glance at the adorable town. Pulling out of the station, we both decided that we really want to explore more of the English countryside; it is just so absolutely beautiful (and reminds us of all of those wonderfully romantic novels we read senior year...). We both managed a quick cat nap before our arrival back in London, and by the time we got off the train we could barely keep our eyes open (or at least that was my feeling). Luckily, we were able to catch a much quicker tube ride back to South Ken, where we spent the early evening relaxing and making a delicious dinner.
Later on, we went out to Piccadilly with a few girls from our hall. Despite the freezing weather, we were able to visit a couple fun clubs before calling it a night. Sunday was slated to be our work day, so we decided we would get a good night's sleep to make the most of the long day ahead!
xo Carolyn
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