Road Trip - Day 2 - Bath

First stop of the day was the walking tour, but I got into town early so I decided to take a look inside Bath Abbey. It was a beautiful place with soaring ceilings, stained glass, and carved benches.

I'm far more intrigued by the little details than the soaring ceilings.

The walking tour met outside the pump room and I ended up with a group of nine other people. The tours are free and the guide was interesting, but I found that the three-hour running time was about an hour too long. I think one of the most interesting things I found out is that the entire city is built on foundations that allow for the water to drain away. I think this was done during Victorian times (the tour guide wasn't great about indicating which time periods she was talking about and when I asked questions she treated me like I was a moron so I didn't ask many questions). The details are a bit sketchy, but it sounds like as you're walking on streets and looking at buildings, there's an entire extra level of tunnel-like structures underneath to keep the basements from flooding.

The road level and a rare view of ground level beneath.

One of the fun things about carrying around my big camera is watching people copy my shots. It has happened several times and my favourite was the signpost shot below. I was having trouble with the shot so I ended up standing underneath the sign post for a minute or two, shooting about four or five images. I liked the busyness of the signpost and the fact that it showed so many of the key sites in Bath. I got the shot I wanted and turned around to see four girls right behind me, all with their cameras aimed at the signpost. I was going to take a picture of them but before I could raise my camera they finished their photos and smiled sheepishly at me as they quickly walked away.


I've never read any of Jane Austen's books, but I've seen several of the movies and really enjoy them. My favourite is "Persuasion" (1995 - filmed completely on location using natural light), and part of the movie was filmed in Bath. I was walking down one of the streets and sudddenly realized that I was standing on the street where one of the final scenes of the movie was filmed - the part where Anne walks down the pillar-lined street with Captain Wentworth. (Check out the link at the end of this post for a photo.) Another part of the movie I love is when Wentworth comes into a tea shop and is surprised to find Anne there. They crack awkward jokes about the rainy weather in Bath so I desperately wanted it to rain while I was here. I wanted to walk in Bath with an umbrella. I don't think I'm the kind of person who gets those ridiculous notions very often... or maybe I am... but anyway, my wish came true! I got to use my umbrella both days in Bath and it warmed my ridiculous little heart.

I considered going into the Jane Austen Museum and paused outside to read the cheesy titles on the menu posted outside the tea room attached to the museum. The items were named after characters in the books. A girl in her twenties came up and started reading the menu at the same time and we started laughing about the names and she asked me where I'm from. Turns out she's from North Carolina but her parents are Canadian so she has dual citizenship. We chatted for a while and then went inside to look around the gift shop... and laugh over how ridiculous it was to see paintings and photos of Colin Firth everywhere. We both decided that the museum was far too girly and likely not worth the high admission price. She's a post-graduate scientist at Cambridge and had just arrived in Bath for a couple of days vacation on her own. We walked into town together; me on my way to the fashion museum and she was looking for a place to grab a late lunch. It was great to have somebody to talk to for a little while. We exchanged contact info so we might meet up again sometime during our various UK and European adventures.

Pulteney Bridge with Bath beyond.

The fashion museum was a lot of fun - 400 years of fashion. It was crazy to see the old dresses and know that they were actually worn for real... they're not just costumes. (Check out the link at the end of this post for more photos.) They even have a room where you can try on replica corsets and hoop skirts! When I walked in, three teenage girls were goofing around in them so I offered to take a couple of photos. They weren't friendly enough that I was willing to ask them to tie me into a corset. It's the kind of thing where you need to be able to have fun with a friend and dance around in the ridiculous outfits, not just have someone tie you into a corset, say, "Wow, I can't breathe," and take it off again.

A purse decorated with beetle wings.

The Assembly Rooms, used for parties back in Jane Austen's day, were being used for a graduation ceremony (the fashion museum is housed in the basement of the Assembly Rooms). A couple of the rooms were set up for photos but they were mostly empty because the ceremony was underway in another room. I quickly poked my head in to take a peek. Gorgeous rooms with soaring ceilings and fine details.

Inside the Assembly Rooms.

The ceiling inside a bank in Bath.

Little historical details are hidden all around Bath, such as the old ceiling decorations shown above. A little way inside the hospital there's a staircase going downstairs to the restaurant and there's an open area beside the stairs where an original Roman tiled floor can be viewed (see link below for a photo). It's a beautiful city full of history, honey-coloured brick buildings, and winding roads.

I put some extra photos in a Picasa album for those who are curious: more photos.