West Country Day 2: Bath

After a very full day in Bristol, I headed to Bath. If you haven't read about the first day of this trip, I recommend checking out that entry first.

Once my train arrived, I headed into the city centre and immediately encountered the Christmas market. Unlike other Christmas markets I visited, in Bath the stalls were integrated with the centre and spread throughout the city instead of being confined to a particular square or area. I enjoyed the positive, festive energy throughout the area even down to the street performers singing along to ABBA's A Man After Midnight.

I went through the city and saw some of the main landmarks, including the Roman Baths and the Abbey. The former is how the town got its name, for the natural hot springs which have been enjoyed for thousands of years.

After walking around the market for a while and enjoying the different stalls, I stepped in to Sally Lunn's for a bite to eat and enjoyed a delicious cream tea along with a savory and then sweet Bath bun.

By the time I was finished, it was quite dark out so I made my way to the hostel to drop off my bags. After warming up and continuing to read some more Jane Austen, I walked around the city centre a bit longer to see a few more landmarks including the Royal Crescent (which you may recognize if you've watched Bridgerton. A while later I stepped into a pub to watch the England World Cup match. The fans were quite boisterous and thrilled to see the team score several exciting goals along their way to victory. I spent some time chatting with other visitors in the hostel before reading a bit more and calling it a night.

The following morning I was excited to see more of the city so I again got a pretty early start. I began by walking across Pulteney Bridge and through the Sydney Gardens, which Jane Austen was known to frequent.

Again, the fall colors weren't quite as striking as Bristol but they were still scattered about.

I made my way uphill through the neighborhood to the start of the Bath Skyline walk which offered a good view of the city from some fields where livestock were grazing.

I walked along the paths for a while and headed back down toward the canal which passes the train station I arrived at. There was another overlook someone at the hostel recommended so I headed up loads of stairs to get there.

The recommendation was amazing, and the overlook offered a fantastic view of the city.

You could see several of the landmarks I had visited previously, including the other overlook I passed along the hill. This sign was helpful for recognizing the different landmarks:

I walked back in to the city centre and was able to make a walk-in reservation at the Thermae Bath Spa so I could enjoy the famed spring water myself in the afternoon. Then I headed back to see some of the landmarks I had passed the previous evening in the daylight. One, which I found very impressive, was the Circus- a circle of mansions and townhomes in the style of classic Georgian architecture.

The Circus was designed by John Wood the Elder and has had several famous residents throughout history including Thomas Gainsborough and more recently, Nicholas Cage. The buildings were carefully designed, for instance each level features a different type of Greek column: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian.

The circus is very close to the Royal Crescent as well, which was quite impressive to see in the daytime as well (although the Christmas tree was less noticeable...).

I passed a classic Georgian garden as well on my way to the Paragon, another iconic street in Bath. At one time, Jane Austen stayed at 1 The Paragon.

The sun was starting to come out and bits of blue sky peeked through as I circled back to the Pulteney Bridge to check out the weir and get another look at the structure.

The afternoon light brightened the city, especially as shone against the bright Bath limestone and brought out the green and autumn colors in the area.

The gothic Abbey looked very impressive against the light.

I took some time to walk around the shops and markets

I really enjoyed the charming bookshops, cozy cafes, and the eclectic shops in the indoor Guildhall market. I had a lovely chocolaty snack before grabbing my bags from the hostel and headed back to the Thermae Spa for my appointment.

I don't have any photos to share from the spa unfortunately, as they didn't allow cell phones or cameras. I enjoyed two hours going between the hot spring pools, one on the ground floor and one on the rooftop, and a floor of various saunas, steam rooms, and spring showers. Afterward, I was very warm, relaxed, and ready to make my way home. There were a few delays on my way home, but I was very chilled and probably more patient than I otherwise would have been.

In all, I had a fantastic long weekend. In the weeks leading up to my trip, work was a bit chaotic so it was great to have an opportunity to unwind and explore a new place. I found both cities delightful, both Bristol's energy and colorfulness along with the age-old retreat of Bath.