The Beauty of Bath

Bath and Blunders

Blog Post 7: Day trip to Bath

By Isaac Overman

June 4 2022

The Gang left bright and early this morning for Paddington Station. We arrived rather early and Tabi and I were able to snag a quick breakfast and coffee inside the station. Unfortunately, this is where my morning gets slightly derailed—pun intended. As we board our train to Bath, I sit down next to Ben and have an epiphany—I just left my backpack at the café. Now normally this would be a moment of frustration that would give way to sadness at the lost of an umbrella or coat, but this bag contained not only my laptop but my sisters’ as well as my wallet. To say my situation was frustrating would be the understatement of the century. I had to make a choice: risk missing my train to run back the half mile to the café, or I could loss it all and hope that some kind stranger had grabbed it and would be at the station upon my return. I chose in that moment to run. I, as many of you might have guessed, am not a runner. Normally, I run only when chased by something, or when I have prodded my sister one too many times. But I had no choice but to run, so run I did. And honestly, it felt good, my muscles moved as if I were a prized race horse out of the gate. I made it back to the gate. The alarm on the faces of the guards as I barreled between them and through the gate was priceless. I then grabbed my bag and tried to match my previous pace in the hopes that I would be able to make it on the train. It is important to remind you that I am not a runner. I was fatigued and weary. I hobbled the last hundred feet to the glee of Shawn.

Now if you remember this is only 9:15 am. The day has just begun but fortunately that was the end of running and rotten luck. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Bath was wonderful. Tabi and I went to a local bookstore to begin our tour and then rejoined the group for the Roman Baths which were fascinating. After, we had some time before our lunch reservation. We were weak so we stopped to get a light snack. In our defense we were unsupervised and left in front of a fudge shop. After we had gorged ourselves on chocolate and fresh fruit, we dinned at the Michelin restaurant The Elder which celebrates local ingredients and wild game from the surrounding areas. It was rustic and refined at the same time. It was country fine dinning at its best. To be truthful, it is the kind of restaurant I hope to run someday. Moments later we hobbled to the Jane Austen museum which was delightful. Shortly thereafter, Tabi and I rejoined with the group and made our way to the next train. As I write this blog, I think mostly of the contrasts and comparisons between the two cities of London and Bath. London offers a beautiful lively city that is home to a culinary world which I love beyond reason. But today in Bath, I was reminded of home. It stunned in a totally different way. I will try to explain in terms of food because that is what I know so well. Bath is not the place where you find ten course dinning experiences, but it is somewhere that fresh local food is cooked brilliantly. Saying one is better than the other is absurd. Apples and oranges are both fruit but neither is worse than the other. It is simply a matter of taste. I personally prefer towns like Bath because they remind me that beautiful food can be found in the most unlikely of places. In a way, this town gives me hope of the chef I hope to become.