Hello again! As promised in my previous post, it is time to talk about Bath!
Yesterday, we ventured out to the beautiful city of Bath via train, and it was an incredible experience! It was also a nice change of pace from the craziness of London. The views of the English countryside were so peaceful, and it was nice to have time to just soak in some views and relax along the way. I got a lot of photos from the train before we even entered Bath, and I would love to take a train ride again! I wish that they were more popular and accessible in America because it was such a nice way to travel.
Now to the good stuff… Bath!! Bath is a beautiful city with architecture that transports you back in time. The ancient buildings are incredible to gaze at, and the lack of modern buildings set it apart from London right off the bat. It is true what they say in London Tide about the air in the city because I was amazed at how much cleaner the air in Bath was. It was not without its fair share of pollution and smoke from tourists, but it was a great improvement. The general atmosphere in Bath was different as well. People were not in the same kind of rush to get places, and I felt as though everyone was taking their time to enjoy and appreciate things more (something that is not as common London). I get overwhelmed by the sheer amount people in London, and I often fall into the trap of being unable to enjoy things or take them in because of that. However, in Bath, I felt free to simply wander the streets with Kaylee. I wasn’t as worried about time, exactly where we were, following strict plans, etc. Instead, I was going with the flow more, finding things along the way, and stopping when something sounded interesting. It was so nice and peaceful, and it was a much needed change of pace for a day.
I do want to clarify when I talk about all of this that I am discussing the city of Bath and not the Roman Baths. I will get to the absolute nightmare that was navigating and trying to enjoy the Roman Baths later.
In our wandering, Kaylee and I first landed on a Greek restaurant for lunch. However, after realizing they did not have food to accommodate our dietary needs, we circled back to a vegan cafe we had passed earlier in the afternoon. Long story short, IT WAS AMAZING!!! The food was so good, and Kaylee and I split our meals. We also got a slice of vegan mocha cake that was heavenly, and I want to go back just for that. We then wandered in and out of some of the cute souvenir shops before we stumbled upon a TK Max (England’s TJ Max) and finished our shopping there. Then it was off in time for afternoon tea!! (which I should have saved more room for)
Before discussing the incredible experience that was afternoon tea at the Pump Room, it is time to discuss what happened before Kaylee and I wandered the city. – The exploration of the Roman Baths!!
I know my earlier comment about the Baths probably has you all a little concerned, but rest assured, I did love seeing all the incredible history and preservation work there. The history of the Baths is fascinating, and it is deeply rooted in the religion of the day. The original complex housed the baths and the Temple of Sulis, honoring Sulis Minerva. It also contained room for hundreds of visitors. Ironically enough, room for visitors was my main problem yesterday. Despite ticketed entry and limiting the number of people allowed in, the Baths were immensely crowded, and I could hardly move through the space, let alone read the signs associated with each exhibit. I think some of the emotional and intellectual impact of what I was seeing became lost on me rather quickly, as I was simply trying to find a place to stand and listen to the audio guide without being pushed, shoved, or blocked by other people. I found it difficult to fully enjoy what I was seeing because of this, and I also did not process half of what was said on the audio guide, despite listening to almost every section. While this was very disappointing for me, especially as someone who has been obsessed with Greek and Roman Mythology for years, I was still grateful I got to see the remarkable place. I have wanted to visit ever since my sister went years ago, and I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.
Exploring the history of the baths as it relates to the religion of the day was definitely what I found most interesting, likely because of my middle school obsession with all things Percy Jackson and Rick Riordan. I was unaware of how deeply important religion was to the baths, and reading about the healing powers of the water, the sacrifices people would come to make, and more transported me back there. To hear those stories and be told what people did back then in the very space where they walked is a feeling that cannot be replicated or described. The baths were absolutely stunning, and I am looking forward to doing more research on them now that I have been there.
To complete this rather lengthy blog on Bath, I would like to quickly say that afternoon tea is my new favorite thing in the world! I knew we were in for a treat as soon as I heard strings tuning from the hallway outside the Pump Room. Yes, that’s right. We had live entertainment in the form of classical music. It made me feel very fancy, and I also loved the song selections. After being seated, I took a quick look at the menu and landed on the Darjeeling Tea. And let me just say, that was the best decision I’ve made at a restaurant in years! (Is afternoon tea at the Pump Room considered a restaurant setting? I don’t know. Anyway.) I have loved tea for years but have never tried Darjeeling. However, they did not have my personal favorite (Lady Grey), so I decided to try something entirely different, and now I think I have a new favorite tea. I got a whole pot to myself, drank two full cups, and it was wonderful.
I was also very excited to have clotted cream and scones with jam after the delicious sample Shawn gave us before leaving, and I was not disappointed. I had two scones to myself, and they were amazing! (If any of my family is reading this, it is important to note that British scones are not like the scones you see in America. They are way better and taste more like a biscuit!) While these scones were delicious, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Shawn’s homemade clotted cream was far superior to the cream served at tea. With the scones and tea also came an assortment of small savory bites and a few other pastry items. I greatly enjoyed the raspberry treat and the chocolate one was relatively good as well. However, I was not a fan of the savory options. The sandwiches were not bad, and I would try them again, but the other dishes were all fish based, and I am not a seafood person. I did try them all, including one dish that had caviar (which I am shocked I actually tried), but none of them stood out to me, as evidenced by the photos you will find below.
Overall, visiting Bath was an incredible experience, a nice change of pace, and I would absolutely go back just for the vegan food and tea! I also forgot to mention the GORGEOUS church that stood right outside the Roman Baths, but you can see it in the photos below. It was stunning, and much like the rest of the city, it had a unique power to transport you through time. Till next time!
-Emma
Theatre in London U of A 