Bath was genuinely a dream come true. As a faithful fan of Jane Austen, Bridgerton, English tea, Italian/Roman History, and just the English Countryside in general, I was astonished at how many of my “favorite things” boxes this city checked!
It was definitely an escape from the hustle and bustle of London, as right when we stepped off the train, I was met with cobblestone streets and miles of ancient stone amidst a green landscape, which automatically makes you walk a bit slower and allows you to see much farther without skyscrapers piercing parts of the view.
I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Italy three times before, and the architecture and aesthetic of cities I’ve walked in, such as Rome, Padua, and Florence, were quite evident in Bath. However, Bath held that gentle English charm that added a sense of whimsy and storybook to the setting. I felt as if I was walking right into a movie scene, or rather, the movies I make in my mind as I read a Jane Austen novel. (So surreal!) And although seeing the Zaras, Apple stores, and modern restaurants slightly interrupted my historical lens, they also reflected the natural course of progress while existing alongside rich history. That is what I love about Europe, though, its ability to preserve the past while progressing forward. The modern setting is integrated into the bottom of the buildings, so that if you set your eyes above and keep your view on the tops of the buildings, you may be able to convince yourself you’ve traveled back in time.
And having tea in the Pump Room, where Jane Austen herself had tea and set scenes in her very own novels, made my heart absolutely swell. It was such a joyous time with my friends at my table as we delighted in the delicious dining, the “lady whistledown tea,” and the discussions that similar groups may have had in that very corner. It was an idyllic tea party to me, and I found it quite hard to leave!
And the culture of this place, oh my goodness. The live music, the kindness in each corner manifested in the bakery owners or the dog-walkers, the tourists and locals relishing in the slowness of it all, you could tell that everyone appreciated this place and took care of it well. As my group and I explored the city, we made new friends with the two women and their dog (shoutout Juno!), having tea by the gardens, and the mother taking her daughter to the playground after they recently moved here from London to escape the hustle of the city. You can sense the calm and restful intentionality in this city that has served as a place of restoration for thousands of years, which leads me into the Roman Baths!
I just love stepping into real historical sites. As an avid reader/researcher fascinated by history, nothing compares to actually stepping into the settings and feeling so connected to the people who also stepped here thousands of years ago. One aspect of the Roman Baths that specifically stuck out to me was the Head of Sulis Minerva. As we were walking through the museum, I stayed behind a moment to snap a picture as it was so interesting! Known as one of the most famous artifacts from Roman Britain, it was discovered in Bath in 1727 and is the only major surviving fragment of a huge cult statue that stood inside the temple. Worshippers believed that the waters contained her healing powers, which caused people from all over to bathe and make offerings. I thought it was interesting how she is a hybrid deity essentially created to attribute the bath’s healing powers to. It always fascinates me how religious the Romans/Greeks were with deities that are so rarely worshiped today, and how that influenced so much of their day-to-day life!
Overall, Bath was amazing and I will remember it fondly and hopefully be back someday soon!
Theatre in London U of A 