Bath Redux.



Kevin w/Paddington Bear @ Paddington Station  (yes, that's a Krispy Kreme).



The epicenter of my study abroad experience back in 1999 was Bath in Somerset, located about 90 minutes by train, southwest of London.  For half a summer, I studied British literature in the English countryside.  My classmates and I stayed in one of the famous crescent-shaped row houses, enjoyed a dry, sunny summer that featured a solar eclipse that I took in at the mystic town of Glastonbury, and trips to Dublin, Tintern Abbey in Wales, Stratford and many trips to London.  That summer was fabulous--the quintessential college, study-abroad experience.  But I was curious: what would Bath look like through the lens of an adult, on a daytrip from London?





 Pulteney Bridge that indeed has shops on it.



We boarded an early morning train to Bath.  First off: the tickets are really expensive--I think for the two of us, it worked out to about $150.  I think if  I would have realized it was that pricey to do a daytrip, we may have just stayed over in Bath.  Nonetheless, we both wanted to see it again and the weather promised to be sunny and perfect.  Indeed, the weather cooperated, but being a weekend and lovely weather meant everyone else was in Bath, too.  It was crowded so the first thing we wanted to do was try to find my housing, which is easier said than done.  Bath is a confusing maze of round-abouts and crooked streets.  Even living there, if you had one too many pints, well, let's just say people got lost (a lot) that summer.   We had a general sense of what hilltop the crescent-shaped row house lived on so we aimed for that direction and hoped things would look familiar.  And some things did: I recognized Bath Abbey and the Pulteney Bridge, which like the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, has shops built right on it.  We climbed and climbed past several roundabouts , but missed a critical turn and ended up overshooting the place.  Still, we were able to work our way back and there we stood in front of my old dorms, which were quiet and empty.  Sadly, the space is no longer used for student housing--it appeared to be in the process of being converted back to flats. 



Where I stayed in 1999.



Perhaps because of the sagging economy, the place looked like it had not been a construction site for a while.  We walked around a bit and then headed down the mossy stairs towards the boss stop.  Kevin pointed out some blackberry brambles and we both remembered gathering them for cornflakes.  We popped a few in our mouths to complete the nostalgic flashback.  I was disappointed that this beautiful old space was not being used by study-abroad students.  My summer in Bath was lovely and magical--and I think living in that kind of space added to the experience. 



The lovely Royal Crescent.



Crowds near the Pump Room.



We headed back to the city center, ready for lunch.  On the way and now that we had our bearings, we stopped by the Royal Crescent--the most famous of these unique structures in Bath.  The green, sprawling lawn was filled with people, enjoying the sunny day.  We took a break from our walk and enjoyed the space, too.  Although we were both enjoying the walk and we were close to the Botanical Gardens, we turned again towards the city center in search of a lunchtime meal.  Determined to avoid the crush of visitors, we happily stumbled upon the Wild Cafe, tucked away in a little alley.  Using locally-sourced ingredients, Kevin had a cheddar and chutney sandwich and I had a lovely baby green salad with goat cheese and figs.  We then took a deep breath and plunged into the crowds near the Abbey.  Downtown Bath is a stunning place, but if you hate crowds--do not go there on a weekend!  It takes on a carnival vibe.  After tracking down some other favorite haunts--the Pump Room, Sally Lunn's--we headed across the bridge and wandered along the River Avon.  We watched a girls'cricket match for a while and then made our way back to the train station.  Honestly, we left earlier than we planned.  I think if I could have done this over, we would have tried to stay a night and have an evening in Bath to ourselves. But I just am not sure I could really capture the magic of being a student, studying abroad.  I'm not that person anymore.