Where are those bathing costumes when you need them?

After two days of driving around the countryside, we took the train to Bath for a quick day trip. It was nice to just watch the scenery roll by for 25 minutes instead of concentrating on driving down the correct side of the road and not causing an accident in the roundabouts!

My first impression of Bath is that it is clean and white. The white limestone used to build this town gives it a very bright and cheerful feel. We had yet to do a double-decker bus tour so we thought this would be a good place to start. It was a beautiful sunny day without a cloud in the sky so we climbed to the top of the bus, put on our shades and lovely red headphones and began the tour. Points of interest that we later visited included the Jane Austen house, the Roman Baths and the Abbey where the first King of England was coronated.

The Jane Austen house was a bit of a bust. Our fee included an interesting 20 minute talk on the life of Jane Austen and then a walk around a small house containing information about her life in Bath. It did pique my curiousity to read more of her work but, as it turns out, I don't even think the house we toured is the one she lived in but instead one that would be similar.

The Roman Baths were fascinating and definitely worth the visit. It is amazing to me that archeologists are able to piece together so much from the ruins that remain. The naturally heated water was a big draw for visitors starting in Roman times and we were thinking we should have brought a swim suit, or bathing costume as they called them, to give the waters a try at one of the local spas.

After shopping we headed to the oldest house in Bath, Sally Lunn's, for our afternoon tea. The thing to order here is Sally Lunn's buns topped with one of a variety of flavored butters or fruit spreads. It was interesting but we are still a fan of scones.

Last stop in Bath was a walk by the river. We felt they were gouging tourists here, as you had to pay to walk down the steps to the park by the river. On the other hand, it was free for locals and it did keep the park from being overcrowded. Given the sunshine, lots of folks were laying around on the ground or in canvas chairs enjoying the afternoon so we went down and did the same for a few minutes before catching the train home for Lynette's farewell dinner.

Mike selected the restaurant and what a GREAT choice! It is called Three Crowns and it is about 10 minutes outside of Swindon in a small village. The menu was extensive, the setting was lovely and the place was crowded. They put our name on a waiting list to be seated and advised us to order before being seated to ensure that we didn't have to wait too long for our food. We did that and headed for the bar for a beer - this was a pub of sorts afterall. A couple of hours later we were so full from big meals and decadent desserts that I had to swear off this lifestyle of afternoon cream tea and restaurant meals for awhile - at least until the next visitor arrives. Any takers?!!