Taking the Whaw-ters in Bah-th

I need to complain more about the lack of sun over here b/c as soon as I did - I was given a glorious day to enjoy the charming town of Bath - or as the British say "Bah-th".  Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage city first discovered by the Romans and lauded for its "Whaw-ters" which are said to have healing powers.  Haven't really read anything to back this up but what the mind thinks, the mind believes.

I have wanted to visit Bah-th for ages - since it features prominently in Jane Austen's "Persuasion".  Jane Austen also spent a lot of time here as a young woman, so that made it a "must see" on my long list.  For those of you who don't know that I'm a HUGE Jane Austen fan, you do now.  I have read all her books, some of them more than a couple times.  If you've never had the pleasure of escaping into her world, I highly encourage you to do so.  Nobody writes with such a lyrical quality and I feel completely transported as soon as I pick up one of her novels.  Most people immediately go for "Pride and Prejudice", but I prefer "Persuasion" and it is argued by some to be her best work.  It is the story of constant hearts - both a man and  a woman's.  I like the idea that men can carry just as bright a torch as women.  Anyways - I went by the Jane Austen centre, but quickly had to leave when I began to sweat, couldn't understand a word being spoken around me and upon being confronted with "I Heart (the symbol) Darcy" bumper stickers.  Rather than subject myself to the touristy Jane Austen, I decided to walk the streets that she once did and channel her in my own way.  

Bah-th is famous for its Georgian architecture as well as for the golden glow of its buildings that are built from local sandstone.  As the sun sets, the buildings seem to gleam.  I particularly enjoyed this sight from the rooftop pool I was bathing in at the Bath Spa.  There are 2 particularly famous places in Bath - The Circus and The Royal Crescent.  The Circus is "quite daring" for its departure from the typically Georgian square.  As the name suggests, it is actually a circular grouping of 3 sets of buildings - like a Circus Ring.  Thomas Gainsborough, the famous 18th century painter lived in #17 at one point.  Unfortunately, the beauty of The Circus was somewhat disrupted b/c the sidewalks were totally torn up and there were red and white warning "sawhorses" everywhere....Sigh.  No good pictures taken here :(  You continue up Brock Street, come around a corner and The Royal Crescent is spread out before you.  Also difficult to get a picture that does it justice.  Pity for me, as I went jogging the following morning, there is a lovely lawn down below it that showcased The Crescent in all its early morning glory...no people, no cars, no noise - just wonderful morning sun....and I had no camera.  I suppose its just one of those sights that is destined to live in my mind's eye.  Not such a bad thing - but I did REALLY want a picture of what I was seeing (as I was listening to Mason Jennings).  I progressed down through some gardens - still, an amazingly beautiful day - and wandered back to my Hostel so I could officially check in.  Attention all - this was my very first Hostel experience!!  All in all - it gets a rating of "OK".  Not great, not bad.  I was definitely crammed into a room full of bunk beds (12 to be exact), a door that made a loud scraping noise every time it was opened or shut and located above a bar called "Belushi's".  I didn't sleep great as my bed squeaked and creaked every time I moved and b/c of the constant opening and closing of the door throughout the entire night and into the early morning.  BUT - everybody was nice for the most part, it was cheap and I'm guessing this is just one of the things you accept when staying at a Hostel.  

After checking in, I headed to the other part of town I hadn't yet explored.  This took me to Bath Spa, The Pump Room, The Bath Abbey, The Pulteney Bridge and the Parade Gardens.  The Pump Room was a great "Beth" experience as I had my first "High Tea" since arriving in England.  I had tea where Jane Austen, Thomas Gainsborough and countless other aristocrats have dined and socialized.  The tea was outstanding and I can see why the Brits want to take a break every day around 3 or 4 to indulge in this "pastime".  Onto the Abbey - apparently the very first King of England (before William the Conqueror) was crowned here.  This is when England was divided up into fiefdoms/counties/territories - or whatever.  The Abbey is quite beautiful and even though it is definitely smaller than Westminster or St. Paul's, I would argue that it is just as beautiful.  I lit another candle for Mom.  Trucked along to the Pulteney Bridge which was nice, but is really just a big street filled with shops.  You can't see the water you are crossing over.  The Parade Gardens were also lovely, but you have to pay 1L (that's the best Pound symbol I can make with the iPad) to enjoy them.  Fair enough - I paid my Pound, walked around and killed time until I could go indulge at the Bath Spa.  

The Bath Spa was not something I had planned or intended to go to - in fact, it didn't show up in any of my research, but somehow my feet took me there and I'm glad they did.  It was a new building built to harvest these "Whaw-ters" people are so wild about.  I paid my fee of 25L (yes, this is expensive) and my extra 4L for a robe and set off to figure this place out.  Even though I enjoyed myself, it really just felt like a small public pool - but on a rooftop.  I had the same feeling I did at The Blue Lagoon - one of isolation.  It was filled with couples and foreigners....still, I did my best enjoy my solitude.  The cool part of the place was the Sauna and Steam rooms.  This is something I'm told I'll really enjoy once I make my way to Budapest - which apparently has more Suanas and Bath Houses than any other Eastern European country - with 118.  I stepped into a futuristic room filled with glowing pods - they glowed green, purple, blue and red.  Each one was filled with a different scent - mint and eucalyptus, lavender, cinnamon or something else I couldn't identify.  The mint and eucalyptus was neat, but it burned my eyes horribly.  I sought out the lavender and liked it better, but I think I preferred the cinnamon one the best.  I sweated out all my worries and toxins, put up with the intolerable heat as long as I could and then ran for the cold showers which felt AMAZING after that heat.  Another dip in the rooftop pool as the sun set and I was done.  

Terribly for me, something in the Bah-th air really set my allergies off and I felt pretty miserable the rest of the evening.  I took my Claritin, but this English pollen is super powerful.  I'm hoping that this prediction of rain will set me to rights again and get the nasty stuff out of the air.  I didn't want to miss a night of revelry, but the allergies got the best of me.  As I have mentioned in a previous post, I am off to The Lake District - writing this in the Euston Train Station waiting on my train to Oxemholme Lake D.  I'll sign off for now, enjoy my next couple of days in the Northwest English countryside before making my way up to my roots....i.e. Scotland!!!!  I can almost hear William Wallace bellowing "FREEDOM" in my ears right now......