Last Minute Trip to Bath

Last week Dan's boss asked if he would be available to leave for a work trip the next day. Since the meeting location was a four-hour drive, Dan asked if I wanted to keep him company. It actually worked out really well because it brought us four-hours closer to a city we've been wanting to see since we first moved to England: Bath.

At the Roman baths in Bath

Everyone raves about this city; after spending a weekend there, it's obvious why. The architecture is spectacular. As I learned from our free city tour, most buildings are done in the Palladian style, which focuses heavily on symmetry and balance with a nod to ancient Rome. Great examples of this style are the Circus and the Royal Crescent. They are gorgeous in person.

The Circus

The Royal Crescent

Pulteney Bridge

The Abbey is another stunning landmark.

My favorite part of the Abbey is the ceiling. It is such an intricate design that I haven't seen before.

Dan and I took a hike up to Prior Park. Tourist Information will tell you it's only a 25 minute walk from city center. Baloney! It took us around 45 minutes, mostly because it was completely uphill. Me being 5 months pregnant may also have had something to do with it. Either way, the hike was completely worth it! Even in the dead of winter, this park is beautiful.

Of course a main highlight are the baths themselves. Entrance to the museum includes a pretty fantastic audio guide that takes you through the whole complex. I am so impressed with the complexity of the baths. It is hard to believe that 2,000 years ago the Romans had saunas, jacuzzis, and cold plunge pools.

You know we couldn't leave Bath without trying some local food, right? We stopped at the famous Sally Lunn house. It's one of the oldest homes in Bath and the originator of the Bath bun. They serve both sweet and savory versions of this sweet brioche-like bun. We had a Welsh rarebit (my favorite!) and a cinnamon-sugar. They were DELICIOUS!

Rarebit bun

Though it all came together at the very last minute, it turned into a great weekend trip!