The first view of Bath was breathtaking as we rode in on the bus. The sun reflected golden off the hilly green countryside, divided into crooked squares by hedges and stiles. Bath is nestled deep in a valley between rolling hills, the cathedral and church spires rising up over the rooftops of the town. Our group stayed in the youth hostel outside of town, and to get into town, we had to take a trail that overlooked the whole city and the hills around it. Beautiful.
Bath is the site of a natural hot springs, and the Romans flocked here to swim in the waters and drink the mineral water which supposedly brought good health. In Jane Austen's time, Bath was a place for the rich and famous to see and be seen.
We took a tour of the city itself and saw the same sights Austen saw. The next day was our luxury day. First, we toured the historical Roman baths. Next, we had a lunch in The Pump Room restaurant, which was fancy and served great food. Some of us "took the waters"--i.e. drank the mineral water from the spring. It was warm and metallic--I couldn't finish the whole glass. From there, we moved on to the Thermae Spa and bathed like the Romans did (with modern conveniences of course) in the most amazing rooftop, poolsized hot tub. Watched the sunset over the rooftops of the town. So memorable.
We took the bus toward Lyme Regis, where I got my own room in the luxury Alexandra Hotel. The town is built on the steep hill leading down to the ocean. The weather was windy and wavy. We acted out a scene from "Persuasion" on the cobb, which is a tall stone breakwater around the marina. We only stayed for a few days. Oh, and had breakfast with the drummer from the Rolling Stones. Encounters with fame.
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