Bath: Day 1

While the day started in rainy London, it ended on a perfectly peaceful and sunny note in Bath. 

I started the day with a quick breakfast and an even quicker walk to Paddington. It started to rain early in the day, and I was afraid the rain was going to follow me down to Bath. Once I got into Paddington station, I actually got a chance to stop and admire it. Living in Arizona, we don’t have a good public transportation system, which means we don’t have a major transportation hub like Paddington. I didn’t realize it’s basically like a mall with trains! There’s a food court where I grabbed a rather strong cup of coffee to warm me up, as well as some shops. Of course there’s a shop dedicated to Paddington the Bear, along with a cute bench and statue. 

I got onto the train and settled in for an hour and a half ride. I popped my headphones in, listened to Persuasion on audiobook, and watched the English countryside whiz by. You know, one of my favorite parts of traveling is…well, traveling. Some of my best memories are in a crammed car with the windows down and music blasting through India, or being bleary-eyed and sleep deprived while watching dawn break over the hills in northern England. I would have been happy with a longer ride out here, but the destination has been worth it so far!

When I got into Bath, at first I was going to take a bus to the hostel but I realized it was a relatively short walk. I’m glad I walked it, as it helped me quickly get oriented with the main town center. I passed by Bath Abbey and the entrance to the Roman baths but I hadn’t had any intention of exploring them until Saturday. I loved the rows of shops and the people everywhere. 

I made it to the hostel and decided to take a quick nap. I needed to go to the ATM and I wanted to go before the bank actually closed just in case I had issues withdrawing cash. At some point while I was asleep, my bunk mate and come in but I haven’t seen her since. I’m only in a two bed female dorm, so it’s just her and I for tonight, and then I believe I have it to myself tomorrow. I’m technically staying at the YMCA, but it’s a bit different than the YMCAs in the US—a lot more to offer here. 

Once I got up from my nap, I got cash out and then decided to walk about some. I ended up going into Bath Abbey after all, and even though I got there about 5 minutes before it closed for visitors, I could stay if I wanted to join the evening prayer service. I did decide to stay, and the prayer service was lovely. I guess today was the 200th anniversary of the death of John Palmer, the instigator of the mail coaches for the Royal Mail. They had one of his descendents in attendance, which I thought was pretty cool. 

I left there and immediately saw the entrance to the Roman baths. I was tempted to do that as well, but I thought I’d save that for Saturday. I stopped into a card and paper shop to get a few things, wandered through a bookstore (also side note: it made me so happy to see how busy the bookstore actually was!), and grabbed a bite and a coffee. 

This leads me back to the hostel. I’ve taken a shower, laid out my clothes for tomorrow (early departure time for Stonehenge and all), and now I’m sitting outside while writing and listening to the seagulls. Oh yes, lots of seagulls. 

Tomorrow I will be on a day trip to Stonehenge with Mad Max tours, and then I will have all day Saturday in Bath. But for now, more Persuasion and a quiet night.