We were on the road shortly after 8 this morning and were headed south to Bath. It was about a 5 hour drive away from Penrith, so we were anxious to get there as soon as we could. Our plan was to take get into Bath early enough to see all of the sights and shops before they closed around 5pm so we could move on to Oxford earlier than planned. I am happy to report that we succeeded. We skipped Stoke-on-Trent since we felt we had seen enough pottery at Wetherigg's so our stops were much shorter. We arrived just after 1pm and did it with only 1 wrong turn. Yay for the navigator (ahem, me.) There was no one at the B&B to receive us, but we were anxious to get to the city centre so we didn't think much about it. The walk downtown to the Roman Baths and Abbey was pleasant and steeply downhill. We knew this was likely going to finish us on the way home but with all of the chocolate bars and fish and chips we've been eating we knew it would do us good. We decided to see our priorities first so we made our way into the Cathedral. This massive house of worship was beautiful inside and out. Keith took quite a few pictures but he mentioned that in churches, some things aren't really meant to have their picture taken. Afternoon prayers took place while we were exploring the sanctuary so as sat in the pews as the priest lead us in a reading from John 3 and lead us in the Lord's Prayer and others. It was so wonderful to be in a church and praying in a city that is famous for its pagan gods and practices. It was refreshing.
The Roman Baths were next and were not disappointing. The exhibition was very informative and well done and they provided audioguides for everyone as well as had informative plaques throughout the exhibit. I felt the spring water (and later realized I wasn't supposed to) and it was hotter than I expected. The Roman Baths were built around this hot spring when it was found in the first century AD. It was thought to be sacred so there were many altars and statues to Minerva and others throughout. The smell of the ruins underground were stagnant and damp and musty - but we could still imagine the baths the way the recreations on the plaques illustrated.
The remainder of our afternoon was spent wandering around the shops, looking for a dress for me. All of the ladies in Bath were wearing skirts or dresses and looked so pretty. I was feeling a bit frumpy in my tank top and pants so I tried a few dresses on. No luck though. One of our last stops was at the Jane Austen Centre. Touring the house exhibit was a bit pricey but the gift shop was fantastic. I spent less than half the price of what our tickets would have cost. If we had had more time or I wasn't feeling so tired I would have liked to do the tour - but as it was, I was happy with my choice.
When we finished our seemingly never-ending uphill trek back to the B&B, we were a bit surprised to find there was still no one to let us inside. It was after 6 and I remembered telling our hostess we would be arriving sometime around suppertime. I made a quick call from the payphone across the street and left a message. The friendly neighbour came home and asked if he could bring us some tea or coffee as we waiting on her front lawn. As time went by, we started to brainstorm alternate plans. Around 7:45, Keith found a mobile number and left a message indicating that if no one arrived in the next 20 minutes we were moving on to Amesbury. Miraculously, just as I was buckling Isaiah into his car seat, a woman arrived at the B&B. Apparently, she was the owner's sister and was running the place while her sister was away in America. She had just stopped by to check on things before meeting a friend for a drink when she saw Keith waiting by the gate. It seems that there was no record of our arrival in the diary, but there was a room available for us and a cot for Izer. We were happy to accept. She even agreed to knot £8 off of the room price for our trouble. After we were settled and she left we got ready for bed. To our horror, there was no hot water in the shower. Not a great way to end the day. But we managed alright and went to bed clean and well.
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