The Many Glories of Bath

Ah, Bath...my sweet little city tucked away in the western hills of England. I was excited to go to Bath, but nothing can really live up to its splendor. There aren't any huge cathedrals, no historic battle grounds, and not even a double decker...but man is it a great place. Katie and I both agreed that it quickly ascended to number one favorite spot on our list. It had everything we could ever want; namely, great food, relatively cheap prices, and a gorgeous location.

I was skeptical, at first, of the hostel we had booked but once we arrived I knew we made the right choice. Right off the main square, the little bar/hostel was everything we needed. It had clean rooms, free breakfast, and a really nice bar. The hostel even had a "chill-out room" on the illusive top floor where we met some firefighters from NorCal, of all places. It was great! After a week and a half of going non-stop, we had a relaxed place to rest and we even stole some time away to see a movie. (Sleepers...so incredibly traumatizing...all I have to say is Kevin Bacon as a child molester ::shiver::)

We spent our days just roaming about freely, walking every square inch we could. We got up early to see the Roman Baths, then trekked over to the Bath Costume Museum, and then, we entered into Heaven...the Tea Room at the Jane Austen Centre. What a blissful experience.

Taking our time to enjoy the walls cluttered with Austen imagery, we ascended the steep steps up to the top floor of the little building at the corner of King and Gay. The Tea House was made up of two cozy rooms on the second story of the Jane Austen Center. Two large windows in the main dining area looked out onto a small cobblestone street alongside a charming lush park. The day was beautiful and blue, so when given our choice of tables we sat where the view was the best. The hostess was a jolly, sweet-tempered young woman and when we took our places said to me, laughing a little, "So, you got the best seat in the house. Well, you'll be dining with Mr. Darcy today." She pointed across from me to the mantel of the fireplace tucked up against the wall behind Katie. A large portrait of Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy was staring pleasantly in my direction. "Oh, yes! We will indeed," I said, smiling at Katie who was mopping up a slight bit of drool that crept out of her loose jaw.

After perusing the menu we decided on the "Tea with Mr. Darcy" as it was suiting for the occasion. This included two cakes of our choosing, one cucumber sandwich, one Brie sandwich, a pot of "Jane Austen Blend Tea," and two plain scones. It was a veritable feast of sweet and carby goodness. I still was not sure what cake I wanted exactly, it was between the brownie (of course) and the tiramisu but the hostess’s description of the brownie as "soft", "melty", and "quite chocolaty" sold me on the spot. The tea was brought forth and we were soon served all our goodies. It was as if angels descended from above and sprinkled little bits of Heaven onto our taste buds. In other words, it was damn good. So, Katie and I spent the afternoon chatting over tea and soaking up the sun. I couldn't have asked for anything better.

During our visit in Bath we saw the Bath Abbey, the Bath Costume Museum, the Roman Baths, a little art gallery converted from a small chapel set in a picturesque cemetery, we walked along the canal and gardens, and ate at a 600 year old restaurant that served "Sally Lund's Buns" and still, my favorite part was the Jane Austen Tea Room. It all was amazing. Bath was calm, fun, and highly recommended.