Day 7: Bath

Across the street from our hotel was a fine hat shop!  As a daft American, I thought we might be able buy a fitted ball cap type hat. Nooo. This was a fine proper hat shop. Like the kind the royal family wore to Will and Kate's wedding. The store had a customer who was actually buying a hat and I felt like we were in the way. This wasn't a tourist shop!

Consider yourself one of us. Consider yourself one of the family. It's clear we're going to get along. 

Rusty Griswold?

After our hat shopping was over, we found a Big Bus tour to give us an overview of the city. We learned a lot and marveled at the driver's ability to navigate that giant coach around the super narrow streets. 

Catherdral from the tour bus. 

Then we were off to do the Roman Baths!!  I remember this so vividly from when I was a kid. I remember the color of the water, the creepiness of it all, the underground systems, the fact that 2,000 years of just dust and dirt had piled up to change the original street level to now being one floor below ground. 

We got audio tour Walkman type things and strolled around, trying to keep somewhat together with the family. Iistened to every option:   The regular English guide, a book author/researcher, the kid version, and additional tapes that were suggested. So, that meant about an hour was sucked up and we had only been a dozen or so stations along. 

Period women chatting by the edge. (Corny but so cool to feel like I was catching a glimpse into the past via time machine.)

Once we finished the inside tours, we made our way to the edges of the baths. 

So cute...they're talking and being civilized. 

I love catching shots of Summer when she doesn't know it. 

And then it was time for some recreations. CB (stands for Country Bunny, my favorite stuffed animal) and she went with me everywhere!  I was (and still am) a huge stuffed animal fan. 

It took about twenty attempts but I finally got Nicholas in the right position. (TMI: Nicholas is a huge believer in the Veleteen Rabbit and loves my precious CB. In fact, I had to explain to Nicholas that CB had been to England before and could stay back.)

Left to right: my grandma, my sister, my mom, and me in the front. 

Now, my mom in the grandma, Summer is the older sister, and Nicholas is the younger kid in the front and I'm the mom. =)

After we had had our fill, we looked for some lunch and settled on the Pasty Presto. I think this is a chain restaurant, but the food was good and the view was great!

Our lunch view:

After lunch, we went into the Abbey. Shawn even talked to the priest...about historical stuff. 

This guy played Metallica!  

Then, Nicholas and I went on a walk to see the weir and beyond. 

We came across a maze that was so cool and almost unknown (except to the locals).

Whenever Nicholas took a turn, I took the opposite. Needless to say, Nicholas thought out every turn and made it to the center while I was still roaming about. 

This mosaic is the face of the Gorgon from the Roman Baths. How cool!!!

A little cricket match. 

And then there were swans!  Nicholas had a lovely stick that he was using as a baseball bat that he was using to whack pebbles into the river. The swans were quite interested in sampling his stick. 

Each year I find a photo subject to focus on and this year I think it's spider webs. 

After our fun on the river, we walked under a bridge that lead to a bunch of restaurants built into the catacombs. Way cool!!!  But not gonna happen with kids and grandparents!  

But then...

Boy Scouts!!!

What a great day and an excellent tour of Bath!  Just as amazing as I had remembered...and even more!