Saturday, February 24, 2007

Where I've been.

I have spent most of the last week in the city of Bath. I started out there for a conference for work, and then Mark came up and met me for a day of playing in the city. The best part of my conference was the view from the hotel (first picture!) That tells you how much I enjoyed the conference!! During most of the sessions I sat there feeling the urge to leap up, toss my papers in the air and run screaming out of the room. I just couldn't summon up the enthusiasm and energy that all of the 'lifers' seemed to have. I just didn't care about any of the things that they were talking about!

With the conference over, Mark came and met me and we moved to an even nicer hotel. We walked around Bath in the evening, stopping for dinner at my favorite restaurant!! We both really love it there - freshly cooked noodle dishes with lots of vegetables and spicy sauces. Sigh... MmmmmmMmmm. Being in a city was good!

The next day we braved the scattered showers and wandered around Bath. I bought chocolate chip cookies (bliss!! It's difficult to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie here.) And we bought yummy wine in Waitrose, had coffee, shopped in all of the unusual shops, drooled over many things, and enjoyed being together and dreaming of living in one of the stunning townhouses. Bath is beautiful and charming and absolutely teeming with history and stories and things to see and do. I am afraid we rather fell in love with it.

This picture is of the Abbey. It's set in a funny area with lots of expensive shops. (Olives for £8.50???) We didn't have time to go in this time because we spent the next hour going through the actual baths. Sometimes I can be a bit of a nightmare in these places because I get so bored of the commentary but this time they had groovy headsets that you wore and in several places there was commentary by Bill Bryson! It was neat to hear a different sort of thought on things.

I love the next picture of Mark looking at the Great Bath. It's overwhelming to look up from here and see the Abbey in the background. It's one of those places in the UK where you can really see the layers of history. How could these ancient ruins have been lost for hundreds of years when they lay so close to the church? The baths were originally a temple to the goddess Minerva. What was it about that spot that prompted generations of people to want to worship there? Standing on the stones where Roman feet once walked and looking up at such beautiful architecture made me feel very very small. It also makes you wonder what other treasures are still buried under the modern cities and houses that exist today.

We spent the last part of the afternoon with a good friend of Mark's family. He lives very near a huge safari park. Unfortunately we got there too late to go in and see any of the animals, so we will have to go another time closer to the summer season. I am completely charmed by animals. I get a bit sparkley-eyed and giddy when I even think I am going to get to see something exotic. We snuck into a back entrance and saw a few Wallabies but nobody else was around.

Coming from Canada I am used to having birds outside of our kitchen window. In the summer we have hummingbirds and in the winter there are chickadees. But just look what was sitting outside of the kitchen window when we were visiting yesterday!! It was a perfect end to my week!


P.S. I had a lot to say today so I will save the detox foot patch stories for Monday!!

17 comments:

Donna said...

I love Bath! We were there for three glorious days in the summer of 2000 and I am dying to go back. Did you have High Tea at the Pump Room? What delightful memories you've brought back to me, thank you.

Julie said...

What a fantastic trip (the pleasure part anyway)! I love all the photos you've shared here. You're right, the picture of Mark with the abbey behind is stunning. Love the peacock outside the window!

Good to have you back.

Anonymous said...

Loved hearing about your vacation! I love it when something work related turns into a vacation :) I'm glad you loved Bath---I want to visit there next time we come see you turkeys.
xxoxo off to Montreal tomorrow for the month!! love to you both! karen

xxxxx said...

I really enjoyed your post and totally relate to the feeling of falling in love with Bath! It happened to us last September and we're now in the middle of moving there from Ireland. And that peacock looks gorgeous. Glad you had a fabulous time!

Susannah Conway said...

i love love love Bath. LOVE it i tell ya :-) if i wasn't moving to L i'd move to Bath...... glad you're back baby xx

Susannah Conway said...

(and hurrah for Waga noodles :-) i want some edamame now...)

Kay Cooke said...

When ABM and I were first married we went over to Britain for two years - I have fond memories of wandering around Bath. I bet it's even more stunning now - thirty years later ... altho' in relation to the history of Bath, 30 years is nothing!

Jessie said...

ok...i'm in love with the view you've enjoyed. in. love. :)

daisies said...

oh wow, how absolutely wonderful and mirrors so much my own experiences in montreal and ottawa this past week ... conference blah but the wanderings, wow :)

i love the birds outside my window, chirping even in the dead of winter ~ i think i would be a bit lost without them ...

i so have to get to bath some day, your photos are absolutely beautiful :)

Annie Jeffries said...

Peacocks are sooooo brazen. They pretty much go where they want. You gotta love 'em. LOL

Frida World said...

I've always missed out on Bath when I was in England - but I'm planning a visit after Easter and your post has made me think about trying to make a visit. It sounds lovely, and if Susannah concurs then Bath is coming highly recommended!

PS: Thanks for suggesting the 21 days, I started two days ago when I got back from my holiday and I'm promising myself 15 minutes of letting go through meditation every morning.

x

tara dawn said...

What an incredible trip...I must admit I am jealous but so glad you got to have this wonderful experience! Lovely pictures and a perfect brief on your trip. Hope you are carrying this beauty in your heart every day.
Miss our emails sweetie...sending big hugs and lots of love to you!!!
-taradawn

Anonymous said...

Hurrah for a fabulous get-away (even if some of it was spent in conference). Beautiful pictures...it looks like a magical place.

Alessandra Cave said...

Oh Bath! Thanks for bringing back my memories of this wonderful place!

bee said...

i really want to go...it sounds lovely. and your pictures are just amazing...

peacocks are one of my FAVOURITES. i went to the dollar store a few days ago and bought 30 long stemmed peacock feathers for my entrance way...they're so pretty.

Alex S said...

Glad you had such a wonderful time! Bath looks beautiful. I hope I can come visit you one of these days and I owe you a thank you card so will you please, please email me your mailing address?? xoxo I've missed you!

Frida World said...

Hello lovely. I've been thinking of you since your 21 day challenge has become such a wonderful, rich expereince for me. Thank you for that little nudge.
I hope that you are not sick, seems a while since we had your voice here.
If you are, get well soon. If you are busy writing and doing all the other things you have been planning then YAY - that's me cheering you on.
x