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Bath.
The road to Bath was icy and we took our time, we certainly did not expect this weather, however we are enjoying ourselves and we feel very much part of the UK landscape, chilled. Keith and I have had a peaceful week at Lymington, at Elmer's Court Manor House. We were surprised about this booking. It is more than we expected. Mind you we are now in Bath and it's anamazing place. It's in a deep valley and surrounded by rings of buildings. The whole city is medieval and stunningly beautiful. The curved buildings and winding narrow streets, every possible spot taken up by a shop or café or restaurant. We parked and mooched around with the crowd. The Christmas Markets are big, but one of the things we've noticed is that the markets looked and sold items identical to Winchester Christmas Markets. They sure draw the crowds though. Choirs sing their carols and musicians play a tune or two of Christmas music, there's mulled wine and mince pies that waft sweetly through the chilly air. Ah I can just smell it now, so sweet. Roasting chest nuts and sausages ready to be scoffed down by the passing throng. I must say it is all really special and I can see why the crowds come and why we dream about it. We just do not have this even at Yuletide.
There are so many hidden secrets to explore in Bath and the surrounding area. One of the most interesting visits is the Roman Baths, a World Heritage Site. Around Britain's only hot spring, the Romans built a magnificent temple and bathing complex that still flows with natural hot water. We saw the water's source and walked where Romans walked on the ancient stone pavements around the steaming pool. The extensive ruins and treasures from the spring are beautifully preserved and presented using the best of modern interpretation. We saw the gold head of Solis Minerva which only the priests were once able to view, modern people are privileged. We met and had our photo with a Roman costumed character and we heard the stories of those who lived and worked here 2,000 years ago. The Audio guide was really good and you need 3 hours to get through this museum, we took so long that we missed out on our glass of Spa water from the fountain. Shattered by this we had to just put up with our visit to the romantic torchlit Roman Baths and avoided the crowds being one of the last to leave. It was bitterly cold outside.
Couldn't believe our luck tonight there 8 tickets left for Handel's Messiah at Bath Abby, we grabbed two. Simply wonderful. It was being recorded as it was a very special occasion to do with the conductor and harpsichordist, Mathew Bale is moving on to greater things. The (Lorien) chamber orchestra were superb and the Abby was perfect, of course.
Sunday and the town was shrouded in mist, the streets were empty and I just loved my walk around. Church bells were ringing and the choirs were singing. Magical once more.
The mist lifted from these ancient buildings about 11 am the sun shone! Bath lit up as did the surrounding country side when we later drove off. The colours are vivid as there is no smog or pollution to distort it, nice.
We have not seen the sun for a couple of weeks and miss it terribly.
The brief facts: Bath is a city (population approx. 100,000) located in the south-west of London and not far from Bristol. The earliest documented inhabitants were the Romans, who indulged themselves in Bath's thermal springs (unique in the UK). The were people here before them who had coins and traded with Europe. Bath's second high-profile era was the eighteenth century, when the town was a hugely popular resort for royalty, aristocracy, gamblers and rakes. In between 'taking the waters' at the Pump Rooms, and attending colourful assemblies, Bath's Georgian tourists indulged in all manner of intrigues, and the kind of superficial lifestyle described by one-time resident Jane Austen. Today it was us, were special too. I like it here just as I liked Cambridge, from our last trip.
Swindon and the Great Western Train Museum, a bit of a disappointment. Really didn't like the idea of having yet another Christmas Market sprinkled around the train displays. Sort of lost something.
Something strange did happen today, the house that I booked our room for tonight was much bigger than what I thought. Stanton House in fact (www.stantonhouse.co.uk) is more than a house, the Manor House is complex of buildings, the grounds and the formal gardens are massive. Some of the stables have been converted to rooms and the grand rooms are still all intact. The most unusual puzzle to this place is that it has a Japanese focus, even down to the employees, the menu and TV channels. Just can't figure out why. What is the attraction and why it is so cheap?
Minus 4C, this morning and a light dusting of snow, fine crystals fell as we packed the car. We spotted the church adjacent to the Manor House, and the retired Church Warden, now 80 showed us around. He mentioned that the Font was very special only one of three in England like it. He had been a choir boy at 8 and worked voluntary for 70 years for this church, a delightful man straight forward and still farming. The church had ancient Yue trees, a secret garden.
Off to Oxford and to visit Inspector Morse and Lewis, at the Randolph.
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