Category Archives: Mid-life travel

October 2, 2013 · 10:12 pm

Where to start in Bath?

23rd June 2013 (take 2)

Think I remember that green one on Jenifer LopezCostume Museum Bath

Well, after finally dumping my gear, and not having ridden the buses nearly enough for one day, I bussed back to town and caught the hop on hop off bus for a loop on the Skyline Tour.

Eventually, I took to the streets and happened to find the Assembly Rooms and Costume Museum just as it started to rain. Having a look through them instead of being in the rain sounded like a good plan. I was surprised that I enjoyed the Costume Museum a much as I did, there’s oodles of fashion history there.

The Assembly Rooms is where some of my chandelier photos were taken and I even roughly sketched a few of the dresses, but didn’t get round to adding colour – maybe one day.

Bath Circus

I’d always wondered what the meaning was of, say, Picadilly Circus – there’s no circus there. There’s a Circus in Bath too and I found out today it comes from the Latin word meaning “circle”, and it’s a round open space at a street junction – quite ordinary really isn’t it? Anyhow, I wandered around the Circus in Bath on my way to find The Royal Crescent!

The Royal Crescent is another gorgeous place I’ve often seen photos of and thought it was very cool but not known where it was. Now I know, and have been inside No 1, The Royal Crescent, Bath – for a price, of course. Although it’s a gorgeous place I don’t think I’d like to live at the Crescent, crowds of people taking photos all the time would put me off. The inside of No. 1 has been restored back to its Georgian past, all the furnishings, paintings, everything is apparently authentic to that era.

Thank goodness for those hop on hop off buses, my poor feet weren’t looking forward to walking all the way back to town to see the Roman Baths. This is one place I’ve been looking forward to visiting, and really, I wasn’t disappointed even though it was hugely crowded – okay, if I could have, I’d have told them all to go home, but …..

Roman Baths, Bath

I was pretty happy with the level of access allowed at the baths actually, I thought it might be more restricted. It just didn’t give me the same sense as some places I’ve been, like Hadrian’s Wall, the Colosseum, or the Acropolis, where I was really in awe and felt totally immersed in the place and time. Even though the Colosseum and the Acropolis were bot full of people, I could still find a quiet spot to just let it all soak in. All the same, I spent a few hours there and thoroughly loved seeing everything, there’s masses to see, and fell victim to the souvenir shop too. I bought post cards to send home and a little bottle of body oil – I figure the body oil is something I can use now so it doesn’t really count!!

Still not finished, and because it was almost next door to the baths, I also visited Bath Abbey. Some days you must be more receptive to places than others, because, for some reason, Bath Abbey grabbed me more than most, even thought most of what I found interesting wasn’t religious. I found those interesting lights with tentacles, floor grates with great (hahahha) patterns, fascinating plaques to read, gorgeous carvings and stunning architecture – so worth a visit.

Books were tempting me in Bath

On the way back to the bus station, a little book shop was calling me in; I so, so, wanted to buy this book, and that book and another book – so many great books and no way to carry them, bugger! Back I toddled to my little room at the uni, no books but a whole lot of memories.

Playing bocce, Bath

Love the shoes! Costume Museum Bath

Quick sketches in the fashion museum

Costume Museum Bath

Royal Crescent, Bath

Roman Baths, Bath

loor decor, Bath Abbey

Plaque, Bath Abbey

Sculpture, Bath Abbey

What a bargain, it’s a shame books are so heavy

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Filed under England, Mid-life travel, Solo female travel, Travel

Tagged as Bath Abbey, Roman Baths, The Royal Crescent

September 30, 2013 · 3:12 am

Did you know Bath has two universities?

23rd June 2013

I thought I was so clever, got off the train in Bath, walked just outside and down a bit and there was a bus heading to the university, just what I wanted as I had booked a room at the uni for my stay here.

Going to the Bath Spa Uni

We headed off and kept going and going and eventually I started to wonder if I had read it wrong and it was going to Bristol university. But no, it didn’t take the Bristol exit from the big roundabout, it took the Bath Spa University exit.

By this time I was really getting as we were miles from anywhere and I was thinking. ‘bloody false advertising’ on the internet, saying it was close to the city.

Then I started asking people which stop I’d have to get off at for the accommodation and just got blank looks. Then one young guy asked me which university I wanted. Oooops, there’s more than one?? Yep, there sure is, and of course, I was NOT at the one I wanted. Ah, it’s a good thing I’d bought a return ticket, so I started my stay in Bath with a scenic tour halfway to Bristol and back again.

Oh well, what’s another English bus driver shaking his head at me; but at least he told me which bus to catch when we got back to the city. But then when I did get to Bath University, I spent 40 minutes wandering around looking for the West Accommodation Office. I’d find a sign pointing one way and I walk and walk then run out of signs and be nowhere. Eventually I found someone who pointed me in the right direction – and guess what, I’d walked past it but the sign on the building was facing the way I was walking so my back had been to it!!! Anyhowwww, I got there in the end.

I really cannot believe how much I saw after that day after the caffuffle of finding my room, I’d put any tour group to shame, I reckon. But…. I’m going to post this little bit because I haven’t posted anything for a while and make you wait with bated breath for the real thing!!!

Old toll house in Bath

Another interesting one in Bath

Interesting house in Bath

From the bottom of a chandelier

Detail of chandelier

Chandelier in Bath

Light fitting in cathederal in Bath

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Filed under England, Mid-life travel, Solo female travel, Travel

Tagged as Bath, England; Bath University;

September 25, 2013 · 4:56 am

Visiting someone I know, woot woot!

20th – 22nd June 2013

I stayed the night in Birmingham because it was a bit far to go from Scarborough to my next destination, near Northampton, in one day. I’ve found that here in England, it’s not the kilometres you have to measure by, but the time it takes to do them, it generally takes so much longer than at home. Anyhow, I was heading south to visit with the lovely Elaine, Graham, their two gorgeous boys and assorted animals.

Stowe Wood, Northamptonshire

Elaine is a distant cousin by marriage, and I just couldn’t visit England and not try to see her. We’d met aeons ago when she & Graham were in Australia, and seeing them again was like catching up with long lost friends, it just felt so comfortable. She kept me busy for the next couple of days. We drove all over the countryside, walked through Stowe Wood, had lunch at the Old Dairy in Upper Stowe, visited a beautiful church and graveyard, (that I can’t remember the name of), did the running around after boys with school and cricket and met her brother and some of her friends – just for starters!

The ‘footpath’ between Church Stowe and Upper Stowe

While I was there I had the unique experience of walking from one village to another through paddocks – something you wouldn’t do in Australia, that’s for sure. I honestly thought Graham was pulling my leg when he was giving me the directions. But I found the ‘footpath’ that took me up hill and down dale (honestly) and came out right where he said I would, without being chased by any animals too, which I thought was a bonus.

Measuring the intended cricket pitch

And of course life with the boys is never dull, the day I left, Graham had them out helping him put posts into position for their cricket pitch. Let’s just say, things weren’t going completely smoothly! But it was cheap entertainment for me – and there wasn’t nearly as much friction as I’ve seen with my boys and their father trying to do similar things.

There’s some people who are just born nurturers. and Elaine is one of them, she welcomed and enfolded me in her warmth and I missed her hugely when I left. Sadly, my little visit only lasted a few days before I was on the road again, this time off to Bath.

PS: Bet you’ll like this lot of pics C!

Stowe Wood, Northamptonshire

Church near Stowe

Church cemetery

Tiny, tiny doorway

That’s where I’m going – I think.The ‘footpath’ between Church Stowe and Upper Stowe

The ‘footpath’ between Church Stowe and Upper Stowe

Across the paddocks between villages

Bookstore at the Old Dairy, Upper Stowe

Boys live here

Elaine’s girls!

More of Elaine’s girls!

Back to the big cities

17th, 18th, 19th June 2013

Another day just enjoying Scarborough, a day getting to Birmingham and one spent seeing just a tiny bit of that very cosmopolitan city!

Upscale beach huts at Scarborough, England

Everywhere I went back to in Scarborough I found more interesting things to look at and take photos of, it really is a wonderful place and I just love the area around the Spa Complex, wish I could have seen it in it’s heyday.

Had to backtrack to York to get to Birmingham but it wasn’t a very long wait there and I met a girl and her Dad, who was from Australia. Strange to meet someone who emigrated to England from Australia, usually it’s the other way round. She was telling me her parents help out heaps with babysitting her little one, seems much more common over here than at home, but maybe it’s just that I don’t see how often it happens at home. It’s one of the sights that’s really made an impression, the oldies, men and women, out walking the grandchildren during the day.

Birmingham was a bit of a shock – obviously, I’ve been in the really English England for a while. It’s really the first place since London that I’ve felt in the minority, fair skin, hair and eyes, not that it worries me but you do tend to notice when you’re the odd one out. I didn’t realise it at first, but I was only a couple of minutes walk from the Bullring, which I think might be Birmingham’s major shopping centre, so went for a walk after checking in to apartment. I don’t know, but I think Australia has it all over England and Europe when it comes to shopping centres – ours seem huge compared to any I’ve seen here.

Birmingham’s very own little version of the bridge of sighs

Next morning I had a nice wander to the city, must have been reasonably early, not many people around and had to wait for the museum to open – wonder or wonders. I spent a couple of happy hours here ogling more fine works of art and trying to get some of the information to stay in my brain. But, guess what, one of the best parts was morning tea in the gorgeous café. I honestly think I could do an exhibition showcasing just the cafes attached to museums and art galleries in England – and be on a winner, because they are superb.

Wrought iron pieces in Birmingham museum

But, I have to say, I’ve gotten a few favourite artists since I started this trip. Birmingham has quite a few pieces of one of my favourites, Edgar Degas, he just gets ballerina’s doesn’t he? They also have a unique collection of wrought iron pieces, who’d have thought they’d be museum worthy one day? But they definitely are, and they’re works of art too.

Updated ‘back to back’ in Birmingham

Serendipity’s a funny thing isn’t it? I’d read about the ‘back to back’s’ of Birmingham, and thought I’d love to find them – well I walked past them near where I’m staying. They were a bit like Scotland’s tenements but built around a common courtyard. I thought this would make them better than the tenements but apparently the courtyards did nothing to help at all, just added to the dirt and filth because they were mostly mud.

The man doing the guided tour was lovely, and as they mostly are, full of little bits of personal insights. It’s really not that long ago, during the 60’s, that people were still living in the back to backs, before the council started knocking them down.

There were a couple of women from just outside Birmingham on the tour who could both remember visiting their grandparents living in back to backs too. They were a funny pair, reminiscing about bits they remembered and cracking themselves up laughing the whole time. It added to the tour for me because it was like having 3 tour guides instead of just one – perfect.

Must have been having a lazy day, because that was the sum total of my Birmingham sightseeing!