Category Archives: Solo female travel

October 9, 2013 · 5:09 am

Cruising down the Avon

25th June 2013

I just keep ending up back here!!

Last full day in Bath today and I keep finding new places to see and things to do. I feel a bit like a stalker sometimes, I seem to end up in the same places about four times every day. I’m pretty sure I don’t really go in circles because I keep seeing new things but I must just go back to where I started or something!! Maybe I’ve just got a goldfish 3 second memory – oh, look there’s something new, and again, and again – nah, just joking.

Guildhall Markets, Bath

Had a look through the Guildhall Markets, there’s a book stall in there that would make a library proud, except you could make a complete mess just by taking one book from the bottom of a couple of stacks. They have books stacked about 6′ high! There’s also a ribbon and button stall with more buttons than you can poke a stick at – thousands, I say, thousands!

The Victoria Art Gallery was a bit different, it had lovely big couches in the middle of some of the rooms. The contents were pretty good too – it wasn’t just all about sitting around doing nothing. The glass collection was fantastic, I’m always a fan of coloured glass or all sorts, some of the bottles were just gorgeous.

Cruising along the Avon from Bath

A cruise down the River Avon was a lovely little break away from museums and art galleries. There’s not really that much to see but it was nice just cruising along peeking in people’s back yards. There’s another weir at Bathampton where the boat turns around to go back to Bath.

The captain told the same story about why there are so many ‘River Avon’s’ in England as the guy from my Hadrian’s Wall tour. The Romans kept asking what the rivers were called and the Celts kept telling them ‘Avon’ meaning river. The Romans thought they meant that was the name of the river – so they called them ‘River Avon’. So really they were calling them River River, heeheehee. Doesn’t take much to amuse me at times does it?

I haven’t been very adventurous with dinners in Bath, I found a great place at the uni to eat; so back there again tonight, to sample something different off their menu, before tackling more navigational challenges tomorrow.Stalk

Ribbons by the mile

Chains and necklaces too

Glass bottles, Victoria Art Gallery, Bath

Pultney Bridge, Bath

Parade Gardens, Bath

Pultney Bridge, Bath

How cool are the reflections

There’s a crown on top of the Victoria Art Gallery building!

Love the shape of the weir

What’s at the bottom of the garden

Cruising along the Avon from Bath

The weir at Bathampton

Bathampton weir

They’ve covered in a teeny tiny tinny!!

Pultney Bridge from the not-so-flash side

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

Tagged as Avon River cruise, Guildhall Market, Victoria Art Gallery

October 5, 2013 · 1:20 am

Not another museum!!

24th June 2013

Holbourne Museum, cafe and garden

I decided to walk to the Holburne Museum today, just down the hill, yeah right, it seems much closer in a bus than it actually was! The long walk was a good excuse for an early morning tea at their gorgeous café before starting to look around.

I wonder, if in another hundred years time, museums will be displaying collections donated by people who are alive now? The bulk of the museums items, 4,000 of them, were collected by Sir William Holburne and bequeathed to the people of Bath back in 1882. It amazes me how many of these collections must be around, I’ve seen probably at least 6 examples already where private collections have been the foundation for a city’s museum.

Miniature carving, Holburne Museum

I thoroughly enjoyed this one, there weren’t many people around, I could stand and just look for as long as I liked, without feeling as if I was in the way; and it’s a very diverse collection too. That helps for those like me who get over looking at the same type of thing after a little while! The views from the front windows looking down Great Pulteney Street were some of the best around too, what an address to have had, back in the day.

Pulteney Bridge, Bath

I walked into town along Great Pulteney Street and across the Pulteney Bridge, a little like Florence’s Ponte Vecchio, with shops built on the edges. Everywhere you turn over here there’s some great building or stonework or statues to catch your eye. I’m in awe at the level of workmanship and patience these people must have had.

Short day today, all tuckered out after my over zealous walk this morning. Hope you enjoy the photos.

What a beautiful flower

Cast bronze from Italy, can you believe it, mid 1570’s

Frame detailing

Beautiful dinnerware

Tiny Wedgewood plaquettes

Carving from mid 16th century, less than 4cm high

Awesome lace detail on Thomas Landsborough painting

View from Holburne Museum down Great Pulteney St

Holburne Museum, Bath

Stunning street planning

Victoria Art Gallery building, Bath

Detailing on a building in Bath

Roman Baths exterior

Near the Roman Baths

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Tagged as Great Pultney Street, Holbourne Museum, Pultney Bridge

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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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!!!