Get Familiar with Bath, England

If you ever decide to take a trip to London, make sure you take a side trip, or consider spending a night or two, in Bath.

Bath is about 60 miles or so west of London and is considered a World Heritage City with a population of about 85,000. It is best known for the hot springs that are credited with ended infertility for Queen Mary, who became pregnant after bathing in the mineral waters of the spa. Supposedly, the Romans traveled there extensively also to use the springs, so much so that the town was called "Aquae Sulis" which later was shortened to "Bath". The town is also known for the 5 years that Jane Austen lived there (circa 1800) and how Bath influenced her writing, but we'll talk more about that later. The city of Bath logs about 2 million visitors a year!

There seems to be quite a bit to do in Bath and the surrounding countryside. I chose to go to Bath upon my arrival in England because it sounded like just the right place to be to recuperate from my jet lag plus I wanted to start my trip with a chance to relax a bit and not feel so hurried to see and go and do. Bath sounded like just the right spot to breathe and clear my mind.

I stayed at the Elgin Villa-Bed & Breakfast. It was lovely and the proprietor, Anna Rutherford, was a well-informed and helpful hostess. In the area of Bath where my B&B was located, I walked by several homes that also served as B&B's. The location was not what I would call central but it was in easy walking distance to the city center and about a block in front of the Royal Victoria Park. A large grocery store was also within walking distance from my B&B.

There are plenty of attractions to keep you busy in the city of Bath. I highly recommend the free walking tours offered by the city. They last about 2 hours and are led by volunteers who are well versed in the history of the area and are wonderful!

In addition to the free tour, there are a few more "don't miss" things you've got to do while you're there.

1. The Thermae Bath Spa is Bath's original and only natural thermal spa. Buy the 4 hour spa session. I will write a more detailed entry about my visit to the spa but suffice to say, it's a real "must do" for your visit.

2. Visit the Roman Baths. There is a great deal of history in the water and there are some archival films and photos available for viewing on the Bath website. I have read that the water that is generated in these spas is anywhere from 6,000 to 10,000 years old! Can you wrap your brain around that??? I've seen it and am still having a hard time doing that myself!

3. The Bizarre Bath Walking Tour. This was probably one of the most enjoyable (although cold) two hours I spend walking around in Bath. Think of it as "walking" improvisational comedy as opposed to "stand-up" and you'll begin to understand what I'm talking about. It was laugh out loud funny and despite the extremely cold night I took the tour, it was worth every pound I paid for it.

4. If you're a Jane Austen fan, then you must visit the Jane Austen Centre. It's virtually overflowing with so much Jane Austen information, you'll probably enjoy it even if you aren't into Jane Austen. There's even a small gift shop and cafe on-site.

5. While you're in the general area of Bath, you happen to be very near the Cotswalds and the Cotswalds are very close to Stonehenge. Could anyone travel to this area of the world and not want to visit Stonehenge?

It is estimated that Stonehenge was built in 3100 B.C. and nobody really knows what it was built for but the most common guesses are human sacrifice, astronomy, and solar/lunar worship. You have to pay to get in and except for special occasions, you're not allowed to walk amongst the stones. While I was there, there was some sort of "dig" or study going on and recently there has been more interest in Stonehenge via a show that aired on the National Geographic channel regarding the mystery of Stonehenge "solved". I think when you get there and see the henge close up, you really won't care what it was for, only that it's there and it's beautiful and triumphant in stature. I would have loved to have gotten closer but that was completely out of the question. What's a curious sight-seer to do???

Visit Avebury! It's bigger than Stonehenge! It's older than Stonehenge! It's free! Seriously though, this henge is about 25 miles north of Stonehenge and apparently carries a different theme than Stonehenge. If you'd like to read more about Stonehenge and Avebury, there are plenty of websites with more detailed information than what I'm offering here.

If you read my submission referencing transportation in Europe, you'll know I don't favor driving for a single person. So in order to get around the English Countryside without driving my own vehicle, I did some research and found Mad Max Tours. They offer several different half and whole day tours of Stonehenge and the Cotswalds. I chose to do a full day tour to Stonehenge, Avebury, Lacock, and Castle Combe. Lacock is a village that was filmed during some of the Harry Potter movies and in the BBC production of Pride and Prejudice. It was about an 8 hour day but I got to get to see some of the most beautiful English Countryside without having to get behind the wheel of a car. I give the Mad Max company a big thumbs-up. The tour was personal and very informational. The tour guides are all locals who are very familiar with the area and they use 16 seat mini-coaches that can weave through the country roads with no problems. In addition to having great guides, there is narrated information and written information about Stonehenge and Avebury you can listen to and/or read about before arriving at either location. This was a great way to keep my traveling somewhat independent and still get a chance to meet some people that have very similar interests.

There are several groups that offer tours of this type from Bath, as well as London, so do your research. Read testimonials and find out if they are mentioned in any guide or travel books. Talk to the people at your hotel (fellow travelers, not concierge's who may be getting a kickback for referrals) or join groups like TravelZine so fellow traveler's can give you referrals. Do your homework (or hire a travel planner to do it for you) and enjoy the sights!

There are probably many more reasons than the ones I've talked about above to visit Bath but don't take my word for it, visit and find out for yourself!