The first of my travels...

I really wanted to go somewhere this weekend even if it was some place small. I looked through my travel book at what was surrounding London, and what I could cover in a day. I decided to spend the day in Bath. I asked a few people if they would be interested in going for a day, but they were all pretty set on staying in Kensington. I didn't want to waste a weekend just staying in one place, and bought a round-trip ticket to Bath.

I was a little nervous about getting to Earl's Court where the bus was leaving from, find the stop, and a number of other things. I decided to leave a little early making sure to give myself plenty of time to get there. So when everyone else was still fast asleep, I woke up at 6:30 and headed out. I took the tube to Earl's Court, and went to confirm the location of the stop with one of the attendings.

I started making my way to "Stop D", the ticket listed two stops in earls court, and as I was walking a passed "Stop C" and then "Stop E." I'm not going to lie I panicked a little, there were no other stops along the road, so I made my way back to the tube station to double check, but no one had a clue! Finally one of the attendings said that the bus makes stops just up the road, which happened to be the other stop listed on the ticket. But of course I needed to double check again that I was at the right place. I called the number on the ticket to confirm the location of the pick up again, and he suggested I go to "Stop B."

As I waited I began to see buses turn the corner and I anxiously waited for the 403 to Bath. The drive took about three hours and made stops along the way. It was the final stop; I finally made it to Bath!

YOUR HISTORY LESSON OF THE DAY:

I made my way to the Roman Baths, a place with a significant amount of history. It was constructed in 74 A.D. and was only uncovered almost 300 years ago! When the Romans came to what is now known as England they wanted to bring with them traditions and practices from home. They built what many know as "The Great Bath." There is a balcony just above the Great Bath. If you look up you will see ten statues surrounding the entire bath. Each of these is a person of great importance including Julius Caesar, a number of emperor's and governors, as well as the "Head of Roma" which symbolizes the spirit of Rome.

As you tour the Roman Baths you will walk through what has been excavated thus far. This includes the East and West Baths, the Sacred Spring, the Temple, and Temple courtyard. Almost three-quarters of the courtyard have yet to be excavated. Along the way I learned quite a bit about Roman architecture and that there was a reason for the way everything was placed. For example, at opposite ends of the Temple courtyard was the moon and sun, representing opposites and complementary forces in nature i.e. man and woman, light and dark, and hot and cold.

After visiting the Roman Baths, I did what most do before they leave, I sampled the water. To tell you the truth it's just what I expected, it was warm and tasted a little funny, but it was all a part of visting this very historic place.

I then made my way to the Fashion Museum, which was pretty interesting. it showed the evolution of fashion in the UK, and how so much of what was worn back then was inspired by music and the arts, much like it is today. It went through some of the style icons such as Audrey Hepburn and Twiggy. I have to say, I feel a bit more aware about fashion! One of the things mentioned was how some people are just about to put garments together, and are able to make it work. (I think I know someone like that, Mama!)

The rest of the day I walked around and explored Bath. It is such an incredible place to visit. The view, the people, the architecture, it was all beautiful! There were so many older buildings, and you could see a style that was inspired by the Romans in a variety of different ways. And as the day went on, I noticed that the crowds of people walking around and going shopping started to get smaller, and it was only 4:30. I finished making my rounds, and tried to capture last minute pictures of Bath.

I headed back to catch my bus back to school. When I got on I sat down in my seat, and pulled out my copy of Twelfth Night to help pass the time on my journey. I couldn't believe what a great day I had. I may have made this trip on my own, but it was one that I needed to make. Minus the minor panic attacks of finding my bus and making sure I had everything, I feel a lot more confident about facing my future travels. Traveling on your own is always hard, but you'll never know you can do it unless you try.


Pictures: A Day in Bath