Rick Steves' Best of England 2016
...accompanied by "The Bard "
Bath
Making the decision to spend our pre-tour night in London was a wise one. By the time our plane landed at Heathrow Airport we had been without sleep for twenty-four hours. It took us another two hours to get through the Customs/Immigration line and we knew at that point that another ninety-minute ride to Bath would be out of the question.
Prior to our tour, we reserved a room at Rick Steves' recommended Tudor Court Hotel. Upon request,
the hotel desk clerk gave us walking directions to an "authentic" pub for dinner. Rather thought provoking that an eating establishment would be named after the discoverer of penicillin, Sir Alexander Fleming...
Day 1
After a restful sleep, it was a quick 10-minute walk to Paddington Station . Normally two trains per hour run daily from London to Bath so our wait time was minimal.
Tudor Court Hotel
Hmmm....so many choices
Central London railway terminus Paddington Station
Arriving in Bath around noon, the twenty-minute walk from the train station to our hotel was delayed due to discrepancies between our map and the street signs we observed. Noticing our confusion, a kind local provided directions after telling us "That's just England..."
The Brooks Guesthouse
Aah-h-h
One advantage of a Rick Steves tour is that travelers spend at least two nights in each location...sometimes three! With a well-stocked honor bar and FABULOUS buffet breakfast to look forward to, we quickly made ourselves at home at the conveniently located Brooks Guesthouse awaiting our first group meeting.
At our five o'clock meet-and-greet, we are introduced to our wonderful guide, Robert Halkett, and
fellow travelers. The buddy system Rick Steves uses to facilitate keeping track of group members also ensures we pair up with someone we don't already know. Traveling to an unfamiliar place with a group of strangers can be daunting, but the buddy system helps initiate conversation leading to new friendships over the tour's duration. By the end of the tour you feel as if you've known these people for years...we still correspond with several buddies we met on previous Rick Steves tours.
Introductions made and buddies selected, we cap the evening with a Robert-led walk to a nearby pub, the Hop Pole, for our first group dinner. Authentic pub food, a private room to enjoy it in....and a little ale/wine really facilitate our getting to know one another!
Day 2
What had been beautiful weather changed overnight to a cool drizzle. Armed with umbrellas, we follow Robert through beautiful Royal Victoria Park enroute to The Royal Crescent, a half-moon shaped grouping of thirty mid-eighteenth century town homes. Architect John Wood designed the front facade of each identical unit and each wealthy homeowner then hired his own architect to design and build a home to the owner's specifications at the rear of the facade.
With the rain putting a damper on lingering at The Royal Crescent, we move on to our next stop, the 2,000 year old Roman Baths for which the town is named. The area around Bath was first settled by pagans. When the Romans claimed the locale, they renamed it Aquae Sulis, after a local Celtic goddess. A large monastery was built in the 7th. century and Bath gained the reputation of being the religious capital of Britain. Over the centuries new settlers built their businesses and dwellings on top of existing ones and some of the original Roman sites were hidden 18 feet below ground. Restorative efforts took a turn in the 17th. century when Queen Mary claimed Bath's healing waters cured her infertility. In the 18th. century it became known as a spa town and a flurry of building took place with most structures still standing today.
TRAVEL TIP
ALWAYS
bring rain gear
Following the tour and sampling of the mineral spring water at the bath's Pump Room (an acquired taste), Robert oriented us to the city. Restaurant recommendations were given and the rest of day was ours! As we set out to find our lunch spot, we walked around the exterior of magnificent Bath Abbey which is adjacent to the baths.
Although several churches have been built on this site since 757 AD, the magnificent Bath Abbey has been here the last 500 years.
Eye-catching advertising in abbey courtyard for a Bath walking tour company.
The 1861 Rebecca Fountain was erected to promote the drinking of water rather than alcohol.
In addition to absorbing the history and culture of England, William (Bill) has a two-fold personal goal for this tour. The first is to conduct a taste comparison between the various fish and chip meals he consumes throughout our journey. The second, and by far the more important, is to sample (and make notations on) English beer he has the good fortune to encounter. He jotted down his first notes at lunch....
Delicious food and atmosphere, but the "beer
connoisseur" rated the HSB Premium Bitter Ale
and Fuller's Red Fox Red Ale a little weak...
We spend the remainder of the afternoon exploring Bath. Crossing Pulteney Bridge gave us a great view of the weir, a horseshoe shaped, staircase dam constructed to slow the flow of the River Avon to prevent flooding. The city has its share of unique shops and art galleries, but we are quite intrigued by a locally owned book store, Topping and Company Booksellers, whose employees serve customers cups of tea while they browse through books.
View of Bath from the Parade Gardens.
1774 Pulteney Bridge on the River Avon.
View of the River Avon weir from Pulteney Bridge.
Buy your British souvenirs here...
Two cleaned limestone buildings stand in contrast to one contaminated by coal smoke pollutants.
The Bath Abbey at night.
We end the evening with dinner at another Robert-recommended restaurant, the Crystal Palace. Excellent dinner of fish and chips and meat pie in a quiet, candlelit room.
A thumbs up on the Fuller's ESB!
Day 3
After a bountiful breakfast and buddy check, we leave the hotel at 8:45 to explore legendary Glastonbury Abbey. This is our first venture on the tour bus and experienced driver Louise is at the helm to insure we arrive at our destination. We feel "bus" may be the incorrect term to describe our means of transportation. With enough room for each tour member to have two seats to stretch out in, if desired, and wifi available, "coach" is more accurate.
Arriving at the abbey, Robert explains that it is a shell of its former 7th-century self. After King Henry VIII dissolved it and other abbeys in 1536, deterioration followed. However, what remains is impressive. The 12th-century Lady Chapel and 14th-century medieval Abbot's Kitchen retain many of their original features. As we walk the grounds it isn't difficult to imagine the grandeur that once stood here.
We are told that several legends/mysteries are part of the abbey's history. Joseph of Arimathea is said to have collected some of Jesus' blood in a cup, the Holy Grail, and brought it with him to Glastonbury. Upon arrival he thrust his thorn staff into the ground and it blossomed. A cutting from that tree was planted on the abbey grounds - the Holy Thorn Tree that stands today is not the original. Another legend surrounds King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. In 1191, following a fire, abbey monks declared they had discovered the royal pair's remains in the abbey garden and reburied them. Although the claim was later disproven, the original marked gravesite is a top attraction.
Glastonbury Abbey
While we await the picnic lunch Robert and coach driver Louise
are preparing for us on the abbey grounds, we wander through the little town of Glastonbury.
It's market day and locals, as well as those from outlying areas, are in town to sell their handmade clothing, crafts, jams and jellies.
It appears, at first glance, that this little town is frozen in time.........looking about, we swear we're back in the '60s!
BUT WAIT...
Turning the corner, we're in front of the
15th-century George Hotel and Pilgrim's Inn
built to house visitors to the abbey.
With all this "century hopping", we think we should just sit and rest for awhile with Bill's buddy Barry...
Back at the abbey Wildlife Hut
a feast awaits us!
It's a quick six or so miles to our next stop, Wells......the smallest cathedral city in England. The 1200 A.D. Gothic cathedral has an almost surreal presence standing bold behind a vast green. Walking along Cathedral Green, we take note of the 14th-century Vicar's Close, the oldest continuously occupied complete street in Europe.
Wells Cathedral
Our charismatic local Wells Cathedral guide, Christopher, takes us on an informative tour of the magnificent cathedral. To demonstrate the wonderful
acoustics in the cathedral's chapter house, tour member Deborah Holbrook leads us in an impromptu singing of "Amazing Grace"...an unforgettable moment.
England's first completely Gothic cathedral, the 1200 A.D. structure is also unique for its St. Andrew's Cross Arches (scissor arches). The 14th-century arches were installed to support a failing tower structure. The cathedral also contains an original 1390 clock, the Wells Clock, whose face is the oldest of its kind anywhere. A 1460 A.D. exterior addition to the clock shares the same mechanism.
Leaving the cathedral, we follow Robert to the Bishop's Palace, home and office of the Bishops of Bath and Wells. The city is named
after three wells or springs. One is located in the market square (left photo) and the other two are on the grounds of the palace (right photo).
It's time to return to the coach and begin the 45-minute ride back to our comfortable Bath accommodations. We spend our last evening enjoying dinner at The Garrick's Head. According to Rick Steves, the word on the street says this gastropub has the best fish and
chips in town......we'll let "Bill the Critic" weigh in.
Results: Food EXCELLENT!
Broad Gauge ESB: S-m-o-o-th
