Bath!

Soph and Rich also suggested that I could visit Bath since it's only 20km or a 15 minute train ride from Bristol. In Australian distances...that's closer than Melbs home to Melbs city centre! I put it on the liste because I haven't been to Bath despite my regular UK sojourns and familiarity with both 19th century English literature and 20th century Georgian and Regency romance novels. 

On the topic of romance novels - The Pump Room!

The western facade of Bath Abbey - angels climbing ladders to heaven!

Unfortunately, we weren't allowed into the Abbey due to a private event taking place oooh!

So we went to the biggest tourist attracting in Bath - the Roman baths.

The Great Bath. Mmmm, picturesque (although the upper balcony was a 19th century addition).

But I'm not complaining because it gives a lovely view of the Abbey!

In the Museum were models of how the building is believed to have looked at various points in time, such as the original structure (above) and the complex at it's greatest extent (below). 

Some of the archaeological ruins in the museum.

The Sacred Spring. You can see the bubbles of the spring in the water!

The water overflow

Water flowing into the Great Bath! 

I don't know why, but I was really surprised at how warm the water was!

You're not supposed to touch the water and bathing is no longer allowed because the water flows through original lead pipes and microfauna in the water. 

Despite that, there was a tap where you're allowed to taste the water. It was very mineral-y. Not tasty at all.

 Having spent longer than expected in the Baths, we decided there wasn't enough time to go to the Jane Austen Museum and we decided instead to walk around and grab lunch before I had to catch the bus back to London. 

The Circus. Very nice. 

My lamb meatballs and coucous from The Circus Cafe and Restaurant. Very tasty. But service is quite slow here so we weren't able to get to The Royal Crescent :(

I would highly recommend taking the bus to Bath over the train with one caveat. My one-way ride cost only £8 or so and was supposed to take 2.5 hours. It ended up taking 4.5 hours (I left Bath around 3:20 and ended up in London around 8pm). We were making good time - I remember realising that we were close to Heathrow and that we'd be home soon - but there was a MASSIVE traffic jam from Hounslow to Hammersmith. It could have been worse though. At least I was only supposed to take the Tube home once I got to Victoria Coach Station; a girl on my bus was supposed to catch another bus to Norwich which she naturally missed. 

But all was made well by the Hotpot dinner Smee and Pooey provided for my return!