Bath

Dear Grace,

The second half of our day trip took us to Bath. Daddy and I decided to stay the night since it was our anniversary. We love you, Grace, but we love each other just as much. And even though we enjoyed our time with you in Bath, we're hoping to spend the rest of our anniversaries alone. No offense. Highlights from our visit were the Roman Baths, dinner at Jamie Oliver's Italian restaurant, and a morning at the Therma Spa while you hung out at the hotel with a babysitter. When we came back you were literally sitting on her lap, laughing and playing together. She had just finished feeding you your morning oatmeal and fruit. Boy-- do we need to start having you spend quality socializing time with a sitter on a regular basis.  It was pretty neat watching your little amazed face looking around at the Roman Baths and as we walked around the town. Enjoy!

Love, Mummy

Bath Abbey Cathedral

The Roman Baths at Bath is the best-preserved ancient baths and temple complex in northern Europe. It is here, at the heart of the World Heritage Site of Bath, that the only thermal springs in the UK emerge from deep underground, bringing health and vitality to this beautiful city. In the first century AD, the Romans chose this site to build the most dramatic suite of public building of Roman Britain. 

This impressive arched overflow was part of the Roman engineering arrangements which still keep the hot water flowing through the complex today. By the look on your face, I'm not sure if you were impressed or frightened.

The water is colorless but gets its distinct green hue from algae growth caused by its heat and by daylight. 

The Circular Bath, where bathers completed their visits to the steam rooms with a cold plunge to rinse off, freshen up and close the pores of their skin. Now it's used as a LARGE wishing well. Don't worry...we participated. :)

Before leaving the Roman Baths, Daddy and I tried a glass of the Spa water in the Pump Room. It is drawn up through a borehole sunk below the King's Bath. In the late 17th century, doctors were recommending drinking the water as a remedy for internal conditions. Although bathing in the King's Bath is no longer possible, the spa water fountain remains a central feature of life in the Pump Room, where a taste of the water that led to the foundation nearly 2,000 years ago is a must. 

Hidden behind the trees, was a complete orchestra including a conductor dressed in a proper tuxedo. You may be wondering what song we were enjoying from this beautiful view? If Lady Gaga Bad Romance popped in your head...you guessed correctly. It was interesting hearing people with different accents walking by singing, "Ra, ra, oh, la, la..." Everybody knows Lady Gaga. 

Plant a Tree for the Future

This bridge, which has shops, restaurants and pubs inside, is modeled from the Ponte Vecchio in Florence. 

Out of all the above mentioned places, where do you think we stopped? You guessed it. A pub for a proper Guinness, complete with a shamrock on top of the foam. 

You were being so snuggly and adorable with Daddy. I just had to take a picture.

Our hotel- the Queensberry

They had a pack-n-play all set up for you and everything. When Daddy made the reservation they kept calling it a cot and I was worried you were literally going to get a cot that big kids sleep on in hotels back home in the states. Silly Mommy. 

This part of town is called the Circus. 

The Royal Crescent- a cool looking hotel with an even cooler view.

Sally Lunn's restaurant was the first building in Bath. You can even go downstairs to the basement and see the original kitchen where their famous Sally Lunn's buns were made. Of course I had to stop to buy a bun for take away and check out the kitchen museum. Pretty anticlimactic. It was a BIG fluffy hamburger bun that wasn't warm and didn't have a special/unique flavor. The jam I bought to eat with it wasn't too good either. You win some and lose some. 

Take away = British way of saying carry out. 

For our anniversary, we treated ourselves to a massage and a relaxing morning at the Therma Spa. We spent quality time together on the warm roof top pool overlooking the city of Bath as well as the scented steam rooms. Our favorite scent was the eucalyptus steam room, which cleared up our congestion.  

We hopped on the train to head home and get ready for Grandma Patti and Papa Lon to visit the following day. They were conveniently vacationing in Sweden with your Great Aunt Jeryl, Great Uncle Lars, your 2nd cousin, Erik, Great Papa Jerry and your second cousin, Will.