I can't believe how fast the time flies when you are in England. I know that isn't the most original thought in the world, but it seemed when we planned 21 days and just to visit Bath and our favorite city, London that we would be able to do and see everything this trip. This was trip number 13 for me to the UK and number 7 or 8 for my travel friend. We wanted to just center in two of our favorite spots and had picked Bath over York since we spent two weeks in York six years ago. Bath was wonderful. We were there for 8 nights. The apartment, well, ok. I will really try and do a review this time. Just that the advert had said some stairs and I think 69 steep and twisting stairs rate more than “some stairs”. Bath has so much to offer. I was recovering from a illness so wasn’t’ up to top form. So once I got up those stairs again in the afternoon or evening, that was it. But the city is so great for wandering and so much to see and do. Judy says it is enough for her but I still feel I could go back again.
I won’t go into everything we did here, but for anyone going to Bath, the Mad Max tour company was great for our outing to Stonehenge, Avebury, Lacock and Castle Combe. It was great to leave the driving to someone else.
Our Brit Rail passes were a bit of a waste. I felt lousy some days and was unable to do my genealogy search in Somerset but they are so easy to use that if I do ever return, I will probably go this way again.
London. Wonderful as ever. We had rented a house thru London Connection and again it had more stairs than expected but was overall a good choice. It was a couple blocks from Sloan Square and at the end of our street, each Saturday was a small organic market that had wonderful veggies, cheeses, breads, savory tarts, sweets tarts, and all kinds of meats and the best tomatoes I have ever tasted.
We saw Jersey Boys, great show, did numerous art museums and galleries, returned to Brown’s Hotel for a lovely tea, enjoyed a splendid splurge lunch at the Tate ( the old one), did the Eye once again, and enjoyed a new to us museum, the Geffrye, which is well worth the time and effort it took to find it. I had a day at Kew for the National Archives to do ancestor search and one day at the Society of Genealogists where I found two books on a cousin’s line, and in a of the moment move, got on the train to Canterbury and was able to use the archives there to look at records for yet another ancestor. It was a experience. The room is much like it must have been when it was monks sitting at the long tables doing their daily work. Now it is researchers hunched over microfilm machines looking at what those monks wrote so many hundreds of years ago.
We stayed our last night at the Hilton at Gatwick so in the a.m. just walked thru the “tunnel” to get our Virgin Atlantic flight back to Vegas. This was another splurge but to me well worth it. This is the only time in 30 years of travel where I almost slept the night before we took off.
So we are back and unlike other years I am not starting to plan another trip at once. The prices were, well, horrible. I am afraid the first stairs may have done in my right knee. I was limping worse than Tiger Wood by the end of our stay and still have pain. So I might have to stay and visit the US and Canada for the next few years, not a bad idea as there are beautiful spots in both countries. But England still calls. Maybe I will just look at a couple counties we haven’t been to and start thinking, just in case I win a lottery or something like that.

Welcome back Beth! I am happy to hear that you loved Bath - I love it too!

We have been there a few times, staying just a few nights in a hotel, but the one time we spent a week there in an apartment (St. Margarets from Rural Retreats) it too had a lot of steps. At least they were wide and easy - we were on the US 3rd floor.

How was the weather during your time in England?

Did you see any of those decorated pigs in Bath? I would like to see the Kaffe Fassett one.

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The prices were, well, horrible.

We went to Harrods yesterday and had a cup of hot chocolate each and shared a plate of two scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam at the Espresso Cafe.

We paid 15 pounds, that's $30, yikes!! The hot chocolate was not as good as I remembered it from 2005 but the scones were as remembered.

We did see several of the painted pigs and I wasn't sure what they were for. The library in Bath had one and one of the tourist pick up points had another. I recall several years ago, that Albuquerque had painted cows that you could buy and the money would go to a charity.
Stairs: Once my knee began to hurt, I began to notice all the stairs in England and how they are everywhere. Most tube stops in London have a great number of stairs and no way for people with problems to get up or down. There are very few stops where you can find a lift. I guess people with walking disabilities just have to take a taxi.

Beth, Welcome back and happy to hear about your travels. I remember last October you were excited about planning your trip when we met at Palma's. I'm so happy you were able to see and do as much as you did. Sorry to hear about your knee but the trip sounded great all the same.
Take care and hope to see photos some day. Barb Cabot

Welcome back, Beth. I fell in love with London as well and I can't wait to return, too. Although, I don't know if I can compete with your record!

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Originally posted by Pauline:

Did you see any of those decorated pigs in Bath?

I seen several while I was there two weeks ago, and their display of bright colors were quite a contrast against the historical background of Bath. Especially, the Victoria's Secret one that I snapped a photo of on the way out of town. It made the other ones seem boring.

You probably seen this one Beth, but here's another pig from the inside the Roman Baths.

Thanks for posting the pig shots - wonderful!! This is the website about the pigs: King Bladud’s Pigs in Bath

I have a photo (not mine) of the Kaffe Fasset pig HERE.