"I live not in dreams, but in contemplation of a reality that is perhaps the future."
~Rainer Maria Rilke

I know what I see- There is grace at work, here.


Saturday, December 11, 2010

A Day in Bath… <3

I can finally declare, as so many of my favorite characters have done in Jane Austen’s novels, that I have officially spent a wonderful “day in Bath.” To say that I was thrilled to finally walk the streets I’d read about in Persuasion and Northanger Abbey for so many years, would be a complete understatement. As soon as Michaelmas Term let out here at Oxford, another gal in my programme, Valerie, and I began plotting a trip to Bath in southwestern England… We took the train over from Oxford bright and early, and stayed the entire day touring and wandering the picturesque streets… For any who aren’t familiar with Bath thanks to Jane Austen, the city is best known for the “Roman Baths” that actually originated centuries before Georgian Englishmen and women (like Austen) decided to make it a mecca for London socialites during the summers… The city of Bath is located on a natural hot spring that was discovered by the Romans sometime around 800 BC! Bath 2010 064And the ruins of the Roman baths and temples (once dedicated to worshipping the goddess, Sulis)  are still incredibly well preserved for the most part….

In Jane Austen’s era, Bath was known as the place to go for rejuvenation, especially in the summers when the heat of London became unbearable. The hot water produced by the hot springs beneath the city is rich with minerals and was thought to have healing properties. Hence, many of Austen’s characters “retreated to Bath” when they needed to recover from illnesses or the stresses and strains of unrequited love. Haha :)

I absolutely loved touring the Roman baths, and thought it was so cool to get to actually drink the spring water in the famous “Pump Room”… But that' wasn’t all Bath had to offer! Later in the afternoon, Valerie indulged me with a trip to the Jane Austen centre… We toured the architectural hallmarks of the city (the Royal Crescent, the Circus, and Bath Abbey), walked along the garden path where Austen staged one of my favorite “proposal scenes” between Captain Wentworth and Anne Elliot in Persuasion, and spent the evening wandering through the Christmas Market! :) We ended the day with an amazing dinner at Sally Lunn’s, the self-proclaimed oldest house in Bath, whose owner, Sally, was famous for her homemade buns… Haha I could continue telling stories, but a picture speaks a thousand words… And Bath is definitely a place you have to see to appreciate!

With Love from Oxford… –Mary Elizabeth <3

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Bath Pump outside the Abbey (and Christmas Market!)

Bath 2010 061   The Roman Baths! The steam is heat, but the bubbles are the natural gases that are also released, infusing the water with minerals and its famous “healing properties"…

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The Roman bath ruins with Bath Abbey in the background…

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The pump in the famous “Pump Room”… The water really was warm and had a distinct taste from all the natural minerals… In Austen’s time, men and women would come to the pump room every morning to drink the water for their health and socialize...

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The Circus!

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And the famous Royal Crescent!

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With my new friend in front of the Jane Austen Centre… Yes, it’s official… I’m a nerd… Haha :)

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I mean really! Any city with Mr. Darcy mugs is alright with me!

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Bath Abbey at sunset…

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Pulteney Bridge… Modeled after its “sister bridges” in Venice and Florence.

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The Pump Room and Roman Baths (left) in the Abbey square…

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Christmas Market!

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