6/22: Trip To Bath

This morning we got up early to prepare for a trip to Bath. Chester fell asleep before we had a chance to pack so we had to shower and load the suitcase this morning. We left a buffer of time but still hardly got out the door on time. We hopped a double decker but the traffic was so terrible we were further delayed. We transferred to the Underground and arrived at Paddington railway station with less than 10 minutes before our train's departure. Though we ordered tickets months before, we did not yet have them in hand so we had to stop at a ticket machine to print them. Can you imagine our nerves at this point?! We R A N to the platform as the staff waved us on, jumping aboard just before they closed the doors! It was wild! I still can't believe we made it!

R U N N I N G ! ! ! 

We had to ask some people who had settled in our seats to move- luckily we had reserved them when we bought the tickets or we wouldn't have been able to sit together. The rest of the 1.5 hr ride was uneventful. 

We arrived in Bath, found our hotel just across the street from the station, and dropped off our bags.

Then we walked to the Roman Baths. It was a cool museum, walking you through the series of warm and cold baths were the Roman people, who once ruled these lands, cleaned themselves, socialized, & tried to cure their ailments in the warm mineral-rich waters. I was too busy chasing children around to learn much it was still interesting. 

Chester: hello? Hello?! Hello!

Arthur: it's not a phone Chester!

"Hot wa-wah!"

Footloose and fancy free in Bath

We found a lovely Italian place called Sotto Sotto for a very very tasty, very authentic Italian meal with incredible service. After they devoured their noodles we plugged the kids in and actually got to have a quiet enjoyable meal. One of the staff brought us our coats and buggy then chatted with us, through his thick Italian accent and waving hand gestures all about how he lived with his mother, who couldn't tolerate the busy cities of London or Rome, and while he was a self proclaimed "mamas boy" and couldn't leave her, he really wanted to live near the action and lamented that he'd passed up a job in a restaurant in California. I think he would have talked all day if we could. It was a pleasant end to our meal. :)

The kids first shots (jk, it's lychee)

We then split up, Katja and I took Chester to the Fashion Museum, and the boys went to a pub. Both the little Bass boys fell asleep almost immediately. 

I was grateful to Katja for going with me as I really wanted to see the fashion throughout history and we weren't disappointed! They started with garments from the 1600's and worked their way up. 

Wedding gown from the 1840's

One of Queen Victoria's mourning gowns from the 1890's. She mourned the loss of her Albert until her own death- 40 years later.

Gorgeous dress from the 1900's

Our turn. We so fancy.

By the end my back was killing me- Chester is getting heavy! So we met the boys in front of Bath Abbey and took a little walk through tour.

We checked in to the hotel, freshened up, and ended our day with a little dinner and brief walk.

Chester took his shoes off as he entered the hotel lobby 

"Me whoo whoo, tunnel"- then he said "toot toot" as he went

Little boy, big boy

It's been fun staying in a small, walkable town. You can get a sense of direction and it feels more accessible than the huge city of London.