Bath and Cornwall
Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its architecture, both current and ancient. The town is full of Georgian buildings built in developments such as
and
The Romans also settled here in ancient times to construct a bath and temple on the site of the hot springs (only hot springs in the British Isles, apparently). The Brits, as usual, have done an exceptional job with the preservation and museum for these Roman Baths and it was a fascinating tour.
One of the highlights of our couple of days in Bath was our visit to the laundrette. Google suggested one called "Dolly Tubs" - and with a name like that, who could pass it up. Parking was a bit fraught (as it has been everywhere in Britain) but the laundrette itself was perfect - clean and inexpensive. The people there - the proprietor and several of the patrons - were captivating - chatty and warmly funny. Our proprietor is getting ready to sell the business after something like 27 years in order to travel (though he has to wait until his 90 year old Mum leaves the scene to really get started). His dream is to drive Route 66 and stay in a motel with a neon sign (honestly) and go into a bar where the barkeep will slide a beer down the bar to him. Ah, the power of the movies. Numerous people we've talked to - fellow theater goers in London, waitresses in pubs, the laundrette man - seem enamored with the States, which they see as more friendly and open than their country. Though hard for me to see how folks could be much more friendly than what we've run across here.
Yesterday we drove from Bath to Cornwall, the far southwest tip of England. Navigating the tiny roads leading to our village on the coast was nerve wracking in the extreme, for driver and passenger alike, but we made it with no dings to the rental car and only a few dings to our relationship. Our AirBnB in Cornwall is a little, well, basic? Dumpy? But Cornwall itself is lovely and we spent the entire day walking the Coastal Trail, which runs for over 200 miles around the peninsula.
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| The Royal Crescent |
and
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| The Circus |
The Romans also settled here in ancient times to construct a bath and temple on the site of the hot springs (only hot springs in the British Isles, apparently). The Brits, as usual, have done an exceptional job with the preservation and museum for these Roman Baths and it was a fascinating tour.
One of the highlights of our couple of days in Bath was our visit to the laundrette. Google suggested one called "Dolly Tubs" - and with a name like that, who could pass it up. Parking was a bit fraught (as it has been everywhere in Britain) but the laundrette itself was perfect - clean and inexpensive. The people there - the proprietor and several of the patrons - were captivating - chatty and warmly funny. Our proprietor is getting ready to sell the business after something like 27 years in order to travel (though he has to wait until his 90 year old Mum leaves the scene to really get started). His dream is to drive Route 66 and stay in a motel with a neon sign (honestly) and go into a bar where the barkeep will slide a beer down the bar to him. Ah, the power of the movies. Numerous people we've talked to - fellow theater goers in London, waitresses in pubs, the laundrette man - seem enamored with the States, which they see as more friendly and open than their country. Though hard for me to see how folks could be much more friendly than what we've run across here.
Yesterday we drove from Bath to Cornwall, the far southwest tip of England. Navigating the tiny roads leading to our village on the coast was nerve wracking in the extreme, for driver and passenger alike, but we made it with no dings to the rental car and only a few dings to our relationship. Our AirBnB in Cornwall is a little, well, basic? Dumpy? But Cornwall itself is lovely and we spent the entire day walking the Coastal Trail, which runs for over 200 miles around the peninsula.
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