Onward to the Bath portion of our program

We checked out of the Wigmore Court (don't worry - I'll be back in a few) this a.m. to make our way to Bath. We did get a few photos of the street names in the blocks leading to the Wigmore, just to show how little I am really able to get away from my roots.

(Granville = town where we went to college. Berkeley = where I lived first 3 years in CA.)

I told Beth that if I found any street sign in close proximity that said New Albany, I was going to have to bail.

We loaded our luggage into a cab for the short ride to Paddington Station, and soon, the countryside was passing by our train windows. Lunch, by the way, was a much hyped ham and cheddar baguette from Upper Crust. B had been waiting years to have another one, apparently.

(Side note: B's travel agent took care of most of her arrangements, and accordingly, some of mine while I was with her. We were booked into an Express by Holiday Inn while in Bath. Staying at a chain hotel in a quaint little town? I found that to be kind of funny. And kind of sad.)

Regardless, I was taken by Bath the minute we got off the train. I felt instantly relaxed. The cabbie asked us if we were going to the Glastonbury Festival (which was the same weekend we were in town, and only 30 minutes or so away.) When we said 'no,' he said, "Good" and went into a short diatribe about people being dirty and on drugs. I was trying to contain my laughter and made a joke to B about the "crusty jugglers." Before I could explain the joke, the cabbie said, "Exactly. Them." I cracked up. He had no idea I was just referencing Hot Fuzz.

Check-in. Dump bags. Go for walk. It was time to explore all the places B had been when she'd lived there for a few months our senior year of college. We set out to wherever. Just before we reached the park of choice, I spotted a store and I decided to go in to see if I could get my watch fixed there. (I'd broken the band that a.m.) Instead, I came out with this watch. I love it very much.

We made our way across the street to Royal Victoria Park, with, seriously, some of the coolest swings/rides I've ever seen for kids. B was telling stories and trying to sleuth her way to locations of times passed. At one point, my need to lie in the grass took hold (yes, this is a need I have a lot, at home and abroad) and I set up camp for a bit. B was sharing more stories, we were watching people feed ducks, and I was taking in the Bath of it all. For your viewing pleasure, here's the spot where I was sitting. (It's marked by my backpack.)

We walked and explored more and made our way back down, next to Argos, to the Hop Pole. Good ales. Good times. B was reading a paper with some list of Top 50 songs (can't remember what the list was exactly - something to do with dancing) and I think she was appalled/impressed that I had so many of them on my iPod. I think the presence of "Buffalo Stance" threw her for the biggest loop.

The barmaids were fun - got to chat with a couple of them as we were lounging. One topic of discussion was how many people came in with their babies/kids (something we'd noticed pretty immediately.) I guess that's what you get when you are a pub across from a family park. This, of course, led B and I to quote Sweet Home Alabama. "You have a baby ... in a bar."

We decided to see a movie that night. For all that, you can read here. Oh, one more thing: in the middle of Bath, next to the theatre, there is a TGI Fridays. On behalf of America, Bath, I apologize.