Bath, Oxford and Misadventures in Wales

This very belated post has been a killer. Not for any real reason. Lots of pretty photos though.

I did some incredible days of walking walking walking and exploring all over.

I spent the first Tuesday of my holiday traipsing around Bath. It's a beautiful city, with parks and really crazy old buildings and a million things to see and do.

I started the morning jumping off the train and climbing a massive hill to Prior Park Gardens. They are beyond beautiful and I feel that some films have been set here, but I'm really not sure. I joined the national trust in order for it to be cheaper to get into it and other places, so spent a good half hour chatting with a delightful man about all of the sights I can see in Australia (you know, after my year long membership runs out, coincidentally just after I plan to return to Australia).

Walked back into town, spending some time gawking at the Abbey, the Roman Baths (there is an audio tour here by Bill Bryson, whom I love) and the town in general. The Roman baths are beautiful, just incredible to know that all of this was built forever ago and was only rediscovered buried under the city about 130 years ago. The place was pretty packed, even for a Tuesday, but was definitely worth seeing- the whole of Bath is a bit like this, actually. Stunning, but it feels like there are no real people there, simply visitors. I took to the roads again, attempting to go and see a tower built for William Beckford. Said to be incredible, is alas, closed on weekdays. It's surrounded by this super creepy cemetery where Beckford was buried and where I took photos (that didn't come out very well) of the view of Bath, while being stalked by a persistent and eerie crow. There was also an amazing view, but no photo actually came out/came even near to doing justice to it.

If you look closely, you can see the crow in the topmost branches.

After that misguided hike (and it was a hike, should have caught the bus) I traipsed back down the hill to the Fashion museum, built under the Assembly rooms, the social centre of Bath in the Austen days. Got in for frees (thanks, national trust) and spent an hour wandering around looking at all the pretty (and not so pretty) clothes. They were doing a sport attire exhibit and some of the older ones are hilarious. It's hard to believe that as women, they had to wear some of these clothes out of modesty, even if they hampered any ability to actually do sport. Here is one thing about travelling alone. There was a section where you could try on gowns and corsets and dress up with bonnets and parasols. A thing I would have loved to do, if only I had someone with me to giggle about it with.

On Thursday, however, Tild came with me to Oxford and spent the day being my guide around the city. Tild loves Oxford and it is easy to see why. The place is so grand and beautiful. There are students everywhere, running around looking very collegiate. We spent the morning (after a race to the train station that very nearly gave me a heart attack) wandering around Tild’s favourite museum, the Pitt Rivers Museum. Collections from all over the world, oddities collected to show, initially the curiosities of ‘savages’, which now manage to wonderfully show the diversities and even more amazingly, the similarities between all the races and people of the world. Games and children’s toys, objects for grooming and cooking, there were collections that pulled these things together from every culture and remarks on the similarities. It is a huge room, dimly lit and seems almost like a magic shop, with delights and surprises kept in the many cabinets and drawers.

Pitt Rivers

Radcliffe Camera

We ate lunch at the covered market- delicious deliciousness from a store that allowed you to build your own salad, with cous-cous and felafel and brilliance. Alone, I explored Christ College, taking photos of the Harry Potter stairs and the Great Hall inspiration. I cannot believe the people that studied here and the fact that students still live here, still study here. It’s more museum than school to me. Imagine going about your university life with tourists running all over the place.

In front of Christ College

 Tild and I got coffee from a gorgeous coffee shop and spent a half hour people watching and talking, before heading out for a walk to the meadow and around the north area of Oxford. We walked along the canals and let the twilight settle in around us. At, you know, 4pm. It was dark by five, walking alongside the canal trying not to fall over in the mud. It is beautiful. We wrapped up the day with a pub meal.

Wales. The day after London, exhausted, I jumped on a train to Chepstow, Wales. It takes around half an hour from Bristol and then you are in an entirely different country. Chepstow afforded me sightseeing at Chepstow castle and then at Tintern Abbey.
Both were large, old, deserted and magical. I was completely alone at the castle, wandering around its old walls, hoping I wouldn’t fall down the narrow and slippery spiral staircases. The castle is covered in moss, and everything is greener and greener, with a backdrop of hills covered in trees that were turning shades of autumn colours, a sea of yellow orange and red. It was a quiet day, traipsing around, astounded at the size and history of these places. Chepstow castle holds the oldest castle doors in Europe, right back from the 12^th century. Tintern Abbey is almost right down to the ground, but the large arches and grand structures still carry so much weight and interest.

Chepstow Castle

Tintern Abbey

I left Chepstow and journeyed to Cardiff, where I had wanted to meet up with an old friend of my parents, who I had not seen since I was six. Due to fatal miscalculation and disorganisation, with wires crossed and emails sent too late on my behalf, I spent my evening in a great pub, eating a burger and onion rings before catching a late train back to Bristol.

Or. At least, I thought I caught the train back to Bristol. There are two stations which are in Bristol. Bristol Temple Meads, in the centre of town and Bristol Parkway, on the outskirts. Some trains go to both. Temple Meads after Parkway. This one did not. So I was halfway to the next town before I realised I was on the wrong train. Upon disembarking to wait half an hour to go back in the same direction, I realised I had left my beanie on the train. Spent half an hour sitting in front of a man who believed that running his ticket over his stubble made quite a great sound. It did not. Fingers on a black board.
Arrived back in Bristol, where a waiting Tild had hot chocolate and biscuits waiting for my tired dishevelled self. She is great.
Bought a supercute replacement beanie for 2£ the next day.Winning.