Bath

When Moma and I set out for Bath, our original plan included the Food and Drink Festival but got a bit sidetracked when we got into town...big shocker right?!  After parking in a huge car park (largest we've seen), we jumped on the city's hop-on/hop-off bus and was so glad we did as we got to see parts of the city we would never have found walking around on our own.

This is a hanging loo (black box) our guide pointed out to us.  During the Victorian Era it became very en vogue to have a loo in your home.  As most of the houses were not able to be retro-fitted at the time, the solution was the hanging loo.  Would definitely have to have a lot of confidence in your builder to step out to this loo!

Of course no trip to Bath would be complete without a visit to the Roman Baths.  The person that came up with the audio tours was a true genious as they come in so handy when you're in really crowded places!  We easily spent 2 hours wandering through the baths and checking out everything...good thing we grabbed a pasty (traditional and cheese/onion) before the tour!  As soon as you started heading down the stairs, you could feel the heat increases...and the hair started curling up (gotta love humidity).  At first we thought the water was bubbling because it was so hot, but our handy dandy audio guide quickly informed us it was the gases in the water causing the bubbles.  We later proved to be the rebels we are and put our hand in the water...it was rather toasty warm.
                                               

The room to the left was the hottest room in the spa.  The floor placed on top of the tile stacks in the photo and heated from below...it was so hot, you had to wear sandals to keep your feet from burning.  The pic on the right is of the original spa entrance.  At the end of the tour, we had a glass of spa mineral water for its healing powers...not a fan of hot water but "when in Rome".

All throughout town were decorative lions as part of the "Pride in our City" program to raise funds for various charities and "bring a smile to residents and visitors".  Here are just a few we saw while wandering around town.

Our Neighbors

Just a 1/4 mile walk from the house we found these recently sheared neighbors.

Cardiff, Wales

Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore!  To say Cardiff was a change of pace from the Cotswolds would be an understatement.  I must say I'm a bit biased towards the English and find them to be a friendlier and more welcoming lot than the Welsh.  To be fair our only interaction with Welsh was in Cardiff but even in London, I found the English to be more to my liking.

We got into town a little before dinner and took a taxi to Cardiff Bay.  Yes, I know we had a car but driving in Cardiff was a bit taxing...again, the Welsh were very quick to toot their horns at me and with all the construction in town, Penny was constantly "recalculating" because of the wrong turns I was taking.  Our driver was a bit chatty...not a Welshman -- he was an Afghan and been in Wales for almost 5 years.

We had a great dinner at Bayside Brasserie with terrific views of the bay.  One of the servers found out we were from South Carolina and came over to talk with us...he's getting ready for a trip to Myrtle Beach.  Our driver going back to the hotel thought he was in Indy 500 and I must say the front seat felt like the suicide seat...almost kissed the ground when we were back at the Marriott!

Saturday morning we were up and out to catch the city's hop-on/hop-off tour and make our way to Cardiff Castle.  Being the perfect planner, we arrived just in time for the guided tour (actually is was pure luck but it sounds good).  The rooms we were able to visit were beautiful and though renovated in the Victorian Era, they have the look of the Medieval Period.  Here are a few pics which do not do the castle justice but a glimpse nonetheless.

Winter Smoking Room

The theme of the room was time and all throughout the room you notice various depictions of time through the seasons, day, week and zodiac.

 

Children's Day Nursery

The nursery of Victorian children was definitely a bit darker and more intellectual than our modern day nurseries.  These as some of the wall coverings in the nursery depicting nursery rhymes. 

Arab Room - ladies only

The window covering to the left was really for show as the room was 2 levels from the ground but in Islamic culture, it would have prevent men from seeing women but still allowing them to talk.  The photo on the right is the ceiling.

Dining Room

It was your basic medieval dining room.  The little touches were interesting.  In the lower left corner of the mantle piece to the left is a man in prison.

Marquess of Bute Sleeping Chamber

It was customary for the man to have a single bed and his wife to have the double bed.  Of course, her room was on the other side of the castle and it would have been a long walk for him to call on her...and she may have refused him...could explain why they only had 4 children ;)  The Marquess had his own private bathroom which was a sign of true wealth.

Roof Top Garden

Very traditional during Victorian Era...however, because the ladies thought it was better to stay very pale, this was very rarely used.  The beavers on the fountain would dispense the water.

 

Family Private Dining Room

The fireplace mantle is the story of Sarah and Abraham.  Sarah is chuckling as she's told by the angels she's pregnant.  The hole in the middle of the dining table was a for a grape vine so the family could have fresh grapes when they liked during dinner.

Ross-on-Wye en route to Cardiff

Rather than taking the motorway to Cardiff, we took the scenic route which went through Ross-on-Wye.  It is a very charming town with a little farmers and flea market in the middle of town...Daddy even found a shop going out of business and picked up some good loot.

A little visit to the pub for lunch...and drinks

We popped into The Fountain Inn after touring Gloucester for a bite and pint. Finally after visiting a few pubs, we picked up on the routine...place and pay for order at the bar and they take care of the rest.  Our bartender at Fountain Inn was a Scotsman from way up north...this time of year, his hometown has almost 23 hours of sunlight and in the winter, they can see the Northern Lights.

Those of you that know Moma, know she loves her slot machines! There was no way we were passing this little casino without Linda Lu having a go a the machines.

Gloucester

Today we headed over to Gloucester to check out the town and their cathedral.  A few misses of Penny's directions...boy, if you're not in the right lane on a roundabout, you're in for a few loops!

Gloucester is a charming little town and the cathedral is definitely a focal point in town as you can see the steeple from almost every point in town.

Before we got to the cathedral, we came across St. Nicholas Gloucester church.  Apparently the church can't afford a new loo and are soliciting donations!  They were also having a bit of a rummage sale of books in the church as well as an art exhibit and a video on water safety...definitely a place of many uses.

There has been a house of worship on the site of the cathedral since 678 A.D.  Osric, an Anglo-Saxon prince, founded the first church and is buried in the cathedral crypt.  Also buried in the church crypt is King Edward III and Robert, Duke of Normandy (eldest son of William the Conconquer).  

The cathedral was site of the first coronation of King Henry III and also houses the coronation cross used during the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.  All throughout the cathedral there were all sorts of nooks and crannies with new discoveries. Gloucester Cathedral was used in the filming of many of the Harry Potter movies.