A Day Trip to Bath!!!

This has been the most excellent weekend!!!  Saturday night Bridget and I met up with two of the guys we met on Friday night because they were in town all weekend doing touristy things.  Mike lives here, about an hour north of London and his friend Eddie is visiting from the states.  They were both really nice, and we ended up having a very fun time Saturday night as well, and they invited us to come with them on Monday because they were doing a day trip out West to Bath.  Bath is a small city that is really well known for its, yup, you guessed it: ancient Roman BATHS and natural springs.  Bridget and I have been wanting to do some day trips around England anyways, so we figured it would be perfect just to join the guys because that way we'd have a ride there and wouldn't have to pay for the train.  

So, Monday morning, we took the National Express coachlines (fancy term for a big bus) up to Milton Keynes, where Mike lives and they picked us up at the coachway station - and we started the two hour long drive out to Bath.  It was a beautiful day for a drive through the English countryside...however cheesy that might sound, it was totally true.  There were these amazingly green fields all around either side of the highway, as well as actual sheep grazing!!!  Just what you'd imagine when you imagine the "english countryside."  

Once we got nearer to Bath, the weather started getting a bit more foggy and rainy-looking, but it was fine still, because as you drove into the city it was so quaint and adorable that you didn't even mind the weather really.  We parked the car and headed off to find the Roman Baths, which are the main tourist attraction in the city (obviously...) and took our time listening to the audio-guided tour through the whole thing.  It was beautiful, but mostly just because of all the history behind it.  It's amazing to think about how long this structure has been standing for.  

After the baths, we went to the supermarket to pick up some lunch food for a picnic.  The lady at the flower stand outside of the store told us that there were picnic tables down around the corner by the water.  So we followed her directions, and were led to the most picturesque picnic site ever!  Eddie remarked that it was the best picnic he's ever been on, and I'd have to agree!!  Even though it kept sprinkling on and off the whole time we sat there, it didn't matter because we were so content.  I had a smoked salmon sandwich with cream cheese on malted bread, like usual!  It was so tasty.  :)

We spent the rest of the afternoon just walking around town, exploring the pretty parks, the Botanical Gardens, and something called the Great Dell, where there was a small Shakespeare monument.  Not very exciting, but still very pretty.  Eventually we were all wayyyy exhausted and wayyy windblown from the wind and light rain so we went back to the car and got back on the road again so they could take us back to London again.  What a wonderful way to spend the day!!!!