November 16, 2006
 Wake in: Bath
Sleep in: Bath
Yesterday was a lot of fun. It was lovely to wake up in my own room and not have to worry about getting a shower before everyone descended to the bathroom or having to ask a stranger for help to figure out where I was going. hatter is intelligent and easy to talk to and it was nice to hang out with him for another day. Jo didn't arrive until 11.30. She's great, too! The three of us met up and went to a sweet shop/cafe called, of all things "BOSTON TEA PARTY," to eat cake for my birthday.
Then we went on a tour of the Roman Baths. It was a really good day. The only bad thing was we each had our own audio devices so it was kind of an individual experience. 
But we seemed to manage enough chat and laughter. And, oh, it was lovely to be with people and share what I was thinking! (Although this journal entry will probably suffer.) 
The baths were amazing. To think that you were standing on stones that had been walked on by people 2000 years ago! It's why I love Britain. That sort of history isn't present (or wasn't saved) in America. I love the sense that some things: people's feelings about each other mainly, haven't really changed though circumstances have.
    
After the baths we went to the posh Pump Room (where we tasted the waters--not as a bad as I feared, although a bit sulfury) and had "high tea." With four glasses of champagne to share between us, of which I drank about 3 1/2. It was quintessentially English. The sandwiches and cakes were even on those tiered trays. It was lovely!
 
We got done with that and wandered over to the Museum of Costume, which was included with the ticket to the baths. But by the time we got there (champagne makes me dizzy!) it had just closed.
So we wandered into a pub. We sat in soft comfy couches next to a fireplace. (Oh how I love the British pub!) It was really hard to say goodbye to them and see them off.  I am really surprised at how the thought of being completely on my own again affected me. I cried. . .but not in front of either of them (yay me!). It was hard to lose everyone again and face traveling today by myself and all. I guess what I've learned is that I can do it, and I can enjoy it with some effort, but I'm not really a person who should plan long stretches of travel on my own. It's been very good for me to have to do it: find places, buy tickets, take trains, pick places to see, go to them. But I'm not sure if travel is really meant to be solitary. It's all right if you're cute little girl-Kelly who meets people through people who offer her under the table jobs and stuff, but that's not who I am. |
