November last year I spent a week at my parents back in the UK. My Mum as happy as that meant she got to visit ‘big shops’!
A few years ago my parents moved from rural Suffolk to even more rural Somerset. While they lived near a small town, Suffolk is filled with small towns that have a good range of shops. Somerset has small towns, but they’re so small more like large villages, she misses the variety of towns to visits. She knows when I visit I explore locally and the larger cities. Both of us love to shop. We’re equally happy to window shop and happy to use her expression ‘when you see it get it’. Though I’m not sure she gets my love of beauty shops. Each Boots Pharmacy’s different!
She was so excited when I found out Bravissimo has shop in Bath. I needed new bras and wanted to get fitted. Brasmissmo is the place if you DD plus. Neither of us had been to Bath before so we were both excited!
In hindsight we should have set off earlier but that’s my fault. I’m used to Spanish late closing of 20.00-21.00 in the winter and 22.00 in the summer. The UK aside from London, Manchester and other larger cities, places apart from supermarkets close at 17.00-18.00. It’s a reverse culture shock I can’t get used to.
Neither of us knew that the way there is a bit of mission. On the map, it’s straight A road. After motorways such as the M1, M5, A roads are the main used trunk roads in the UK. In reality in Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall, A roads are like B roads in Suffolk. B roads are 1 single carriageway, A roads dual or 2 carriageway/lanes way with motorways being 3-5 lanes. The A road to Bath has amazing scenery around hairpin bends, sadisitc brick walls around corners, lorries/trucks taking up the whole lanes, hills all while being single lane each way. In some places it was so narrow I was often grateful driving I was behind lorry as nobody argues with them! We both said we’re not in a hurry to return to Bath for this reason alone. We could have taken the motorway back, but it was an extra 40 minutes and we would have had to have driven back along part of the same road in anyway to get onto it.
We did park and ride so got to see some of the old industrial buildings heading in. The whole place looked damp, like damp in the walls damp, but this could have been because it was November and cold. Windy, rainy, cold. The park and ride dropped us off a the bottom of the main shopping street, Walcot Street of which we had to rush slightly to the bra shop stopping at clothes shops my Mum was excited to go in. Bless her, she missed variety of shops! Bravissimo was amazing. I got lucky with a quiet hour and they really take their time to find bras you might like. My Mum liked it as she got to sit and chat. We were there longer than thought as while got a quiet hour, a few other ladies were also being seen to. I didn’t get as many items as I wanted as they didn’t have many in stock anyway of my size.
Bath architecture is amazing. Arches, columns, pillars, sculptures, yet it feels quite cramped as most seem to be located to a few streets in the city centre. I know there are a few gardens and parks to explore such as Alexander Park and Prior Park Landscape. However you need to stay a few days to see it all.
The Christmas market stalls were beginning to go up.
When we left Bravissimo it had thankfully stopped raining. We explored in the dark the main tourist sights before heading back. I think we’d both like to go back to explore the baths which we could have done if I hadn’t of gone bra shopping, however if we do, we have to blinker ourselves for the shops and fingers crossed my Mum’s legs can take the walking. I was back in April this year and her legs tire quicker already in 6 months. And leave at dawn. I’m sure she’d be happy to go if we use the motorway to get there!
This is what I mean by Bath seemed quite cramped with shops thrown together. The elaborate buildings end quite suddenly to lower elevation to green hills.
Tortilla restaurant. I’d skip it. Both times flying back all I can eat plant based wise at the airport which isn’t some OTT elaborate ingredient sandwich is a wrap from Tortilla. The black beans look like they’ve been reheated for 2 days. I guest I’m spoilt with more authentic tortillas in Barcelona.
There’s so much going on here! The girl thinking unlocking her bike, the lost hat on a pillar placed to be reunited with it’s owner, the bright lights against a grey rainy day.
180 degrees from the previous photo. So many people on their phones, the lady with I think a pet carrier, some not bothered by the rain, others umbrellas. The UK is also a country that likes to wear bright colours. I think this is to brighten up rainy, overcast days. It however doesn’t rain everyday! Many days are sunny!
Thank you for stopping by! If you want to know more about the history of Bath’s baths check out History Hit on YouTube Secrets Of The Roman Baths | And Why Swimming Is Banned. It makes me want to go back and visit the baths!