The last few weeks I’ve been recapping my big trip to England this past October. The previous posts were about Falmouth in Cornwall and can be read here and here. The next portion of the trip was to Bath, England–the land of Jane Austen! This post is a long one, so get comfy!
I am a huge fan of Jane Austen and her work. I’ve grown up with Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Emma, Mansfield Park, etc., and they each have a special place in my heart.
As soon as we got off the train in Bath, it felt like we stepped into a new era. The people and their dress were completely different than those in Falmouth and it felt like a new experience. It also felt a little bit like Harry Potter-land because there were school children running around in their “Hogwarts” uniforms.
“If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad.”
–Jane Austen
Once we got to our Airbnb, we rested for a bit and dropped off our luggage. Then we began our walk back into town for dinner. I really wanted to plan for our lodging to be close to the train station and most of the places we would be eating.
Dinner was at Cosy Club–which was a very unique restaurant. The interior was modern, eclectic, yet also had historical components that felt like you were in another time period. We ordered a pot of tea (because, England) a salad, and gluten-free fish and chips (because, why not?). The food was so good and just what we needed after a long day of traveling. Cosy Club was also a great option for finding gluten-free meals.
After dinner, we walked back to our small renovated boathouse, watched Persuasion, and then went to bed. The next morning we slept in a little bit and then got ready for the day.
We had breakfast at The Whole Bagel and ordered coffees and hot bacon sandwiches. If you’ve never had a hot bacon sandwich, you’re missing out. The morning was chilly and drizzly, so we took our time drinking our hot coffee and planning our day. The Whole Bagel had so many sandwiches and bagel options, and each was also served on gluten-free bread. The staff was very knowledgable about Celiac Disease and helped us decide what to order.
After we ate breakfast, we walked around the city and began exploring. The Royal Crescent and the Circus were two landmarks that we wanted to visit. They are both historical rows of terraced houses and are seen/mentioned in many of Jane Austen’s writings.
“Oh! Who can ever be tired of Bath?”
–Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey
Next, we went to the Jane Austen Centre for tea and a guided tour. The tea service before the tour was very reasonably priced and they had delicious gluten-free scones. The tour was very enlightening about Jane’s life, work, and time in Bath. I learned that Bath was not always a happy place for Jane and in fact, it was a place of a lot of pain and suffering–and her writings depict many of those feelings. But the city was still beautiful, historical, and quiet.
We walked around the city some more and visited places like the Bath Abbey, The Pump Room, and looked around shops.
By then, we started to get very tired and felt the day catching up with us. We stopped by a local Pret A Manger and grabbed some gluten-free soup and drinks. Pret is a great option for fresh, on-the-go food and there are so many options for different dietary needs. After we ate, we went back to our Airbnb boathouse, watched Northanger Abbey, and then went to bed.
Stay tuned for the upcoming travel post all about London!
