Coming Clean in Bath, England

The Bath Abbey

“Can you make some room,” yelled a man from the platform.

“Can we get through? We have seats!” screamed a frazzled traveler trying to bypass the compartment.

Another passenger surrendered and sat in the bathroom. I found a foot of empty space next to the train’s door. With my bag resting on my two feet I prayed we would be moving soon.

Rush hour on London’s commuter trains. I had, clearly, not thought-through my travel plans to Bath, England. It  was only supposed to take only an hour and a half. It – trip number nine out of ten from London for less than $100 – felt like five hours as a I grappled for an inch of space.

Where else have I been for less than $100 for my Rock Fever Column for The Royal Gazette? Good question. It started with a ticket for $65 (one-way) from Bermuda to London with my frequent flier miles. Make sure you get them! Next I hit Stockholm and Sigtuna in Sweden; Sachsenhausen and Berlin in Germany; Hampstead, Dover and Brighton in England.

Now, with number nine, it was time to come clean. I was heading to Bath. Silly me decided to try and go at 7 p.m. on a Friday night.

After extricating myself from the mass of bodies I found myself stranded on the streets of Bath. Luckily it is not a large town and I managed to find my Y.M.C.A. hostel after negotiating very drunk college students in about 20 minutes. The Y.M.C.A. might be easy to find, but it’s not exactly inviting so I plunked down my bag and hit the town.

Roman Baths

Some 2,000 years ago the Romans also arrived here. Rather than the Y.M.C.A.’s pathetic shower they decided to channel Bath’s hot sulfurous waters into elaborate pools. These really took-off in the 18th Century when England’s ladies and gents began coming here for the waters and enjoying the season in terraced houses! These iconic homes that line Bath’s streets were featured in the musings of Jane Austen who lived here briefly in the 1800’s. And of course what else do you do with really old, beautiful buildings? UNESCO makes them a World Heritage Site!

I believe the city more than earned the right; even at night. As I walked through the varied lanes and roads of Bath, the yellow street lights illuminated a city haunted by visions of 18 and 19th Century England from Austen’s books. This includes the 18th Century, Pulteney Bridge which crosses the River Avon and is filled with shops. If you have ever been to Florence and witnessed the Ponte Vecchio, then you’ve seen the inspiration for this gorgeous bridge. Walking along the river’s edge and listening to the falling water was soothing, to say the least, after my horrendous train ride.

Ahhh Bath, I think I could get used to you.

With my train stress washed down the river, it was time to relegate myself to my bed for a full-on assault the next morning. First I would have to try my hand at the breakfast. Ugh. the crumbs of bread and poor attempt at an English Breakfast ensured that next time I go to Bath I will save my pennies for one of the quaint Bed and Breakfasts I continually walked-by.

Fully famished, I decided I would have to visit, well where else? The Roman Baths! This complex built by….the Romans (see you’re getting this) are essentially as they left them. In 75 A.D. they channeled the waters into this complex that rivals the baths in rome (and I should know I have been there). Visitors, unfortunately, are no longer allowed to bath in the waters that are 116 degrees Fahrenheit. At least the modern complex has built a terrace for visitors to watch more than 240,000 gallons pump through each day before descending into the underground chambers that offer a historical guide to the baths. With a ticket that cost about £11 I was able to walk around wishing I could jump in, but it also offered me an entrance to the Fashion Museum. Well I mean after you bath you need to dress, right?

Exiting the baths (not Bath, you get it, right?) I was bombarded by the Bath Abbey. This cannot be missed. I

More Abbey

don’t mean go inside, though you should. I mean it is the centre of the town. Established in the 8th Century, the first English King, Edgar in 973 was crowned here. Through the years it has been built and then fallen until Elizabeth I ordered it restored. The Abbey has been the same ever since her meddling.

Around the Abbey and the Roman Baths is a mix of modern shops in old buildings. I thoroughly enjoyed getting lost with in the Upper Borough Walls, Union Streets and Barton Street among others filled with shops and little cafes opening onto the side walks. Bath is, among other things, a town built for luxury! Eat your fill in the famous restaurants that include English Chef Jamie Oliver’s Italian restaurant and then, if you’ve got it, bath in the actual complex for it – the Thermae Bath Spa. It will cost you though! £24 for two hours!

I did not have the cash for this luxury so I enjoyed a free walk up to the Circus. No, not Barnum and Bailey’s. Bath’s Circus is  comprised of three semicircular terraces of Regency houses surround a circular park. It was designed by architect John Wood the Elder, who built much of 18th century Bath. I tried to get my landscape photo and decided to use the rest of my Roman Baths’ ticket and head for some fashion.

Not much to note here. A very small museum, Bath’s Fashion Museum main focus is, of course, a whole spread on Princess Diana’s fashion through the years. At least I did not waste the rest of my £11 ticket!

Before I could wish Bath good-bye, there was one more museum I needed to visit. Jane Austen’s of course.

The Royal Crescent in Bath

This illustrative author was a resident in Bath between 1801 and 1806 and the city features heavily in Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. She ended-up hating Bath when her, her mom and sister fell on hard times here. Perhaps that is why the city devoted the sad little home on Gay Street as a museum to the artist. My guidebook had warned me, but I couldn’t miss one of my favourite writer’s museum! It was dull.

Oh well, I was almost done with my trip to Bath. I wandered through some of the green and stunning parks including the Royal Victoria Park in front of the Royal Crescent and meandered back on the train. Luckily Friday’s rush hour was over and I could comfortably ride back to England’s capital fully refreshed.

Refreshed and ready for next week’s column: finding things to do in London for under $100. It can be done! I promise.

And of course visit www.robynswanderings.com for more all of your daily travel tips!

Visiting Brighton’s Seaside

Brighton's Lanes

Perhaps it was the salty air of Dover’s Cliffs. Maybe it was the email from a friend encouraging me to experience it. Was it the notorious name?

Brighton. I had heard the name so many times and even though it is only about 50 miles or 80 km from London, I had never been to this seaside town. As a Bermudian I never quite understood the point. I’m afraid a beach will never impress. Ok, maybe not never. I was impressed by Sri Lanka’s….but that’s another story.

Back in Britain, my emailing friend assured me Brighton was more than beach. I decided it was time. It was time to add its infamous name to my list of trips under $100 from London. Yes, if you have been following the Rock Fever Column I write for The Royal Gazette for the last few weeks I have been to Stockholm and Sigtuna in Sweden; Sachsenhausen and Berlin in Germany; Hampstead and Dover in England. For photos of these trips and Bright visit my photos page.

I was further encouraged to jump to Brighton because the train-trip was less than an hour from London Bridge Tube Station and it cost less than £10! Just a tad cheaper than the £50,000 the iconic Brighton Royal Pavilion sold for in 1850. The creation of George IV, the Royal Pavilion was originally a farmhouse before he decided to reinvent it. Now the Pavilion is a draw for crowds visiting this seaside town. Well, at least, it was for me!

However, I’ve never been a map reader. Yes, I admit. I am one of those people that has to literally stand in a map before orienting myself. Luckily for directionally challenged people like myself, Brighton has Visitor Information Centres dotted around the city. I found the closest one to the train station hiding in a Toy and Model museum. I gave the models a miss and followed the man’s directions.

They sent me meandering through streets lined with multi-coloured stores, organic cafes and leather markets, that might have looked more comfortable on Middle Road, Bermuda rather than North Laine, Brighton.

Eventually, I found it! Well, the Pavilion Gardens first and then the Royal Pavilion.

It was a witches’ castle. What am I talking about? You know you’ve made them. Every kid in Bermuda has. You’ve held the wet sand in your hands and made drip castles.

Brighton's Royal Pavilion

What you were making has in fact been sitting on Brighton’s seaside since the1800’s: The Royal Pavilion. And for £9.50 you can experience one of the most ridiculously over-the-top, formerly private, homes in Britain. Originally a farmhouse when George IV the Prince of Wales, rented it in the 1780‘s, it grew along with his lifestyle of drinking, womanising and gambling and Brighton’s! A former fishing town, Brighton also started to transform into a seaside retreat for the rich and famous.

When George was sworn-in as Prince Regent in 1811 because his father George III was incapable of acting as the monarch, the villa grew. John Nash stepped-in. He introduced minarets and domes to the exterior while lathering the interior with enormous dragons and seashell-encrusted ceilings in the red-walled Music Room. No expense was spared, which is all I could think of as I walked through with my complimentary audio guide.

Queen Victoria ended-up inheriting the Palace, but even with all of its grandeur it could barely fit her growing family. Plus she was all about austerity. The opulent palace didn’t quite fit with her vibe so she decided to sell it.
The City of Brighton was quite happy to purchase the former Palace to ensure somewhere for tourists to visit. Hey, I bought a ticket.

Thoroughly impressed by George IV’s ability to spend money, I decided it was time to learn a little more about Brighton in the last couple of years. Sitting right next to the former Palace is the Brighton Museum. Convenient.

Random. Free. Both are reasons to visit this museum that offers some insight to the more-recent history of Brighton. The museum documents the growth of this capital of clubbing in Britain as well as its trend-setters. Of course there is the Fashion and Style section with random outfits provided by everyone from the gothic icons to the grunge mixed with Egyptian antiques. I did say random. Feeling thoroughly acquainted with the history of Brighton I figured it was time to head to the seaside.

Of course the seaside is what Brighton is about! I mean that’s why the rich and powerful people started coming here. The seaside was more than just a beach. It was a health clinic. Yes, a health resort of sorts. In the early 1800‘s Dr. Richard Russell created these ‘dippings’ which included a total immersion into the sea water to cure-all. I can imagine he was paid a pretty penny for these! Heck I can do that. Ok no I can’t. I’m Bermudian. I wasn’t going anywhere near the water.

Brighton's Pier

So luckily for me, the Brighton Pier is still standing and could keep me well above the frigid waters below.

The Pier is the epitome of traditional British seaside. Painted white, filled with an amusement park, rows of junk food and, of course, a candy store, the Pier is somewhere to sit and enjoy the views if you’re lucky and find a nice day. Other than that? It’s not much and the day was too cold for me! I hit the end and headed back to the interior to find a coffee and somewhere warm.

Luckily I could take my pick in the narrow streets in the area called The Lanes i.e.old, bricked buildings creating human-size mazes. Cute stores filled with antiques and clothes called my name. I ignored them and found a tiny coffee place to enjoy watching the fellow lost souls.

The light was fading. It was time. Time to finish my enjoyment of the beachside retreat and head back to London. Which is why Brighton is a great trip from Britain’s capital. It’s an afternoon, it’s a weekend, it can be both. I know, I know, there are supposed to be great clubs in Brighton. I didn’t have the energy. I will have to see them next time.

That’s because I still have to find a few more trips from London that cost under $100! And I did it. Perhaps it was time to come clean. To Bath it is next week and, of course, check back here tomorrow for more suggestions for your own trips!

Good Old Times in Sweden

 

The King's Hunting Grounds from the water

 

We were late. Why? I had decided to go running in the Djurgården park (actually an entire island) near my friend’s house in Stockholm. It used to cater to King Karl XI’s hunting raids. Now it catered to my pathetic attempt at some exercise. As me and my friend manoeuvred around the grounds that now include a theme park, an open air museum, and art museums that some five million other people visit each year I was wondering the lunacy that encouraged me to go running as we had to speed up. We were late for our boat trip.

What am I doing? Besides trying to run in Stockholm? Right now I am on a mission. A mission to accomplish ten trips from London that cost under $100 for my column, Rock Fever in The Royal Gazette. And check out this link for more photos from Sweden.

Last week I had found a flight to Stockholm for $47 on Ryanair. Just my luck I also had a friend who could put me up in Sweden’s capital. So I decided to stay a while and find a second trip. It had to be visiting Stockholm’s Archipelago, which cost less than $100 – actually it cost $30 to be exact.

It was an adventurous outing for both of us (my Swedish friend had never visited the archipelago). I thought I had sussed out our plan of attack the day before, but jet lag and not knowing the city very well meant I got the wrong inlet (there are lots of them in Stockholm) filled with boats. After running like the wind, we missed the boat.

We had an hour to kill over a coffee next to the beautiful Royal Swedish Opera house. The sun went away and the wind picked up. I wasn’t sure I had dressed properly. Too bad, we had the boat tickets.

Side note for planning your own trip: By September many of the boats visiting Stockholm’s archipelago and beyond have stopped running. It’s too cold. That’s because the archipelago extends from Stockholm 60 km to the east. It is also made up of 24,000 islands and islets. Some of the larger towns, besides Stockholm of course, are Gustavsberg and Vaxholm – which you can visit if you book before September. There is also a trip through the archipelago and to Sweden’s oldest town – Sigtuna – but again we missed the boat by a month this time. Which is maybe better. During the summer months the islands out here which host 50,000 holiday homes become swamped. Which is a fairly new phenom. Until the 1950s these islands used to be mainly inhabited by farmers and fishermen.

 

Islands in the Stockholm Archipelago!

 

More than just difficult to keep your farm going, what with ice that isolates you from the mainland, these farmers also had to row their cows. Row their cows, Robyn? Yes. As we watched the craggy islands covered in green and sprouting colourful homes we were told that seven of these islands were named for Monday to Sunday. Trying to maintain the grass on these islands cows would be moved to the respective island by their respective farmer. A hell of job when only one cow fits in a boat.

I’ll take the blanket provided by our cow-free motorboat any day! Oh and some of the vodka! Yep we passed the island were the first Absolut vodka was served. I’m sure it was an Absolut pain to serve in the winter. Ha ha…ok not funny. Too bad we didn’t have any to warm our frozen hands.

Archipelago visited it was time to meet her boyfriend for a concert. We also had to eat. So we made our way to Stockholm’s answer to New York’s Village – Sofo. No not really New York’s Soho. The Village. Small restaurants flank bars, which open to Swedes not dressed quite so conservatively as their Gamla Stan compatriots. Relief! Not everything Swedish is in its perfect place!

I was hoping for some Swedish food. A typical dish? Potatoes, lots of meat and gravy. But my friend swore up and down that they rarely eat this food. Luckily in Stockholm there were plenty of other options. We chose a Mexican restaurant/bar. That finished it was time to head for another port. It was random music time provided by the band Ara in the Munchenbryggeriet club called Dislocated hidden under the stone hills of Sofo. Interesting.

We chose to spend the last day I had in Sweden visiting its oldest town – Sigtuna – not feeling old. So after our random concert we went to bed.

Good thing we did. An hour from Stockholm and $40 roundtrip (which fits my $100 budget perfectly) Sigtuna should have been easy to reach. It wasn’t. Good luck trying to find the right train in Stockholm’s main station. “Go up. No down. Round. Go up”. We spent half an hour scaling the same stairs repeatedly. Our elusive train eventually dumped us at its last station to find a bus. An hour and a half later we were walking along the oldest street in the oldest town of Sweden.

I was shocked by Sigtuna. I walked into the tourist centre with its pinned map and there was Bermuda pinned. Someone had been here before. And not a surprise. With quaint, coloured houses I could almost be in Bermuda. Then the wind swept off of Lake Malaren and I remembered I wasn’t. And I needed food.

The oldest street is luckily peppered with plenty of restaurants, bars and pubs to choose from. There is even a

 

Oldest Street in the Oldest Town of Sweden: Sigtuna

 

grocery store if you wanted a picnic. I didn’t want a picnic. It was too cold.

We chose a cafe with $10 salads and jacket potatoes (I’m still under my budget). Tummies full we decided to hunt down the runic stones we had targetted on our map. Built more than a 1,000 years ago, it was the royal and commercial centre for some 250 years. Sweden’s first coins were even minted here! Unfortunately it was ransacked in the 1100s and never gained back it population or importance. Well until an airport was built nearby – Arlanda. Now there are about 7,204 Sigtunians. Also important are the former Sigtunians –- the Vikings which left the runic stones. We hunted these down. The stones of course.

Besides a basic museum about the towns history, Sigtuna offers a beautiful backdrop for photo enthusiasts with the lake and colourful wooden houses and green outstretched arms of the apple trees. It was lovely escaping from the city confines of Stockholm.

We had to leave, unfortunately and another bus-train combo landed us in Stockholm and back in my friend’s apartment. She had an exam to finish so I made a very Swedish risotto and I waited for my early alarm.

Remember to check back here for all of your Bermuda-based travel tips all week and next week for all you need to know about planning a ski vacation!