A Surfeit of Cream and More Rollicking Buns!

Saturday 4th August, 2012 in Bath
The new day was heralded by a cacophony of sound, courtesy of a particularly raucous group of seagulls doing their best to wake the dead. One pities the local residents...
Heavy rain at first light gave way to intermittent showers, with the odd bit of sunshine in between. We decided to do the tourist bit, so we set off to explore the town on foot and by tour bus. Our first stop was at a delightful coffee shop by the name of Patisserie Valerie, a classy but friendly French transplant where the coffee was excellent and the ample cream patisseries were of the sublime kind that warrant the status of cardiovascular nightmares. Fortified by caffeine and a week's ration of cream, we struggled heroically to the open top deck of a tour bus that was just about to depart. Bath is truly a beautiful city. R hadn't been here for years and the last time M was here she was doing research for her A-level history course, but it hasn't changed all that much, thankfully. We enjoyed the ride, the commentary, seeing all the sights and the fact that it only rained a little.
The town was packed with tourists, mainly from overseas. We had hoped to visit the Roman Baths, but the queue ran all the way round the corner so instead we watched a man juggling fire while riding a 10ft uni-cycle!

The Abbey has the most remarkably elaborate and beautiful fan vaulted ceiling and was hosting an exhibition of illuminated calligraphy and embroidery with 35 panels telling the story of Jesus. Each piece was exquisite but the photographs of them on sale in the Abbey shop didn't do them justice.

As we wandered around the town, we saw an incredible window display, four windows each full of ancient sewing machines! M was thrilled, since some of them appeared to be of similar age to her own Singer machine which is 100 years old this year!

Later, we walked past Sally Lunn's again and realised that it was tea-time! So we decided that what we really needed was a cream tea. Half a toasted and buttered rollicking Sally Lunn Bun with oodles of cream and jam (R) or lemon curd (M) set us up for a bit of shopping in M&S! Perhaps we should have taken the Sedan Chair?

Slowly (very slowly after all that cream), we walked back up the hill to MM and then strolled along the towpath for a while towards Bathampton as it turned into a very lovely evening.
Just 2.1 hours today to charge the batteries.