by Bonnie W., Been There Manager
After spending the weekend in London's exciting city center, we were anxious to get out and explore the countryside. We could feel the excitement in the cool autumn air when we walked through the hotel doors out onto the street. We were off on a great adventure and a look of expectation passed between my sister and I as we eyed the huge tour bus waiting for us at the curb. Climbing aboard, we quickly settled back into two soft reclining window seats and awaited the beginning of our journey.

In a few minutes we were joined by a lady who introduced herself as our tour guide. She was bubbly and enthusiastic even at that early hour. As the bus started down the street toward the main tour center where we would join our tour group on another bus, she began telling us about the areas of the city we were passing through.

"This section is called Covent Garden." she told us. "If you have time, you should visit the Food Lover's market area here. Lots of great things at a fraction of the cost you'd pay in the stores. A lot of we Brits shop here."

One by one she pointed out the interesting sites and within a few minutes we had picked up other vacationers at various hotels and wound our way to the bus terminal.

The excitement mounted as we headed out to find our bus among the tangle of buses sitting in the terminal lot. As soon as the bus pulled out of the terminal a firm, female, British Network filled the air and the welcome dialog began. As the bus moved through the early morning rush hour traffic, our "cockney" hostess pointed out the sights. We were finally on our way to Bath.

Weaving his way expertly down the narrow, crowded streets, our bus driver moved through the city as easily as if he were driving a moped. On one side street our hostess pointed out an odd, narrow, rectangular box sitting at the curb.

"Now that is a taxi rest stop." she told us pointing to the box. "They used to be all over London and in outlying cities as well when we had Hansom cabs. Those stops were set up so that Hansom cab drivers could stop and go inside out of the weather to have a cup of tea or a sandwich. Today these stands serve pretty much the same purpose. Someone inside the building still sells sandwiches and tea to the cabbies."

"See the railing along the side of the building?" she asked. "That was for tying up the horses. Unfortunately, not every driver cared for his horses properly, so a law was enacted, way back then, that made it mandatory for Hansom cab drivers to carry food and water for their horses. Today, that old law is still in effect and buried somewhere in each modern cab, is a corncob and a vial of water."

Our hostess continued her dialog as we crossed London and about 30 minutes later announced: "This overhead freeway, just ahead of the bus, marks the outer boundary of London." A few minutes later on the left side of the road, we passed Windsor Castle.

"Always look in old green cars when you're in London." Our guide told us. "The Queen likes to drive herself out here to Windsor and she has an old green car. If you do see her car, she will be driving, Prince Phillip will be in the passenger seat and there will be three gentlemen seated in the back seat. Two bodyguards and her chauffeur."

We all laughed at the picture she had painted so vividly in our mind and we did catch ourselves looking at every green car that passed us on the street through the rest of our stay in London.

As the countryside passed outside our bus window, we watched eagerly for signs of the Bath turnoff. Houses began appearing shortly after that and the town of Bath came into view. It was a beautiful town, laid out on winding, narrow streets of rolling hills. Again, our bus driver negotiated the tiny streets expertly. Our guide stood up in the front of the bus as we moved down the narrow streets towards the "Baths." She had told us several stories on our trip about how the "Baths" were re-discovered, how Bath got its name and then she issued an admonition to all of us.

"I really want all of you to go home with us this evening." She said firmly. "But & if you stick your hand in the water here at Bath or accidentally fall in, you will be staying here in Hospital under quarantine, since recently it was discovered that the waters in these baths contain a Meningitis virus."

There was instant murmuring on the bus among the passengers. I still had a lot of things to see in England and 48 hours in the hospital didn't sound like much of a way to spend my vacation so I made a decision not to go near the water.

Outside the bath houses, we got our instructions for where we should and should not eat as well as the time to meet back at the bus. Then were led into the lobby of the bath house where we picked up hand held audio phones and began our tour.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, brings back history faster than seeing these Roman built baths. You could almost feel the Romans there with you as you looked at the faces of the statues standing guard above the pool. It wouldn't have surprised me to look over the guarded walls and down at a giant pool filled with Romans bathing merrily in the warm waters below.

These wonderful hot baths were the result of rain 10,000 years ago that seeped into the hills, was heated by the rocks, and even today bubbles up into the baths.

The original beauty of the Roman built baths was quite evident throughout the tour. Large pieces of ornate tile from the floors of the surrounding buildings can still be viewed.

Aqueducts to move the water, built by the Romans still remain as do large pillars, and several rooms built later (1775) for the elite of England to drink the water (it was considered medicinal to drink three glasses at 6AM on an empty stomach) and socialize.

Since I knew about the meningitis I didn't even think about drinking the water, but we were later told that some parts of the baths have been cleaned up and are safe for people to drink today.

"I don't believe you'd want to drink it anyway." Our guide told us laughing. "I tried it once and it was awful. Almost couldn't get a sip down at all." I did purchase a bottle of the water though, just in case. I'm an eternal optimist.

After our tour of the baths, we walked out into the plaza eager to see the Bath Abbey. A funeral was being held that day though, so the church was closed to the public. Instead we walked to a cafi and had the worst fish and chips imaginable for lunch. It was only upon leaving the cafi that we realized we'd just walked in the back door of a cafi our guide had warned us about earlier in the square.

Would I recommend a bus tour for seeing Bath? In a word, no! We had only a bit over two hours to see the baths (which could take 3 or 4 hours easily), eat lunch and try to see the town of Bath. As you can guess, we didn't see much.

I'd suggest taking the train to Bath for a day or two, seeing the baths, wandering through Bath Abbey (built in 1499) and going to the magnificent Royal Crescent, a world-famous icon and the city's most desirable location. At the center of the Crescent, is the Royal Crescent Hotel, but there are many small inns in Bath where you could get a room as well.

Next time I'm going to have time to enjoy a long walk through town to explore the hundreds of little shops. I want to stand on Pulteney Bridge, with its sweeping horseshoe-shaped weir and then take a walk and have a picnic beside the beautiful Avon River.

"Next time!" I promised myself as the bus pulled back on the road out of Bath, for our tour wasn't over. Next, we were going to an even more mysterious place, Stonehenge! But, that's another story!

Photography by: Bonnie W.