My Birthday getaway to Bath

Ever since I read Jane Austen's books back when I was at university, I have had this hankering to go to Bath. I don't know why I put it off for so long, so I was so excited when I booked to go for my Birthday. I went with my Mum in back in March and it was just a little break for some sightseeing, lots of shopping, eating and drinking.

grays b&b

After a bit of searching before booking, I stumbled upon this gorgeous looking B&B called Gray's which had also coincidentally been listed as 'one of the coolest places to stay'. The photos looked stunning and there was also an offer on that if you stayed for three nights in the week you got one night free, so it really felt like a win-win. It was also only ten minutes walk to the center of Bath. I prefer to be slightly further out from the center as it's generally quieter and ten minutes really was nothing. We stayed in room 12 which is a twin room up in the eaves of their stunning 12 room building. There was ample space and the beds and pillows were so comfy!

Every morning we would then make our way down to the lovely breakfast room where there was such an array of breakfast choices. We always chose the full English so that we wouldn't need to stop for lunch and what a Full English it was! All freshly cooked by one of the owner's, it was honestly the best I have ever had, especially the scrambled eggs- oh they were divine!

Once we were settled we headed down to the centre of Bath for a bit of shopping and to find a place to eat. Shortly me and my Mum were both cheersing.

the jane austen center

Our second and third day were our sightseeing days, plus more shopping of course.. I wanted to go to the Jane Austen museum and the Roman Baths. I am a huge Jane Austen Fan, my favourite book of hers is Persuasion, which was the last book she ever wrote. My second favourite is not surprisingly Pride and Prejudice and can so see why it's a classic. When I was there there was also the chance to try on some of the Jane Austen-esk clothes so I donned a bonnet which you can see in one of the photos below. (Try not to laugh...). It was honestly fascinating hearing more about Jane and her life, I found out more about her than I was expecting to; the talk was definitely worth it and it made up for the fact that there weren't an awful lot of artefacts on display. I'm still so pleased I went though and I just had to buy the new design covers of some of her books. I bought two of my favourites and also Northanger Abbey which is one I have been meaning to read for a while.

Roman BAThs

The next day we headed to the Roman Baths. Unfortunately the weather wasn't quite as sunny as the day before, but I wanted to go anyway and we still got some fairly good shots. It's amazing to think that these Baths have been preserved since 75AD!! Something that you just have to go and see if you do make a trip to Bath. At the end you get the chance to try the spring water as it's full of minerals and supposed to be really good for you. I tried and yeah it's pretty gross, not something I could force myself to drink no matter how good for you it is. There was so much to see along the way and an amazing amount of history to experience. 

mr b's EMporium of reading delights

Being a booklover, I couldn't not head over to one of Bath's most talked about bookshops and that was Mr B's Emporium of Reading Delights. This was definitely one of the nicest bookshops I have ever been in. If you do visit Bath and are a book lover, this isn't one to miss. I ended up buying two books that I have been meaning to pick up for a while and their own mug and tote bag. 

THE Bath BUN

There are so many Old English style tearooms in Bath, but The Bath Bun was one that I had to try, particularly for Bath's very own bun. This is basically a round brioche bun with crushed sugar and currents sprinkled on top. I can testify that it tasted delicious, so I can absolutely recommend you try it.

Image taken from Trip Advisor 

There were a couple of things I missed when I went to Bath last month like The Royal Crescent and The Fashion Museum, but it just gives me an excuse to visit again. There is also an incredible amount of shopping there and a brilliant Primark, so Bath isn't just for the sights! If I do go again, I will update this blog post so it incorporates more of what to see, do and eat. For now I leave you with Bath at night versus Bath during the day view from our B&B room.