We landed half an hour early after an easy flight during which Derek slept some and I did a very little. We walked right through customs and all and were able to get on the bus leaving 2 hours earlier for Bath! Despite the heat being on and baking everyone (I was literally drenched in sweat), the bus ride was a pretty easy way to ease into the new time zone. We’re staying at Three Abbey Green, just a block and a half south of the Bath Abbey, Roman Baths, and Pump Room.
Our room, the Elinor Dashwood Suite, is small but clean and cozy, with a nice view into the quiet square below.
After some much needed changes of clothes, we headed straight out, up Milsom Street (eek!)…
…to the Jane Austen Centre to get our bearings.
Had to get Mr. Darcy’s Tea. The tea rooms are totally a Janeite tourist trap–waitresses in regency dresses, JA movie soundtracks playing in the background, and all the menu choices with appropriately themed names. Yep, I was totally a groupie tourist. It was great! I tried the Jane Austen blend, just China teas because Indian teas were not readily available in England during her lifetime (?!). It was nice, but I think we liked Derek’s Assam blend a bit more.
Trying on hats for the kids’ sake…
and “met” the brand new wax figure of Jane Austen, just completed this month based on the portrait by Cassandra and contemporary descriptions of Jane by her friends and family.
And off to the Pump Room for dinner and to take the waters!
