mstravelicious: October 2016

Day Trip in Bath

Europe 11:01 AM

Happy Saturday!

Another work week has come and gone, and man was it busy! Left off last week about my hustle in London, my UK trip was followed by a day trip at Bath. Boarding on the train at London Paddington at 8:00AM, I arrived at Bath just shy of 10AM, and this is where the 'relaxing' adventures begin.

The Roman Bath
Bath is a relatively small cute town where you can pretty much walk everywhere to. Getting off the train at Bath Spa Station, I quickly got to the famous Roman Bath. It is recommended to go to the Roman Bath early in the day because tours usually occur in the afternoon which makes the Roman Bath very crowded and not quite enjoyable.

I did spent a couple of hours here taking lots of photos, but there's also a free audio guide tour that talks about many different aspects of this natural hot spring bath and its history which makes it a little bit more exciting and interesting!

This bath is no longer used today and it's strictly for visiting purposes. I mean, I don't think I really want to go into the green waters to begin with. But because of Bath's history, there are a lot of bath and spas around the area for locals and other tourists.

What you see here is only a glimpse of the excavated of the historic Roman Spa. Apparently there are still efforts ongoing to find out in a larger extent of how this Roman Spa was like back in the day - it was probably stunning!

Bath Abbey
After a quick lunch, my friends and I made our way to the Bath Abbey, which is perpendicular to the Roman Bath; how convenient! I visited Bath on a Sunday, so the church was closed for service in the morning with only opening hours between 1:00 - 2:30PM and 4:00 - 5:00PM.

I really like how this church is really bright in the inside unlike a lot of other churches in Europe. So it makes it less spooky, knowing that the floors we are walking on are actually graves.

I also just adore the simple yet intricate design of the ceiling - just stunning.

Mayor of Bath Honorary Guide Tour

Aside from the Roman Bath and the Bath Abbey which is situated very close to each other, on the peripheral of this courtyard, there is a lot more stunning buildings and rich history. The best way to know about the history of Bath is through locals. Bath offers an free tour (http://www.bathguides.org.uk/) for all tourists and locals actually volunteer to talk about the history behind Bath and their beautiful city.

From this tour, we roamed through the streets of Bath...

... where I learned about the history of Bath's buildings and the difference between the old and newer buildings back in the day.

Found out that most buildings in Bath actually mimics Italian architecture.

Went to see the Royal Crescent built during the hype of Bath spas. The richest area back in the day.

Visited the Circus with more than 250 years of history.

And end off by Pulteney Bridge.

The tour was amazing, and I learned tons of history of Bath alone. Weather was surprisingly amazing that day too, which made it even more enjoyable.

Until next time, as I head off for Edinburgh! Stay tuned :)

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London in 48 Hours

Europe 10:41 AM

Happy Saturday Everyone! It's been a while since I've posted, but I assure you that your wait has not been for nothing!

I've recently returned from the UK, and to kick it all off, I'm going to begin with my couple of days spent in London. This is probably my third time in London. While I did skip out on some tourist attractions given my limited time there, I still managed to visit some few key things that must not be missed.

Before your travel around London, you must obtain one of these plastics: the oyster card, as it is essential for you to get around London. This sole card allows you to use the tube and the rail that connects London together. With this, the world is your oyster ;)

Key Attractions in London

With only 48 hours in London, the first thing I did was a morning run to visit the Big Ben and the London Eye. It was perhaps the wisest decision I've made as I walked out onto the pavement at 7AM in the morning - no photobombers in my morning run photos! During my run, I went by London Chinatown...

the good old telephone booth in London...

the National Gallery, a Horse Guard marching alone...

then finally the Big Ben and the London Eye!

And since I was in the area, a quick shot of the Westminster Abbey!

Then I went to see the Queen, just kidding. Heading to Victoria Station, I made my way to the Buckingham Palace to see the change of guards at 11:30AM every day. There was a massive crowd, which is the usual, as we all patiently waited for the British guards to appear. It was worth the wait :)

Then at 11:30AM sharp, they arrive!

After a quick lunch, I went to visit the infamous British Museum and spent a couple of hours looking at some of the exhibits. It's also not my first time here, but there are just so many things to see in this museum, I think I can spend days here! But with only 48 hours in London, this was the best I can do.

Heading my way to King's Cross Station. For those who love English Tea, there's a famous store called Fortnum and Mason. The main store is situated near Piccadilly Circus, but there's also a store in King's Cross St Pancras Station. This store was known to prepare teas for the British Royals! If you are a tea lover, you should definitely check it out.

It was here, where I spent an hour having English Tea with my cousin who was currently studying in London. What a perfect way to relax over a cup of nice hot tea and good company? :)

For those Harry Potter fan's out there, the next stop is crucial if you want to head to Hogwarts! If you guessed Platform 9 3/4, you are absolutely right! There was a huge line to take just a couple of photos, but it was worth the wait! At least for me.

Note: you don't actually get to board the Platform 9 3/4 here. That's in Fort William, UK. A train called the Jacobite. Unfortunately, I didn't get to go on this train. But in some future post, you will see some post of the railway tracks of this train! So stay tuned!

First 24 hours in London ended with a delicious meal at Eat Tokyo at Covent Garden. But before dinner, I did a bit of shopping at Covent Garden and came over this store where I saw the most stunning perfume bottles! Penhaligon's, since 1878! Thanks to the store manager, Lisa, I was able to take this amazing photo of the display in the lower level of the store.

Shopping Destinations

Day two in London was filled with shopping. Aside from tourist attraction, shopping is also kind of an attraction in London. There are various places to shop, mentioned previously is Covent Garden.

Another area to shop is on Regent Street where many flagship stores are located.

Oxford Street and Bond Street showcases abundant of stores as well where Regent Street ends.

And if this isn't enough for you yet, there's also Harrods. A must if you are visiting London!

Be prepared for crowds in these areas and watch your belongings!

Food in London

In addition to tourist attractions and shopping, food is also important. I mean, it does keep me going when I walk around to many places. An original English Breakfast to start of my day with lots of protein, toast and a cup of coffee.