"They arrived in Bath. Catherine was all eager delight; her eyes were here, there, and everywhere." - from 'Northanger Abbey' by Jane Austen

A day of rest and learning some of the rich history of Bath. Some of the firsts of Bath include the first department store, the discovery of Uranus a new (at the time) planet, the first buildings constructed in a crescent, and the first postage stamp.

 Hundreds of 'brollies' suspended over a laneway in Bath.

 The Royal Mail being delivered. On one occasion during the hike we were walking down a narrow woods road not expecting to see anyone and along came a red Royal Mail van. It seems they deliver everywhere.

 We went on a 2 hour walking tour this morning with this sprightly guide. She probably had 20 years on me and I could barely keep up with her. She would finish explaining something and then say, "All right, then, come on." and away she went. Add British accent there.

 See the above picture for the wall this was set into. It was formerly a small opening and there would be someone responsible for collecting human waste (night soil) from the home on the other side of the wall. A boy would go through, collect the buckets and add them to the cart.  Then it was taken to the allotments farther on. Apparently, it is still very fertile ground.

Known as the Royal Crescent, this building houses 33 apartments which currently sell for 600,000 British pounds, about a million Canadian dollars, for a one bedroom flat. Must be the exclusive address!

 Inside the Bath Abbey. The architecture in here was breathtaking. The stained glass alone was so incredibly beautiful and we had to just sit for a few moments and take it all in. Originally on this site was a Benedictine monastery established in the 7th century. The abbey was rebuilt in the 12th and 16th centuries with major restoration in the 1860s. On this site, the first King of all England, Edgar, was crowned by the archbishop of Canterbury in 973.  

 Stained glass depicting the woman washing Jesus' feet with perfume - the colours were so rich and deep - hard to take it all in.

 Lots of street musicians out on this lovely day. The Roman baths are in the opening behind the statues at a much lower level. A very romantic setting!

 "Water is best" says this temperance statue. The same inscription in Greek is on the Roman Baths building.

 Anna, this one's for you. A bookstore with the necessity of rolling ladders.

 This street with shops on either side is actually the Pulteney bridge over the Avon River. It was built in 1774 to entice shoppers to the new developments on the other side. 

This is the same bridge viewing it from the water side. Perhaps Kentville could copy this design for the new bridge over the Cornwallis river.

 Heading back to our B&B for our last night in Bath. Onward to Gatwick tomorrow.

Youngsters getting ready for a cricket game. The Bath cricket grounds were established in 1859. Seems to be a very civilized sport. Nearby were the rugby grounds for the more rowdy,
with a sizeable stadium for spectators.