Bath is a popular British travel destination, especially for many brides and grooms-to-be who come here to celebrate their last days of freedom. A wide selection of high-end dining and luxury shopping explains why one apartment in Bath costs as much as all flats in Somerset combined. Bath is famous for its Roman baths and UNESCO-protected architecture of white stones but what I love the most is the lack of an Insta-active crowd.
My heart is lifted by the Georgian buildings, the smiling passers-by and the glittering sun-spells reflected in the river Avon. I love wandering around the streets (wishing I could still get lost here, although, after a year of living here, that becomes quite hard). I enjoy searching for familiar faces in the streets, talking to random strangers at the bar and cars letting me cross even if the light is red. I enjoy all the things that would never happen in London, yet they feel absolutely natural in Bath.
People of Bath give a warm welcome to everybody who enters the white walls of their city. They all smile, walk at a slow pace and seem to be taking in the clean Somerset air with every breath. There is a booming market of posh bars and restaurants, one of which is located in Milsom Street, the Ivy Brasserie. It attracts everyone’s attention through its richly-decorated windows which are something unheard of in the pale Georgian streets. Unlike in London, the only person taking her Instagram here was me and my friend (bye bye queues in front of Peggy Porschen, from now on I only pose by the Bath’s Ivy). And people actually stop and smile when they see you, or even cross to the opposite side with their dogs and buggies. Simply astonishing!
Bath is special. It is slow, relaxed and beautiful. It has everything London is missing, yet is only 1,5h-long-train-ride from here. I am super grateful to have some wonderful friends here who come and meet me every time I come down. It always feels great to see the familiar faces and to grab a coffee or a pint together and talk some fun / serious stuff. However, after a few days, I always look forward to coming back to London and enjoying its breakneck speed again. Bath is beautiful, it slows you down, but I would recommend coming to Bath for a romantic weekend or a friends’ getaway rather than going property-hunting with your future hubby (besides, the prices here are out of question!).
Thank you, Bath, for calming me down and reminding me of a different lifestyle. I love every corner of you, but I love equally as much the cold steels of London. I cannot wait to come down again to take my Insta-perfect picture before the crowds from Peggy’s flood the entrance of the Bath’s Ivy but till then, I will happily remain caught in the pace and rush of London. Cough cough…
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