Doing the ‘touristy’ things: a day trip to Bath

One of the main things that my international friends aim to do in their year here is visit as much of the UK and Europe as possible. For many of them it may well be their only chance to see some of the great historic sites in the UK and when you’re living in Southampton you are not far away from many of them. Of course you are quite far away from some others but hey, that’s an excuse for a road trip! For me it’s a chance to show off my excellent tour guiding skills, for instance “Do you know what that’s called? A flying buttress! Have you even heard of a better named thing?”

Yesterday we went to Bath, which is just a short train journey away from Southampton Central and is a great place to visit for a day out, due to the excellent mix of really good shopping and British history.

I actually hadn’t visited the Roman Baths there since I was a child, and so didn’t really remember much of it at all, and my partner who studied there for four years had never been because when you live in a place, you don’t really do the ‘touristy’ things.

It turns out the Roman Baths were actually really interesting, being essentially part of a huge temple to the goddess Sulis Minerva, who they believed resided within the hot springs. The best part for me was not the ancient religion, but the ancient technology; the Romans actually had under-floor heating, and the systems for transporting the water throughout the baths are really impressive.

The Baths, with the Abbey in the background 

Talk about a hot spring, you can see the steam rising from the water of the sacred pool

After the Baths we visited Bath Abbey, which history dates back to around the 10th century – although it’s been through a lot of changes since then. Even if you are not religious, Abbey’s and Cathedrals across the UK really are something special worth visiting, just because of the sense of awe they inspire through their grand scale and intricate design. I’m not a religious person, but even so I light a candle for family members that I have lost as a way of remembering them. While we were there we were even treated to the choir rehearsing for a performance that evening.

In most Cathedrals and Abbeys you can light a candle – a chance to remember lost loved ones.

It’s a beautiful thing to see. 

Quick stop for ice cream 

One of the best things to see in Bath is the real estate; we walked up to the Royal Circle and decided which house we were going to have. These houses are on the border of a beautiful park which we wandered through for over an hour, because the best touristy things to do are the ones that are free!

It really would be quite nice to live here, though it’s really rather expensive! 

The Easter break is a great chance to get out and about in the UK, weather permitting of course. From Southampton you are so close to some of the major tourist destinations and as a student you will usually be entitled to discounts for the main attractions.

No matter what your plans are for Easter, remember to take some breaks from work and treat yourself to doing something fun, particularly the postgraduates who are only here for the year!

Emma