Bath Spa

Not the greatest two weeks of our life.  We're muddling through. Took a trip to Bath Spa to visit the Jane Austen Centre (that's us with sad, sad Jane) where we learned that Jane Austen really didn't like Bath at all.  Say whaaaa!?  It tries as a little museum but really doesn't deliver as it reveals her life as happy and productive before and after living in Bath, but not while living there. The tour guide describes the family's literal fall from grace down the hill of Gay Street (down the hill, down in one's station in life and so on), after Mr. Austen's death, to the less expensive streets at the bottom of the town. She eventually moved away from Bath and her fortunes turned around, leading me to wonder why oh why they put the Jane Austen Centre in Bath! The highlight of the tour was the gift shop where there were lots of delicious pictures of Colin Firth.

We also hit the Fashion Museum where like at the V & A in London, the fashion is organized for viewing by its artfulness and themes, rather than by era.  It's a fun way to look at fashion as garments from the 1800s sit next to garments from 1986 and contrasts and similarities are exposed.  The vaulted ceiling pictured above is in the Bath Abbey.  My dad says he has visited churches all over Europe because they are excellent places to sit down and rest.  Spoken like a pro.  And so we did.