After Blenheim Palace, we made a last minute decision to drive to Bath and see the ancient Roman baths for which the city is famous. We continued our drive through the Cotswolds, happening upon idyllic scenes like this one around every turn:
Bath was a lovely city, both in terms of its architecture and storied history. J and I loved touring the Roman baths, which date back to 60-70AD, though the first shrine was built at the site by the Celts. I'm always overwhelmed by an almost euphoric sense of wonderment when walking through ancient ruins (or handling old manuscripts). I find it almost difficult to fathom the physical permanence of the legacy left behind by ancient civilizations and historical people.
It was late when we left Bath, so we made yet another last minute decision and drove to the Jurassic Coast because, well, we'd already made it this far south and west. We decided to stop in Bridgport, where we were stayed in a ginormous room at the Greyhound Hotel for 40 bucks a night (seriously, the room could have held eight people) and ate the best Indian food I've ever tasted. Even a tiny, seaside resort town in England has amazing Indian food! I may never leave this country.
The next morning, we drove along the coastline before turning northward to Oxford and home.
We hadn't planned to stop in Oxford but J hadn't yet seen it and I was last there in 2006 visiting a college friend who was then studying on a Marshall Scholarship. Our first stop (for a drink and some fried pork rinds) was The Eagle and Child, a pub frequented regularly by JRR Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. The pub's "Rabbit Room" was the meeting place for a group of writers who were dubbed "The Inklings."
It was rapidly getting dark (and Kiddo was getting hungry), so we made a few quick turns around the university grounds. I did make sure we stopped at the Bodleian Library and a few other buildings before grabbing some food and trying to beat holiday traffic home. Next week, it's on to Cambridge!
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