Our weekend in the west

Almost a month ago, with our exams recently over and a resulting spring in our step, we headed off early one Saturday morning to the south west side of England. Despite telling everyone we were going to Bristol, we didn't end up getting there. Instead, on the advice a workmate had given me the previous day, we set off for the city of Bath. After driving for a few hours, we stopped at the "Tollhouse Teashop" outside of Bath for some heart-warming soup and sustenance, enjoying the view from the conservatory and perusing the newspapers and tourist brochures on offer.

Continuing on our way, we soon arrived in Bath, literally named for its old Roman baths, which are still fed by natural thermal springs. Bath also has a claim to Jane Austen fame, having been twice visited by her, and later becoming her home between 1801 and 1806. Apparently Northanger Abbey and Persuasion are largely set in Bath, and, according to the brochures, the city has hardly changed at all since Jane's day.

Whether that was poetic license or not, Bath was an extremely charming city. It's probably even my favourite place in England so far. It had really amazing old buildings (even more obviously so than the rest of the country), a river resting peacefully under a stately brick bridge with three arches and glass windows, the first lock we've ever seen, an island in the middle of the river with a small tent on it, and a lovely shopping precinct and pedestrian area. We found a music shop that had my exact electric guitar, only in plain black, and was staffed by some of the most unbelievable hairstyles I've ever seen. There was an art gallery with a lifesized statue above its entrance of Queen Victoria regally surveying the street below, and the words “erected in loyalty and love by the women of Bath 1901”.

Click here for a video of some of the best busking we've yet come across - these guys were BRILLIANT!! If you know the name of this song, please leave a comment because we want to find out what it is!

We only had an hour to explore Bath on foot, as that was all the time we were allowed to park for. Approaching the end of our hour, we came across the square where the Roman baths are. The part we could see was a large yellowed stone building with columns, railings, arches, and various other ornate bits. There was an enormous line of people queuing outside the baths, people milling in front of the massive Bath Cathedral right next to it, and a large crowd of people watching two men wearing very little who appeared to have just finished some kind of gymnastics performance. We, however, found the “The Fudge Kitchen”. Munching contently on a slab of the best store-bought fudge imaginable (Shell, that was especially worded for you), we hurried back to our car and continued on our way: next stop Wales!

We really just wanted to say we'd been to Wales, so, not having much time, we drove across the large suspension bridge into Wales, paying a toll of a few pounds (which only needs to be paid when travelling in that direction, not upon return).

Then we went to the first reasonably-sized town over the bridge: Newport. I really can't remember too much about it, although it did have a different-looking bridge that Ben liked a lot. The only photos I took in Newport were of the view of the bridge from the cement parking complex where we left our car, and a certificate showing that the toilets we used at a large bus interchange had received a commendation in the 1998 Loo of the Year Awards.

We did some shopping though - Ben got two jumpers and I got some shoes that I haven't worn yet (as usual). :)

After that, it was back across the bridge into England, and on to Glastonbury for a late afternoon check-in at our B&B. With only a little difficulty and one doorknock stop, we found the place and had a short while to relax and rejuvenate before heading in to Glastonbury for the reason I had chosen it as our overnight destination: the Glastonbury Carnival!

I'll avoid mentioning all of the horribly annoying overcrowding and aggressive drunk carnival-goer issues, and just tell you about the Carnival. It's called an “illuminated carnival”, and a bunch of different towns in the area stage a carnival around that time of year, with different floats attending from all the carnival clubs in the various towns. Now, these are not just any old floats. They are absolutely massive, B-double-or-triple-semi-trailer-sized feats of engineering and electricity, covered in enormous moving parts, thousands of flashing, coloured light bulbs, and people in elaborate costumes dancing to deafening music and attached to the float by a strap in case of overenthusiasm. Each float had a specific theme. They kept slowly coming past for 2 or 3 hours; it was unbelievable!!! There must have been a hundred or more.

The themes could be absolutely anything: circus, Africa, Moulin Rouge, Candyman, King William, mythology, Narnia, Christmas, Viva Las Vegas, USA, vampires, Mexico, magic, river boat, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang...!!!!! Not to mention the “Grannyrobix Fitness Centre” (men dressed up as grannies doing aerobics) and the “Beer Belly Dancers”. I really can't put it all into words, but what a mind boggling, entertaining, logistically astounding, random, unique carnival!!!

Here's a video of one of the circus floats...

That night, we slept soundly. The next morning, after the best breakfast we've yet experienced at a B&B, we set off for the meeting. No problems finding it this time! Afterwards, we stayed for lunch and had a look around the convention grounds – lovely! Might just have to go back. :) We had a really nice time with Harry and Anne, who were very hospitable and great company.

After lunch, we went back to Glastonbury for a quick look around in the daytime, and, well... hmm. It seems to be a town of many varied... shall we say less conventional... belief systems!!! Can't say I've ever been to a town like it!

We checked out some of the less scary shops, and I bought a great little handheld African percussion instrument made from two seed pods filled with rattley things and joined together by a piece of rope... it sounds like an egg shaker or maraccas.

Ben then took me into a shop where he had found a collection of leather gloves, which my cold hands have been in need of in this weather. Now, this is where my promised bargain story took place, Delle, so listen up!...

Of all the gloves in the drawer, I decided I liked one particular black pair the best. All the other gloves cost at least £17.50 (AUD $40), but we couldn't find a price tag on this pair, so Ben went to ask. I very optimistically said that I would get them if they were £15 or less...

Anyway, the elderly ladies staffing the shop couldn't find the price. Then they couldn't find any other pair in the shop that were the same. Then they decided that perhaps this was because the gloves were not actually stock!!! One fingertip looked a little worn, they thought. Perhaps someone left their gloves behind after trying on other gloves (hope they at least bought a pair then)... And maybe that's why I liked the gloves; because they felt soft...

They briefly worried that the gloves belonged to Phyllis (another staff member), but no, Phyllis still had her gloves and hers were brown anyway, dear. After some earnest discussion between these ladies as to what to do, dear Phyllis decided that we could have the gloves for only £3.50!!! The first lady dithered around a bit and then said “how much did you say, Phyllis? Five pounds?”, but dear Phyllis stuck to her guns and repeated £3.50... And so, for that absolute bargain of a price, 80% less than the next cheapest gloves there, I got my new gloves! And all parties to that transaction were very happy indeed. :D

After we left Glastonbury, we went via Wells, where we saw another famous old building, the Wells Cathedral, from the car windows, and then continued on home as night slowly arrived.

As we drove through the countryside on a multi-lane highway we had never been on before, it was raining on and off, and due to there being no street lights or nearby built-up areas, it was very dark. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, I looked left out my window into what seconds before and seconds after was only blackness... and there, silhouetted briefly against the glow of distant city lights, was... Stonehenge!! It blew me away because I had no idea where in England Stonehenge was, and had I not looked out the window until 2 seconds later, I would never have known we had passed so close by it! I couldn't quite form a coherent sentence fast enough, but luckily Ben looked anyway and saw it just in time. We saw no signs announcing such a famous attraction to travellers going our direction, but I did turn around and see one facing the other way, so I know I really saw it! Anyway, it was just one of those completely unexpected moments – and, I thought, a pretty cool end to a great weekend.

Goodnight!