June 21, 2026

 June 21, 2026 – Bath, England

We had breakfast at the Beau Brasserie in our hotel before meeting our very colorful local guide, Andrew Butterworth. He took us on a fascinating walking tour of Bath, sharing stories, history, and plenty of local gossip along the way.

One story in particular stood out. An aristocrat would come to Bath with his wife while secretly carrying on a relationship with his mistress. When she became pregnant, she sent their son to Genoa, Italy, where he was raised in foster care. That child grew up to be James Smithson, who never visited America but ultimately left his fortune to the United States. His bequest was used to establish the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

We also saw the magnificent Royal Crescent, a sweeping row of Georgian townhouses similar in concept to New York brownstones, though on a much grander scale. One of the homes is currently for sale for £6.5 million—about $8.25 million!

Several locations featured in the television series Bridgerton were pointed out during our walk, making it easy to imagine Bath as it appeared during the Regency era.

We also saw the Circus. It is nothing like a Circus. I thought it might have a carousel which is popular in big cities in France. But, it’s a large not quadrangle, but circular area with a huge tree. There are buildings surrounding this park. During WWII many residents left London for safety of Bath. Little did they know that the Circus would be bombed. They did restoration of the area to bring it back to its original splendor. 

After the tour, we strolled along the banks of the River Avon before boarding a sightseeing boat. The hour-long cruise was peaceful and relaxing, offering lovely views of the city from the water. The temperatures have been steadily rising, making the boat ride much more enjoyable than walking in the afternoon sun.

Susie and Jeff did some shopping in town and Steve and I went to explore around the hotel.

 

Later, we met up with Jeff and Susie for a cocktail before dinner. Since it was Sunday, we enjoyed a traditional English roast beef dinner complete with Yorkshire pudding—a fitting end to a delightful day in Bath.

Good Night Bath! Wheels rolling at 8:00AM off to Westminster Abbey and then London!