The moment I arrived in Bath, I felt like a breath of fresh air had been blown into me. I was still sad, but I felt like the rain cloud floating overme was slowly beginning to shrink. Bath was my jam, my speed, my place. My hotel was incredible! I stayed in the best place: The Black Fox. Situated above a pub, my room was spacious and comfy. I slept so well there. The pub offered Bath gin and I tried ‘em all! They had gin flights, complete with flowers floating in the glasses, all fancy and whimsical like. If you come to Bath, I can not recommend this hotel enough. It was exactly what I needed.

The fella at reception/the bartender was incredibly kind and caring. I explained my luggage woes and he helped me (the best he could) contact the airline (to no avail). Moreover, he helped me come to grips with the fact that I may never see my luggage again. Acceptance. I had come to terms with losing my “stuff” but was gutted to think that I would never get to read a farewell card given to me by my friends that I had been saving. Cue more tears.

As I explored Bath, I slowly felt like me again. The cloud was lifting and I was starting to see sunlight again. I was seeing things more clearly. There were still places to be seen and adventures to be had.

I did a tour with Mad Max Tours, booked through Trip Advisor to Stonehenge, Avebury, Lacock, and Castle Combe. My tour guide Kevin was a delight. Kind, knowledgeable, and quick witted, Kevin was top notch! Our first stop on the tour was the UNESCO World Heritage site, Stonehenge. Built 5000 years ago, nobody knows, for sure, how it was built, but it’s believed that it was for telling what time of year it was.

Our next stop was Avebury. Similar to Stonehenge, except you can get up close and personal with the rocks. Avebury is the largest prehistoric stone circle in the world. I love quaint, little English towns. The cobblestones, flowers, and abundance of Union Jacks (due to the upcoming Coronation) made this stop on the tour a favorite of mine. I enjoyed a gin & tonic while taking in the sights before joining my group for our next stop.

I hadn’t realized that we would be visiting Lacock and Castle Combe. I had been planning on visiting them on my own the next day, so I was pleased and prepared to explore! As a National Trust site, Lacock has an abundance of history behind it, but let’s be honest, I was there for the Boy Who Lived. There were multiple locations used for filming during the Harry Potter series.

Our final stop of the day was Castle Combe. Named, “The Most Beautiful Town in the Cotswolds” it truly was beautiful. All in all, it was a fantastic day!

My next day in Bath, I spent the morning wandering around. I viewed Putney Bridge and the Circus before grabbing a cup of hot chocolate and listening to live music in a square, overlooking the massive cathedral. Delightful. I spent a lot of time writing, which felt great. I meandered over to the Roman baths and hopped in line for a tour. I spent hours in there, reading all the information posts, listening to each and every station, and taking the time to imagine myself back in time.

Afterwards, I sipped a hot cocoa as I navigated the cobblestone paths until I approached one of those touristy hop on/hop off bus tours. I thought to myself, “I have no plans, let’s do this!” The tour ended up being 2 tours in 1. Score! The first was a city tour of Bath and the second was a skyline tour. I did the city first and really enjoyed sitting upstairs in the open air. I was pretty cold though so when the tour ended, I headed back to the hotel to add a layer of clothing and put on a hat. Much better. Next up, the skyline tour. The views were stunning, but I was still pretty cold, and it was starting to rain so I moved downstairs to experience the tour again, safe from the elements. By the time the tour ended, I was pretty hungry. I dipped into a few pubs looking for a pie of sorts but wasn’t having any luck. I can’t explain it, but I would walk into a pub, do a lap, sometimes even sit down, but then I’d get confused and ultimately walk out. So I went back to my fave place: The Black Fox, my hotel. I ordered a pie and they told me, sadly, that the kitchen was closed. I said I understood and began to order a drink. As I ordered, she said she had to check something. I chatted with the bartender as i waited and when she came back she announced that I would be able to order my meal. I was ecstatic. It was delicious and exactly what I was craving. Best. Place. Ever.

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