Alcala, Spain Fall 2007: Wells and Bath, England

I woke up in Somerset to the sound of birds chirping and sheep baaing, and then went to Wells with my friends father to have a look at the cathedral there. The interesting thing about wells, is that it is a fairly small town, but it has a very large and impressive cathedral.

The first thing we saw was the local street market. They had a great selection of local grafts, cheese, produce, and other goods. Then we went to have a walk around the Bishop's Palace complete with a moat (found a banner later on which advertised a moat race that was to take place in a few days time).

Then we went to look at the Cathedral itself. It really is quite impressive, and I felt as awestruck as when I saw Notre Dame for the first time. The architecture was different, but the beauty was the same. We went inside to have a look (you have to purchase a photography licence to take pictures inside) and the architecture on the inside was just as impressive as it was on the outside. The stairs had an interesting spiraling style (see picture below) and the ceilings were very unique in their design as well.

Visiting Wells was definitely worth it, but it is unfortunately a place many people may not think to see.

We went back to the country house for a BBQ-English style. We ate out on the patio in the sunshine with the garden smells all around us. It was so pleasant and the food was wonderful. I was told that they were a bit nervous to give a American girl a BBQ, but I was far from disappointed with the taste of the dishes. We had garlic bread, kebabs (veggie for me), grilled mushrooms, salad, and fruit.

After lunch, my friend, his mother, and I headed for Bath. Our first stop was the Royal Crescent (see picture below) which was grand in structure and appeared to be a popular picnic or meeting place for locals and tourists alike. We walked around the city a bit, looked at a beautiful bridge, the Pump Room, the baths themselves, and the Assembly Room (where balls were held). Jane Austen spent a lot of time here, so that was cool for me to know as I walked around the place.

Then my friend and I caught a train back to London, grabbed some food, had a quick dinner and then I went to bed early as I was leaving at 3:30am to get on a bus to take me to Luton Airport and then to Madrid!

HIGHLIGHT OF BATH AND WELLS: Seeing a very impressive Cathedral that many miss and walking around a city Jane Austen once walked through herself.
1. Street Market at Wells