Jane Austen, rugby, and spas...a weekend in Bath

Last weekend we went on our much-anticipated visit to Bath!  Bath is a historic town about two hours west of London, home of the United Kingdom's only naturally-occurring hot springs.  Bath has been famous since Roman times as a spa town and was also a popular tourist town in the 18th and early 19th centuries.  By a fortuitous coincidence, we arrived in Bath on the last day of the Jane Austen festival, an annual festival celebrating Jane's life in Bath.  I've been reading Jane Austen novels since May, so I was definitely in the mood to soak up some Jane Austen history!  Bath still looks very much the way it did in Jane's time (early 1800s), with Georgian stone buildings and architecture, so it's easy to understand why the town is so proud of the fact that Jane lived there--I really felt like I was living in one of her novels the entire weekend.  Plus I guess it helps that she is their "most famous resident."

Beautiful garden near the River Avon in the heart of Bath

We got up bright and early Saturday morning (actually, that's a lie, it was still completely dark when we left the house) to catch our 6am train.  We arrived in Bath at 8am, checked into our hotel, and started to explore the town.  Bath certainly isn't an early-to-rise kind of town; literally nothing was open before 9:30, and most places weren't open until 10am.  The streets were pretty much deserted, and we got to get to know our way around a bit before all the throngs of tourists arrived.  Finally things started opening, and we went to Sally Lunn's house for some famous Bath buns.  The Sally Lunn house is the oldest house in Bath (the current building was built in 1680) and home of the Sally Lunn bun, which has become a trademark of the city.  They were quite tasty, sort of like brioche.  Josh really wants a sticker that says "I love Sally's buns"--because we did!

Sally's delicious buns...with lemon curd and chocolate butter

After our buns, Beth, Josh, and Xavier went on a general walking tour of the city while I went on a Jane Austen walking tour.  The little Jane Austen nerd in me was so delighted as we stopped around the city and our tour guide pointed out where certain scenes from the novels took place.  Plus I got to learn a lot about the history of the town too, which was very cool.  Bath has been a major British social center for hundreds of years--up until the mid-1800s, it was THE place to be.  Originally people came to bathe, but by Jane's time they just came to "take the waters" and socialize.

The famous Pump Room, where one goes to drink Bath's healing waters

After our tours we went on to the Bath vs. Sale Sharks rugby match!  I had never been to a rugby game, and I really enjoyed it.  The stadium was beautiful, with the medieval Bath Abbey in the background, and it was fun to learn a bit about the sport.  It's similar in a lot of ways to American football, but I think rugby is a lot more fun to watch.  And to top it off, Bath won!

Kicking off the game

The rest of the day was pretty relaxed.  We wandered around town, window-shopped, and I got very excited watching all the Jane Austen festival-goers dressed up in their costumes.  Although, because of all the Jane Austen and rugby fans that were in town for the weekend, we ended up having a bit of trouble finding a place for dinner that night, but we managed.

Jane Austen costumes!! aaahhhh!!!!

Sunday morning Beth and I went to the spa!!  The spa uses water from Bath's hot springs, and our 2-hour session was very luxurious.  We got there right when the spa opened, so we had the baths all to ourselves for a while (because people don't get up early in Bath).  We also went to the steam rooms and to the beautiful rooftop pool that had an incredible view of the city and the surrounding countryside.  It was a wonderful experience, and Beth and I were both very relaxed afterwards!

View from the rooftop pool

We met up with Josh and Xavier for a delicious lunch at a gastro-pub then spent the afternoon doing more wandering--Bath is really good for just poking around the beautiful gardens and streets.  We took a peak at the Roman baths, then I went to Bath Abbey for the choral evensong service, which was lovely.  We had intended to go to the Pump Room for tea in the afternoon, which I was really looking forward to.  The Pump Room is where people went to drink Bath's healing waters, and it was the social center of the town in Jane Austen times.  Well, unfortunately they had a fire alarm (no fire), so they closed early (which we thought was ridiculous) and we didn't get tea, which was very disappointing.  We did, however, get to sample some of the famous water from the hot springs--which was absolutely disgusting.  It was warm and tasted like sulfur, and I felt like I was literally drinking bath water, especially considering it came from the same source as the water that Beth and I soaked in all morning!  We replaced our afternoon tea at the Pump Room with a trip to the fudge shop, and with that we were back on our way to London.  It was an absolutely wonderful weekend in a beautiful city!

Fountain in the Pump Room that dispenses the famed Bath water

And it sure is a good thing I had something fun going on for the weekend, because it made up (almost) for the fact that I was missing Georgetown's homecoming, which I was quite sad about!

my Jane Austen boyfriend

In need of a routine, plus weekend fun

Now that I'm pretty settled into my life here and am rapidly learning my way around the city, I'm starting to feel the need for a more structured lifestyle.  Don't get me wrong, I love that my work obligations allow me the freedom to roam around London and get in lots of good sightseeing, but I think I'm falling into the dangerous habit of whiling away all my free time on my computer...not a good way to spend my time in London!  

Part of my sense of lacking a routine is because I haven't been able to go into the House of Commons very consistently.  Beth and I go into the office on opposite days, and the days I go in depend a lot on when she needs to go into the office.  But due to some difficulties in getting my security badge, I've only been able to go in when someone else is in the office, and the other lady in the office is currently out of town on business, so my work in the office has been rather sporadic the past couple weeks.  I don't mind this set-up, but I definitely feel like I need to be more proactive about getting the most out of the days that I'm not in the office or nannying (including weekends)!

Speaking of weekends, I got to do some fun things this past one.  On Thursday I went to an event that I've been looking forward to for a long time, the Georgetown "Welcome to the Neighborhood" alumni event.  Alumni chapters in lots of different cities (in the States plus a couple foreign cities) were hosting events to welcome alumni who were new in town, and I was excited by the idea of going to my very first alumni event.  It was at a swanky bar in Trafalgar Square, and it very much felt like my first "grown-up" social outing.  I was definitely on the younger side of the people there, and most of the alumni were already well-established professionals.  I did recognize a few faces as people I went to Georgetown with, and one guy I met was an unemployed '09 graduate, but I must admit, I felt a little intimidated by all the successful economists, consultants, and business people I was chatting with who were all several years older than me.  I did meet one younger girl who was a London native and the girlfriend of one of the board members (not a Georgetown alum herself) who was a food journalist, and, like me, she had studied in Spain.  She was definitely my favorite person there--she loved food, loved Spain, loved writing, obviously a girl after my own heart!  All in all, it was a fun evening, a good networking opportunity, and I hope to go to some more events with the Georgetown London club while I'm here.

On Friday Beth (and Xavier) and I went to lunch and then to a John Singer Sargent exhibit at the Royal Academy of Arts called "Sargent and the Sea."  The Pope was in town all weekend, and I considered going to his vigil service in Hyde Park on Saturday.  However, I found out that you had to be going with a Catholic parish, you couldn't go just as an individual, so I ended up not going.  Sunday I went to my second class at Pineapple Dance Studios, this time a bhangra class.  My only experience with bhangra dancing (based in traditional Indian dancing) was in Rangila at Georgetown last fall, and I was eager to learn more. The class was SO MUCH FUN.  It really made me appreciate my years of ballet training, because without that background, it would have been a much harder class.  I definitely want to go back!

This past Monday Beth, Xavier, and I went to Windsor Castle!  The castle was very impressive (I especially loved Queen Mary's Dolls' House and the photographs of Queen Elizabeth as a child), and the town was so quaint and charming.

Tower of Windsor Castle

Garden at the base of Windsor Castle

This upcoming weekend we're all going to Bath, which I'm very excited for!  I'm especially excited because we are arriving on the last day of the Jane Austen festival.  I read several Jane Austen novels this summer, and the last two I read (I'm still finishing one) are her two novels that are set in Bath, so it is perfect timing for me!  I'm bummed that we'll be missing the Regency Costume Parade, though....and I know Beth and Josh are too. :-)  And we're also going to a rugby match, so it should be a great weekend!


One last thing: anyone happen to know when Glee starts in the UK???  I can't watch it online  and can't figure out when it's starting here!

So what IS a Mews?

According to Wikipedia:  "Mews is a chiefly British term formerly describing a row of stables, usually with carriage houses below and living quarters above, built around a paved yard or court, or along a street, behind large city houses, such as those of London, during the 17th and 18th centuries. The word may also refer to the lane, alley or back street onto which such stables open. It is sometimes applied to rows or groups of garages or, more broadly, to a narrow passage or a confined place. Today most mews stables have been converted into dwellings, some greatly modernised and considered highly desirable residences."

In other words, mews today are basically a collection of cute townhouses around a courtyard or along a small street that, centuries ago, were used as stables and carriage houses.  We live in a mews, hence the title of my blog.  Now all your musings about the mews are answered! (teehee, I couldn't help myself.)

I Left My Heart In...?

Every college senior has their answer to the perennial question of "what are you doing after you graduate?" (even if that answer is a lie).  My answer was, "I'm going to stay in DC and hopefully start a career in media, communications, or the arts."  As vague as my career ambitions were (and still are), I knew that I definitely wanted to stay in Washington.  I love DC and was looking forward to learning a bit more of the city beyond the "Georgetown bubble," plus I already had a built-in network of college friends who were also planning on staying in the District.  Up until about mid-July, I wasn't even interested in looking for work anywhere other than DC, and I fully expected to live there for a few years, at least until I decided to go to grad school.

But now I'm in London, and if I learn nothing else from this experience, I'll have learned that I have no idea where I want to end up after this.  I'm already in love with London, and honestly, DC seems quite small in comparison.  I would still be perfectly content to end up in DC when I return to the States, but my mind is now much more open to the possibility of moving somewhere else, like New York....or Chicago....or San Francisco....or even staying in London!  All last year I said that if a job opportunity arose somewhere other than DC, I would accept, but I think now I'm much more willing to actively seek out work in other cities.  Given the fact that I am perpetually unable to make decisions, your guess is as good as mine as to where I'll be three months from now.

So what's so great about London that has contributed to this new life philosophy?  First and foremost, the weather.  To go from the oppressive heat and humidity of Georgia and DC, where the temperatures in both places are regularly in the 90s, to a place where it actually feels like fall is amazing.  It can still get pretty warm in the afternoons here, especially when I'm out walking Xavier, but I still wear jeans every day.  And occasionally jackets.  It's wonderful, especially since fall is my favorite season.

I'm also enjoying my job in the House of Commons.  It's very different from my college internship in the Senate--in my office on Capitol Hill, there were about 15 interns and an entire team of staffers; here, I work with one other woman in my office.  Even though my responsibilities are mostly relegated to dealing with mail and email (typical intern duties), I already feel like I have more independence and responsibility than in my previous political internship.  With only two people in the office, things just have to get done!  Oh yeah, and I have a view of Parliament.  And I can hear Big Ben chime the time throughout the day.  Not a bad set-up at all.

Portcullis House, where my office is

And of course, I'm having a blast with Xavier.  We go on lots of walks together--because he won't take a nap otherwise--and I've gotten to spend a lot of time exploring the neighborhoods around us.  I walk all over the place, and I already feel like I have a much better knowledge of the city, or at least of my little corner of the city.

We walked by Abbey Road on one of our walks this week

When I'm not busy with my jobs, I get to play tourist.  Friday I set out on my own to see the State Rooms of Buckingham Palace, which are only open for two months in the summer when the Queen is away.  The tour was quite impressive!  From there I managed to find my way to the Victoria & Albert Musuem (my navigational skills have been improving since I've been here) where I saw a fantastic exhibit on Grace Kelly and her clothes.  On Saturday I got to take my first dance class in over four years!!!  I took a jazz class at the famous Pineapple Dance Studio in Soho, and it was wonderful.  My body protested a bit at first--I've lost quite a bit of my formal dance technique--but it was so great to take class again and to get to do some fun choreography.  I'd like to try to make it to at least one class a week--I'm especially intrigued by the bhangra class and the Michael Jackson class.  They clearly offer a huge variety of classes!  Sunday we enjoyed a lovely picnic in Regents Park, where Xavier did battle with a peach, much to our amusement.  In the afternoon I checked out the Thames Festival, an annual London farewell-to-summer celebration on the banks of the river.

Xavier vs. peach.  The results were...sticky.

It's funny, I feel like my life, at least in college, has always been in a state of lots to do and no time to do it (Georgetown) or lots of time and nothing to do (Dalton).  Here, at least on the weekends, I have lots of time AND lots to do, and the variety of things to do and see can be a bit overwhelming!  I guess that means I'll just have to do my best to take advantage of everything London has to offer while I'm here.

London Calling

Hello and welcome to my London life!  Considering the fact that it’s practically par for the course these days for college students and 20-somethings living abroad to keep blogs of their international adventures, I figured I would follow suit.  I’m not promising this will be the most thrilling or regularly updated blog, but at least it will keep those who are interested informed about what I’m up to across the pond! 

What AM I up to across the pond, you might ask?  Well, like many other recent college grads, this summer I was living at home, mooching off my parents, and enduring the frustration of looking for that first, full-time, 9-to-5 job.  One day my cousin Beth, who lives in London, called me up and offered me a job.  Would I like to come to London for 3 months and be a nanny for her baby half the week and intern in her office in the House of Commons half the week?  Yes, please!  And just like that, all my distress about not having a job vanished—at least for the time being.  Time to become a Real Person with a Real Job!

Fast forward a month and a half later, and here I am in London!  I left home in Dalton on August 31, and after approximately 20 long and uneventful hours in transit, I arrived in the UK on September 1 and will be here until December 1.  I live with Beth, her husband Josh, and their baby Xavier, who is 10 ½ months old.  I will be spending 2 days a week interning in the House of Commons and 2-2 ½ days being Molly Poppins for Xavier, leaving weekends free for enjoying London!  I’m also hoping to meet people through the Georgetown alumni network in London, and I’m already planning on going to one of their events next week.  I’ve spent the past few days getting settled here, wandering the neighborhood, and learning the ropes for my two jobs, and I even got to go on my first run in Regents Park.  This week my post-grad life gets started full force.  Hooray for employment in foreign cities!