Bath, England
After taking a convenient overnight flight directly from Florida to London, we landed at Gatwick Airport around 7:30 in the morning after catching very little sleep on the plane. We didn't have time to process how sleepy we were because we were trying to catch the next train to Bath as soon as we collected our luggage. Gatwick Airport has a train station literally in the terminal, which makes it an easy departure point for the surrounding areas. After transferring trains in Reading (with literally an 8 minute transfer window), we arrived in Bath around 11:30 - just in time for lunch!
Bath gave us an immediate introduction to proper English weather - light, consistent rain. Undeterred, we stored our bags at our hotel (Abbey Hotel, which is just a short walk from the train station) and set out to explore the town.
Hungry from (or is it for) travel, we popped into The Raven, a local pub, for some pies and ale (and cider). The pies and hand-pumped beverages helped us appreciate that we were truly in England. Although somewhat empty when arrived, the pub quickly filled up as the rain continued to fall.
Concerned that the comfort food and sitting too long would allow jet lag to set in, we headed outside for a self-guided walking tour. Traveler tip: our key to fighting jet lag is changing our watch to the destination's time as soon we board the plane and to keep moving throughout the day. The historical society's audio walking tour of Bath was just the ticket to keep us active for the afternoon. This dreary weather certainly encouraged napping...
