Bath Travel Guide

 It's been quite a while since I last wrote a travel guide but I thought it was about time I share my tips and ideas for the beautiful city of Bath. We've been 4 times now which may seem excessive but it's almost becoming tradition to visit around our anniversary now which is what we did just a few months ago. It's become a bit like London for me now in that sometimes you just find a place that you connect with and have lots of happy memories so why wouldn't we want to keep going back? As we've been quite a lot, here are some of my recommendations which I hope will help if you'd like to visit in future.

Where to Stay

Let's start with the hotel I'd personally recommend whilst in bath, Hotel Indigo. We've stayed here every trip so far because it's just a really nice hotel. The interiors are gorgeous, as soon as you walk into reception you're hit with the scent of basically a spa and the whole check in area is just lovely. The rooms are all designed so uniquely and I love seeing what kind of room we end up with each time. It's in a great location, literally round the corner from Bath Abbey and an array of restaurants and shops and it's directly across from a car park and just down the road from the train station so ideal however you're travelling. It can be pricey depending on time of year but I'd recommend regularly checking in the run upto your trip as prices do come down and you can easily rebook at the cheaper price. Another hotel I see recommended a lot is The Abbey Hotel which is in a similar area and there's also several Premier Inns dotted in and around the centre if you're looking for a more budget friendly option. 

What to See/Do

Bath Abbey

The most obvious attraction I'm sure but one I do really recommend. It's such a focal point of the centre of Bath. It's really special inside and I love having a chilled walk around mid afternoon taking in all of the information and sights. I'm not religious but it's quite nice sitting and listening too when there is something going on inside. It's around £8 per person to visit.

The Royal Crescent

Another of the main attractions in Bath, the Circus and Royal Crescent. It's such a lovely area, especially in the summer as there are benches dotted around and a huge patch of grass so you can sit and enjoy the sun. If you're a Bridgerton fan you'll spot a few places from the show here including the home of the Featheringtons.

Victoria Falls Adventure Golf

Just down from the Royal Crescent, you can find Victoria Falls Adventure Golf. We love a game of mini golf and we've been coming back to this for the last few summers. It's an 18 hole course so can take a little while, especially when it's busy but take your time and have fun! I'd recommend booking in advance if you can.

Toppings & Company Book Shop

If you're a book lover, you must visit Toppings & Company! It is the most incredible book shop and we visit pretty much everyday when we're there. You'll find every book you could imagine here, there are several floors and you can even get free hot drinks so you can sit and read whilst you're there. Just love it.

Roman Baths

This feels like something you have to do in Bath at one point or another. We did this during our first trip in 2022 and I'm sure we'll go again one day. It's full of history and they have some really cool interactive ways of showing you what life was like once. You can go through at your own pace so I'd recommend freeing up 1-2 hours in your day for it. It's around £28 per person to visit.

Independent Shops

Whilst you can find most of your favourite chain shops in Bath, it's also full of lovely, independent businesses and it's always great to support them isn't it. The homeware shops in particular are brilliant and there are a few I always make sure I return to when we're there. Vinegar Hill and Sam Wilson Studio are two I recommend for all things decor.

Food

Mrs Potts Chocolate Shop

The absolute #1 recommendation when it comes to food. Mrs Potts is a chocolate cafe where you can get all manner of decadent cakes, brownies, cookies, milkshakes and so much more. The Matilda cake is pure chocolate heaven but honestly everything we've ever tried there has been delicious. This is a must for us every single trip!

Bertinet Bakery

I love pastry. Especially croissants and pain au chocolate which Bertinet Bakery do incredibly well. We found this place on a whim but it's become another staple for us now. Their pastries are so buttery and flaky and they also do some incredible babkas in a variety of flavours aswell as mini loaf cakes, cookies and even things like mince pies at christmas.

Joya

If there is one restaurant you must try whilst in Bath, it's Joya. An Italian Steakhouse with a menu full of choice, from things like Steak which you can opt to cook yourself on a hot stone, to a range of gorgeous pasta and risotto and they also do some amazing desserts - we particularly love the Tiramisu. The service is always great too and if it's a special occasion they'll often throw in free prosecco or do something to help you celebrate which is such a bonus.

Bandook

Another must of ours, usually on the last night as it always feels like such a special way to end each trip - Bandook. An Indian restaurant which I genuinely couldn't recommend enough. We like to get a variety of small plates, we particularly love the Samosa Chaat, Pocket Kebab & Kerala Chicken but they have a huge menu to choose from so you're spoilt for choice. The cocktails/mocktails are beautiful too!

A few other places worth a mention, Dough for delicious pizza, Bakervee for NYC style cookies and Rosarios for coffee!

Travel

When you're in Bath, most things are really walkable and as it's such a picturesque city it's a perfect way to take everything in, aswell as lots of photo opportunities. That being said I always recommend the Big Bus Tours when they're available in a city as they're such a great way of getting your bearings and are a convenient hop on/hop off option. You can usually get 48 hour tickets so no need to cram everything into one day either. There's even a boat tour you can do too but we've yet to tick that off our list. In terms of travelling into Bath, it all depends on where you're coming from but if driving, there's convenient parking dotted around the city centre and the train station is less than 10 minutes walk away from the centre.So, that wraps up my Bath travel guide. Just some of my tips and highlights of a beautiful city that I already can't wait to go back to again one day! Whenever you go, whether the peak of Summer or the during the Christmas period, there's something for everyone and so much to discover.

Have you visited Bath?

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Our Recent Trip To Cambridge

 A few months ago now George and I went to Cambridge for the first time and as it was such a lovely trip, I really wanted to write about it on here. Even though I rarely blog nowadays I still love looking back on old posts, especially our travel ones so why not share our Cambridge trip too? Even if just for me at least but maybe it will also give you some ideas too.We love a UK break, it's the main trips we do as there are so many beautiful places in the UK and it just works out a bit easier for us with the dogs now. Cambridge had been on our list for a while and this Spring seemed a perfect time. We were blessed with good weather while we were there which only made it even better and pretty much as soon as we left, I was thinking about when we'd return!

First things first, the hotel. I've really struggled in the past to find hotels in Cambridge that either didn't cost loads or just weren't the best location wise but by the time planning for this trip came around, a brand new Premier Inn had opened right in the centre. It's the Corn Exchange/Lion Yard hotel. This hotel was pretty much perfect. It was affordable, absolutely ideal location wise, had everything you need and I loved the check in process as you don't even need to speak to anyone, it can all be done via a touch screen. We'd definitely stay there again. We stayed for 3 nights but didn't arrive til around 7pm on the first night so even though we got a quick walk around in, it was basically 2 full days in the end which really, was a great amount of time. On the Monday, our first proper day, we started with breakfast at Dishoom. We had breakfast at Dishoom in London last year and it was incredible so I've been desperate to go again. The Dishoom in Cambridge is a Permit Room so more of a bar-cafe rather than just a restaurant so the menu was a little smaller but that was no problem, we both still found something delicious. I'd love to return in the evening next time. 

We walked round some of the lovely streets nearby afterwards and found Heffers Bookshop. I'm sure you know by now I love a bookshop and this was really interesting inside, the layout was so unique. We then headed down to Bould Brothers Coffee which I've only seen rave reviews about and now I totally understand why. We ended up returning everyday as it was so good. It's just across from The Round Church too which has a few benches dotted around so it was really lovely sitting there in the sun sipping our coffees. I recommend the mocha if you go!After a spot of shopping we headed for lunch at Aromi. You can sit in or get food to go so we went for one of their huge pizza slices so we could find a place to enjoy it in the sun. The classic Margarita slice was delicious but did take absolutely ages to cool down! We grabbed some ice cream from Jack's Gelato afterwards which is pretty much next door to Aromi and that was amazing. The baked vanilla flavour in particular! Around here you'll find The Corpus Clock and King's College so it's a nice spot for sightseeing too.The rest of the day was pretty chill, we took some time to cool down in the hotel and read our books before heading out for a meal that evening. We chose Flat Iron as we love a steak and it's not something we have loads at home. This was a beautiful meal, the steak was cooked perfectly, the chips were so nice and crisp, the mac & cheese lovely and cheesy and the drinks were super refreshing.Our next full day started with breakfast at Bill's. We both went for the pancakes which were so filling and the perfect start to the day and the hash browns on the side, wow, they were perfect.

We then tried to find some of the Dinky Doors that are dotted around Cambridge which are highly detailed mini sculptures. There's an official website where you can get a map to help you find them all but we just spotted them randomly while walking around. We only found 2 in the end but both are so unique. I think it's such a cool idea.That afternoon we finally properly browsed the market which is right in the centre of Cambridge and grabbed some lunch. You'll find all sorts of food stalls here so there's something for everyone aswell as stalls selling homemade bits and bobs, a sweet stall and more. The juices from one stall in particular were lovely and refreshing on a warm day.The rest of the day consisted of more book shopping, yet more coffee from Bould Brothers and some bakery hopping. I have to recommend the ricotta chocolate cake from Aromi which I mentioned earlier, absolutely delicious and I think about it most days. That evening we went for our final meal of the trip and enjoyed some mocktails then it was time to pack to head home the next day. We really loved our first trip to Cambridge and I can easily see it becoming another place we want to return to again and again. I'm already thinking of things we can do next time.

Have you ever been to Cambridge for a city break?

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My Top London Bakery Recommendations

 It's no secret if you've been reading my blog over the years or even following me on Instagram, that I love London. It is probably my all time favourite city & luckily we tend to go at least once a year so we're always finding new places to explore. One thing we love is discovering new bakeries and when we went earlier this year we decided to do a little bakery crawl. We included some places we wanted to revisit but also tried a few new ones which had been on our list for a while so I thought I'd share them with you!

Gail's Bakery

We did actually start off at Gail's Bakery for breakfast as it was close to our hotel. These are dotted around London so you're pretty much always near one and I always enjoy going to them when we're in London. Their cinnamon buns in particular are to die for but I also recommend their blueberry muffins, banana & pecan cake & flourless chocolate cake in particular! They also do simple pastries like croissants & pain au chocolates really well, so buttery and flaky, just everything you could possibly want them to taste like.

Bageriet Bakery

This had been at the top of my list for SO long! Bageriet Bakery is a swedish Bakery tucked away on Rose Street near Covent Garden & it is an absolute hidden gem. It's really cosy inside with limited seating and their bakes are all sort of dotted around the room in a really cool way. We were spoilt for choice but the main thing I wanted to try was the Sockerkringlor, a sugared brioche pretzel. I have no words for how delicious this was, I instantly regretted not buying more & I've thought about it a lot since. Soft, fluffy, the perfect sweetness, spectacular give me 14 of them. We also got a Notgrotta which is a shortbread cave filled with hazelnut chocolate & this was also incredible. They had one filled with jam too which I'm really keen to get next time. 

Buns From Home

Literally across the road from Bageriet Bakery, you'll find Buns From Home. Another bakery you'll find on most corners of London, I can't believe how long it took us to try them. Buns From Home specialise in hand rolled laminated buns & they have an array of flavours. Not only will you find their classic cinnamon bun but they also have pistachio, almond, hazelnut, cardamom and more aswell as a range of dessert filled buns! We got the chocolate custard filled bun which was delicious, surprisingly not too sweet but definitely filling. The pastry was lovely too. I really want to try their cheesecake bun one time as that looks amazing!

Barnaby Bars

Just around the corner from Buns From Home, we found Barnaby Bars, a relatively new bakery specialising in handmade chocolate bars. We got 3 to try, if I remember correctly they were TipTap which is peanut butter, salted caramel & peanut crunch, Cinema which is popcorn & toffee and finally Dollar which is a millionaire shortcake. The TipTap bar was like a fancy snickers and you can't go wrong with a millionaires shortbread. The chocolate on the bars wasn't too thick and none of the bars were overly sweet, I'd definitely try more flavours in future.

Crumbs & Doilies

I'd spotted Crumbs & Doilies on Instagram so many times so I was desperate to try their bakes. Based in Kingly Court, they sell a range of baked goods like cookies, brownies, cupcakes & more. We were going specifically to try their cookies but I regret not getting a cupcake too as they looked so good! Their New York cookies are thick, chunky & gooey and they have a range of flavours to choose from like Bueno, Biscoff, Cookies & Cream, Strawberry Shortcake, just to name a few. I got the Birthday Cake cookie & OMG it was divine. It was still a little warm so they clearly regularly have bakes fresh out of the oven as we were definitely there later in the day. The white chocolate chips & caramelised white chocolate were a little melty & the rainbow sprinkles weren't super crunchy so it was perfect in every way. Can't wait to go back!

Bread Ahead

Last but not least, there had to be a doughnut bakery on this list! We're big doughnut fans in this house and whilst our ultimate fave is Doh'hut in Leeds (who do actually have a shop in Spitalfields Market too!) Bread Ahead is one we've been going to since our earlier trips to London years ago. Based in Borough Market they seem to constantly be coming up with new variations of fillings & toppings and it's always hard to choose what to go for. This time we went for the blackcurrant cheesecake and it tasted exactly how it should, lovely and creamy cheesecake filling with a not too tart blackcurrant coulis drizzled on top. Be prepared to queue at Borough Market for these but they're definitely worth it.So that's the bakeries we managed to tick off our list during our last visit to London. I definitely want to do another bakery crawl next year as there are just so many more on our list. If you have any recommendations, please let me know as I'm always after new places to visit!

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What I Read In The First 6 Months Of 2024

 One of the posts I always love writing each year is my reading roundups. A few years ago I was book mad and I had 2 years in a row where I read over 100 books and then another year where I read about 80, which now seems crazy. I'm not sure how I did that and now I struggle to get about ten in! Here are the books I've read so far this year though, let me know if you've read any of them too.

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was one of my Christmas presents and I wasted no time in getting stuck in. I read The Silent Patient by the same author a few years ago which was genuinely incredible so I'd been really excited to read his newest book. The Maidens focuses on Cambridge University's most exclusive society, a group of members selected by charming & charismatic professor of Greek tragedy, Edward Fosca. When a series of murders occurs at the university, grieving therapist Mariana Andros is drawn back to Cambridge where she was once a student herself. She uncovers a web of secrets, jealousy and lies and when the killer threatens the person she loves the most, Mariana will do anything to stop them. This was one of those books that had you guessing from the beginning and every time you think you've sussed it out, another dubious character or twist would be thrown in and you'd be back to square one! I loved that it was written in quite short, snappy chapters and that we got the killers perspective occasionally too. Just a great read to start off 2024.

Never Never by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher - ⭐⭐

Oh I did not enjoy this and it's such a shame as I'm usually a really big fan of Colleen Hoover's books. I think this must be one of her older ones? I'd never heard of it until I saw it in a second hand bookshop in Bath but I'm glad I wasn't paying full price for it. Never Never follows Charlie and Silas who have been best friends since they were kids and they've been in love since they were 14. But as of one random morning, every memory has vanished. They must work together to figure out what has happened to them and why but as they find out more about themselves and the couple they used to be, they start to wonder why they were ever together to begin with. This was just such a slog to get through, I didn't particularly connect with any of the characters and it never really got going for me.

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lisa Jewell is just one of those classic authors for me. I haven't read every book of hers but the ones I have, I've always enjoyed and whenever I see a new one out in the shops, I'll always add it to my to be read list. None of This Is True is a psychological thriller about a woman who finds herself at the centre of her own popular true crime podcast. One night whilst celebrating her 45th birthday at a pub, Alix meets Josie, a lady also celebrating her 45th birthday - birthday twins! After bumping into each other various times over the next few weeks, Josie becomes more and more entwined in Alix's life and she soon suggests an idea for Alix's podcast. Josie wants to change her life and she wants Alix to document it. Whilst finding Josie slightly unsettling, Alix still gives into temptation. What she doesn't know is Josie has some very dark secrets and getting involved with her might be the worst mistake Alix could have made. This was just a thriller you don't want to put down. The alternating point of view chapters were snappy and gripping and I could never really guess where the story was going. I loved the real podcast that was released to coincide with the book, starring Nicola Walker who is just brilliant in everything she's in and I thought that was such a cool idea too so I listened to that after!

The Fury by Alex Michaelides - ⭐⭐⭐

When I spotted the latest by Alex Michaelides in York in February, I grabbed it, despite knowing very little about it and it being a hardback which I usually don't prefer. The Fury is a pacy thriller about an ex-movie star and her famous friends who take a trip to a private Greek island. Something they do most years, no reason to suspect this is any different? That is, until a murder happens on the island. Old friendships unravel and what follows is a game of cat and mouse with everyone trying to figure out who is to blame and if anyone else is in danger. Narrated by a very unreliable Elliott Chase, the readers are left guessing can any of these people be trusted? Overall, this was still a really good book and I did find I was racing through it a bit faster towards the end but initially it did start off quite slow and therefore didn't hook me in quite as quickly as Alex's books usually do. It takes so long for things to be revealed that by the end when there was so much information at once, I was having to stop and really think about what was going on and I just found it a bit confusing. Despite that, I will absolutely be buying Alex's next book as I've loved his others.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I'm a huge fan of the Hunger Games films. We did a big rewatch of them all not too long ago after watching the prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and for some reason this time round it made me really keen to finally read the books. I never read them when they were first released and I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy them now quite in the same way as the films so I just bought the first one initially. Pretty much straight away I could tell I was going to enjoy it and I found it a really easy read. I just think it's such a unique idea for a book and despite knowing what happens I was still gripped when reading it and I'm excited to get the next in the series.

Seven Summers by Paige Toon - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

If there's anyone still around who read my blog years ago, you'll know how much of a fan I am of Paige Toon. She's my all time favourite author and I've loved pretty much every book of hers so it's no surprise her latest, Seven Summers, was another 5 star. In Seven Summers we meet Liv and Finn who after a night of passion have to go their separate ways. Finn's life is in LA with his band and Liv's is in Cornwall with her family but they make a promise that Finn will return every year and if they're still single, they'll spend the Summer together. What starts off exciting soon becomes more difficult than they predicted and eventually Liv meets Tom, who might be able to offer her a life that doesn't leave her heartbroken every year. Can she ever really give Finn up though? This just pulls on your heartstrings the whole way though as every book Paige writes does. It was perfect in every possible way and I know I'll re-read it one day.

The Other Mothers by Katherine Faulkner - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I picked this up randomly when doing the food shop recently and despite the blurb hooking me in, I didn't expect to enjoy it quite as much as I did. When I say I couldn't put this down, I genuinely mean it. I think I read it in two sittings! Tash is desperate to be part of a friendship group. It's something everyone else seems to have apart from her so when spots the other mothers at her sons new playgroup, the sleek & sophisticated mothers that is, she's keen to get to know them. Their lives are exactly what she's been dreaming of, they have it all. But she soon discovers they have their secrets too and everything isn't always as it seems. I'm really keen to read more from Katherine Faulkner now, this was just brilliant.

Cat Lady by Dawn O'Porter - ⭐⭐⭐

I've read a few books from Dawn O'Porter and have enjoyed them so when I spotted Cat Lady on offer on my kindle, I grabbed it and hoped it would be a good read. That it was but it's definitely not one of my favourites this year. Cat Lady follows Mia, a woman who seems to have it all. She's married, has a nice house, a good career, what more could she want? But for Mia that isn't enough and there's another woman inside just waiting to get out. There were some really funny moments in this and for the majority of the book I genuinely didn't know how it was going to end. Whilst I'm more of a dog person than a cat lady, I could definitely relate to Mia's pure love for her pet and some parts made me really emotional because of it!

A Song of Me and You by Mike Gayle - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I read Half A World Away by Mike Gayle a few years ago and loved it but for some reason he's never an author I think to look for in bookshops so it took me by surprise when I spotted this a few months ago. A Song of Me and You tells the story of Helen, a divorced, part-time teacher and Ben, a world-famous millionaire rockstar, who dated when they were young but lost contact. That is until Ben turns up on Helen's doorstep twenty years later. He needs help and even after all this time, Helen is the first person that came to his mind. So much has happened in those twenty years but it's clear feelings are still there. Can there really be a happy ending though? This was a lovely read and I loved the characters of Helen and Ben. I was rooting for them from the moment Ben turns up in her life again but as with the previous book I read from Mike, there's always a heartbreaking twist thrown in! I really recommend this if you just want an easy, romantic read and I know I'll be looking out for more of his books now.

Keep Her Secret by Mark Edwards - ⭐⭐⭐

I've really enjoyed some of the books I've read from Mark Edwards before so I was intrigued when I saw Keep Her Secret on offer on kindle. This follows Matthew & Helena who have rekindled after 20 years apart. When a shock accident happens whilst on their first holiday together, Helena reveals a shocking confession which makes Matthew realise, does he really know who Helena is anymore and what else has she been hiding? I found this so easy to whizz through and it never felt like it was dragging at any point. I tend to find that with books by Mark Edwards and it never takes me long to read them. That being said I didn't love this and I'm not really sure why!

No One Saw A Thing by Andrea Mara - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was so excited to read this! 'Two children get on the train. Only one gets off... No one saw it happen. By the time you get to the next station to catch up with them, only one of them is there. Someone is to blame. Has the other daughter got lost? Been taken by a stranger? or perhaps the culprit is closer to home than you think?' I was so intrigued by where this was going to go and whilst I had a few ideas quite early on, there were so many twists and turns! Every time you think you've got it figured out, something else happens which makes you re-think. I'd really recommend this if you want a tense read.

The Switch by Lily Samson - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Switch is about Elena and Adam who have recently moved to Wimbledon to housesit. Not long after settling in, they meet Sophia and Finn, their new beautiful, enigmatic neighbours who seem to have the perfect life. Making it even more shocking when Sophie proposes a twisted game to Elena whereby they swap partners in secret. It's not long before Elena's life is thrown up in the air when she finds herself in an illicit love affair that she's not even sure she could give up now. Unfortunately for her, Sophia has a further twist to the plan that Elena could never have imagined. This was just everything you want in a thriller. Pacy, exciting, tense, I just raced through it! I really liked the characters of Elena and Finn and the chemistry between them was noticeable from the beginning. There were several twists and turns throughout and I'd urge you to read it.

So, that's everything I've read so far in 2024! I'd love to know if you've read any of these books or if you have any recommendations?

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