Posted by Rebecca on July 19, 1997 at 15:54:08:
In reply to Re: What do do Around Bath in Five Days posted by Kali on July 19, 1997 at 05:58:42
If you only have five days, don't miss the Pump Room (have tea or brunch there), the Baths, the Assembly Rooms and Museum of Costume, the Bath Abbey, Pulteney Bridge, or the JA walking tour they have over at the Bath Web Site.
Lacock, the National Trust Village which stood in for Meryton in P&P2 and Highbury in Emma3, is accessible from Bath by bus - but not on Sundays!
Jenna, my recommendation would be to spend a day at Chawton and Winchester (Jane's buried in the cathedral), a day in Salisbury (Wilton House and Mompesson House, which were in S&S, are there, and Stonehenge is nearby), a day and a half in bath, and half a day in Lacock (the latter half, as the photography museum and Abbey open latish).
If you have time, Montacute House, also in S&S, is relatively close to Bath.
Kali, you have definitely made the best suggestions. Do stay in Winchester and Salisbury, there are so many decent B&B's in both places, you should only be paying about 20-30 pounds for a night's stay, accompanied by a great breakfast.
My fave place to stay was the Red Lion in Lacock. It was a bit pricey at 60 pounds a night, but the atmosphere made up for the cost. There is nothing like waking up in the morning, and seeing this little village outside your window. And the rooms are amazing. The lady who owns the Red Lion tried to tell me that Darcy slept in the same room, and all I could do was laugh.
Posted by Laurel on June 30, 1997 at 10:27:49:
In reply to Re: going to England with a boyfriend posted by Adi on June 29, 1997 at 18:36:45
thanks everyone for your help! I decided to answer all of you in one post. I hope you don't mind.
(snip)
Laurel, I've never thought about hiking... what a great idea! I'm certainly going to adopt this. where could I found those hiking maps?
(more snipping)
I checked out Amazon.com and searched for hiking" and "England". They do have some books listed (including one on hiking in the Peaks District :-) ), but most of them require special order. This means you might have to wait 4 to 6 weeks to get a book. Another option is to call or visit a store that specializes in travel or maps, such as a Rand McNally travel store. (You can see where they're located by checking their web site). If nothing else, get a good map of England that shows scenic routes (such as the Michelin maps), pick an area to visit, then look for maps or books in local stores or tourist centers once you get to that area.
You also mentioned that your boyfriend likes sports and rock music. There's lots of sports in the UK - cricket, soccer (football), horse racing. I don't know the seasonality of these sports (though I know that cricket is a warm-weather sport), but I'm sure you could find something to see! You might want to search out some Web sites of local UK papers (try the UK Yahoo for a start) to see what's available right now.
As far as rock music goes, there's certainly lots of that as well. When I was in the UK, I saw Bruce Springsteen in Sheffield and the Fabulous Thunderbirds in London. There's also lots of good local music (remember, the Beatles and the Who were local bands, once!) -- just poke around and you're sure to find some!
Editor's note - Unless you're frightfully brave and a great driver to boot, I wouldn't recommend driving on your first trip to the UK. Insurance is expensive and each person who signs the rental agreement is liable for any damages to the vehicle. In addition, the drivers are insane over there - main highways, esp. around London, are crazy. If you do persist in driving, however, know that your Canadian or US license will allow you to rent a car. Check age restrictions before you leave.
Posted by PaulaL on July 02, 1997 at 16:15:42:
Several people have mentioned concerns about driving on the wrong side of the road. I was also very wary about this, but I just got back from driving (600 miles!) through Scotland and it turned out fine.
I do have a couple of tips to share: First, we got a car with an automatic shift (most rental cars in the UK have a stick shift and you have to shift with your left hand--too hard for us). We memorized ahead of time the road signs & markings and what they meant.
Also, we had two people, a driver and a navigator. The navigator (me) figured out directions so the driver could concentrate on driving. As we approached a roundabout, I would call out "3 o'clock!" or whatever direction so the driver could focus on turning safely.
Most of the time we were on 2-lane roads where everybody was very polite, which I'm sure is far easier than city driving (the road to Heathrow, yikes!!). We met several Americans & Canadians who were driving, too, and they all seemed to be doing OK, so it was much easier than I thought.
I wouldn't try it alone, though -- it would be too hard to drive and navigate at the same time.
Posted by Kate on July 03, 1997 at 19:20:52:
In reply to Driving on the Wrong Side posted by PaulaL on July 02, 1997 at 16:15:42
My experience (from going through the same process in reverse, as an Aussie driving in the US) is as follows
THINK BEFORE YOU START THE CAR: "I'm driving on the other side of the road. That means I have to concentrate ALL THE TIME" It's easy just to get in and drive off (if you remember get in the correct side of the car) without thinking about it too carefully.
DON'T try to think about right and left - I found my brain became completely scrambled when I tried to think "keep to the right, stay in the right lane". The best advice I got was "keep the passenger against the kerb". That worked really well.
PLAN where you're going.
MIRRORS - I kept looking to my left for my mirror, and it took a while to remember it was on my right.
INDICATORS - I spent the first week turning on the wipers when I wanted to turn. This is embarrassing, but you get used to it!
TRAVELLING ALONE - I was worried about this, because the first trip I did, I had two passengers, who did the navigating and looked for signs, while I drove. But when it came to the point, it was fine by myself. Mind you, that was in Texas, where the roads are fantastic. I think I would have just driven into the river if I'd been alone in Boston.
LOOK BOTH WAYS = REPEATEDLY - I still can't work out which direction the traffic is going to come from, so I just triple check before pulling out.
AND FINALLY: DON'T DRIVE IN BOSTON!!! ;-)
Posted by Jane Elizabeth on July 25, 1997 at 16:21:07:
Sometimes I think we forget that North America existed during the Regency, too. I recently toured homes in Savannah, several of which were built by English architects circa 1810. One had a unique roof-top cistern system for catching rainwater and diverting it to an indoor plumbing systems. Here in the NY area, we have many wonderful estates and homes: Washington Irving's Sunnyside (1830s) and Montgomery Place (1790s) are two great ones. If you live near any restored homes, plan a visit this summer. When you're strolling the park, close your eyes and imagine you're at Pemberley!
Posted by Liz in SC on August 10, 1997 at 23:36:08:
In reply to Re: If you can't get to Europe, try this... posted by Kali on August 02, 1997 at 05:46:47
Another happy thought if you cannot get to Europe this season - besides Savannah - try Charleston, SC - our lovely seaside town is filled with homes and business buildings from 1760 on. Actually the autumn is the best time to beat the heat in Charleston, but the flowers and trees are best in spring and summer. While you are in Charlestown, don't miss the small town of Georgetown north of Charleston - 1750 was its beginning and it is filled with lovely old homes(well preserved or restored) and the feel of the South from 1800-1830.
Posted by Jane Elizabeth on August 04, 1997 at 10:29:53:
In reply to Re: If you can't get to Europe, try this... posted by Kali on August 02, 1997 at 05:46:47
What was the lag time for English and European designs coming to America?
Hard to say, but from what the docents in Savannah told us, the newly rich in America were rabidly keen to import objects and styles from Europe, so I suspect it took only as long as shipping from the Contintent. I wonder also...since England was at war with France, and America was thick as thieves with the French, did French fashions arrive in America faster then they did in England?
I was looking in a NY guidebook over the weekend and found more than 8 homes of the period from 1790 to 1840 in the area. Perhaps when we next get a NY meeting together it can include a visit to one. The whole East Coast is chockablock with restoration homes of this period, and it is a sincere pleasure to visit them. In Savannah, we were viewing a music room with a harp and a pianoforte and my daughter whispered to me "I can almost see Lizzy and Jane sitting here."
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