What Kate Did... Went to Bath Spa

Back in November Tom and I took advantage of the cheap train fares and booked a weekend away in Bath, a beautiful city just a couple of hours away from central London. I didn't take my DSLR so please excuse the less than perfect photos from my trusty old iPhone 4!

We stayed at The Royal Hotel as it had a brilliant deal on (two nights plus a 3 course dinner and breakfast each morning for £100pp) and it is brilliantly located right next to the train station. The hotel was perfect for us - quiet, clean and decent sized rooms.

Day one:

We arrived late and after checking in we headed straight to the Thermal Baths. Although Thermae Bath Spa is not cheap it is arguably one of the most unmissable parts of Bath. And if you travel to Bath Spa by train you can get half price entry (just remember to take your ticket to show them!). You can hire a dressing gown and towel for a small fee (we just took the ones from our hotel though) and they have lots of clean changing rooms with lockers. Understandably you can't take your camera or phone into the baths, as people are wearing their swimsuits. Tom loved the flavoured steam rooms (especially eucalyptus) while the highlight for me was definitely the thermal pool on the roof. We sat and chatted while watching the sun go down over the stunning buildings around us. That night we ate at our hotel and redeemed the free meal that came with our room.

(Photo from the Themae Bath Spa website - no phones allowed inside!)

Day two:

After filling up on breakfast at the hotel we set off to explore the city. We started out at The Roman Baths (we managed to blag student discount here). There's a free audioguide which is worth doing. Just don't try the supposedly 'medicinal' water, it tastes as bad as it smells!

We then visited Bath Abbey, a beautiful landmark right next to The Roman Baths. It was great to take refuge from the cold November day inside.

After refuelling on tea and cake we went to the Jane Austen Museum, a personal highlight for me. The author is often associated with Bath and it was lovely to visit the museum and learn a bit more about her lift. Prebooking is recommended.

Not far from the Jane Austen Museum is the famous Royal Crescent, well worth trekking up the hill to see. After Instagramming this very photogenic street we wandered back down the hill to eat dinner at The Mint Room, a wonderful Indian restaurant with plenty of delicious vegetarian options.

Day three:

We spent the morning peacefully wandering around Bath, enjoying the pretty streets and independent shops. After popping to see Pulteney Bridge we headed to a vegetarian cafe called The Green Rocket Cafe for lunch. They had countless vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options to chose from. We both enjoyed our choices and even made room for pudding. We had to leave shortly after lunch to catch the train home, but we both had a lovely weekend and will be sure to return to Bath.

Top tips:
- Travel by train to enjoy half price entry to many attractions, including the Thermal Baths
- Prebook tickets to the museums and Thermal Baths to avoid the long queues.
- You only really need two full days to see all the highlights.
- We didn't use public transport or taxis at all, Bath is a small city which is accessibly on foot. 

What Kate Did... Lived in Cornwall

As I lived there for 3 years, rather than going on holiday, this post is going to be more of a list of things to do in Cornwall, rather than my usual suggested itineraries.




Places to visit in Cornwall:

• Falmouth - I have to start this list with my old home of Falmouth. It's a true gem of the southwest, filled with quirky independent shops, bars and restaurants as well as beautiful beaches. Falmouth is known as the foodie capital of the southwest, so many of my favourite restaurants are there. As well as the ones mentioned before I also love Mings Garden, Cribbs and Thai Orchid. You can visit Pendennis Castle, which was built by Henry VIII and was the last castle to fall during the English Civil War. The National Maritime Museum is also in Falmouth, which has lots of fun activities on for children. I would really recommend completing a Treasure Trail in Falmouth as they are great for taking you past all the sights as well as filling you in on the rich history of the area. I did the murder mystery one with Tom and we had loads of fun. Another must-do in Falmouth is taking a boat trip along the Fal estuary. You can jump on a boat or ferry from the Prince of Wales Pier. I've stayed in a couple of hotels in Falmouth when visiting friends there, I would really recommend Ivanhoe Guesthouse. The owners are incredibly friendly, the breakfasts are amazing and wonderful for vegetarians (they even make their own jam!) and the rooms are huge and great value and the location is perfect for accessing both the high street and the beach. 

• St Ives - In 2011 I wrote this post on St Ives which goes into more detail. It really is the most beautiful part of Cornwall.  I don't think I've ever seen the sea so blue. The Barbara Hepworth sculpture gardens and the Tate St Ives are both worth a visit (you can get a cheaper combined ticket). Don't try and drive into the town, instead get the park and ride train. 

• St Michael's Mount - this unusual attraction is not too far from St Ives and is easily accessible by public transport. If you visit at high tide you have to take a small boat over to the mount, which really added to my excitement. We left at low tide so we were able to walk back across the causeway. 

• The Camel Trail - this is a lovely scenic bike trail from Wadebridge to Padstow. You can hire bikes at either end, or bring your own. 
• The Eden Project - although it is expensive I did really enjoy visiting The Eden Project. I'm not into plants or gardening but the sheer scale of the project was really impressive, and the cafe sells really good cake which is enough to sway me! 
• Godolphin House - While I was living in Cornwall I had an annual pass to National Trust properties. Godolphin House was definitely one of my favourites. The gardens are beautiful and the cafe is amazing! Trewithen is also wonderful and worth a visit. 

• Tintagel - Tintagel Castle is rumoured to be the location where King Arthur was born. All that's left today are some ruins with pretty spectacular views. The castle is reached by climbing many uneven steps so it is not very accessible. Tintagel is a  must-see in Cornwall. 

• Minack Theatre - I've been lucky enough to see two shows at the Minack Theatre and I don't think it really matters what you see, the real star of the show is the setting. 

Where to eat in Cornwall: 

• Oliver's (Falmouth) - Although mostly known for their steaks (the best my Dad has ever had!) they also have several really good vegetarian options. I chose to eat here after my graduation as the food is so special, it was the perfect end to a great day. It's no surprise that they are the best rated restaurant in Falmouth on Tripadvisor. 

• Gylly Beach Cafe (Falmouth) - Another special restaurant, this is actually where Tom and I went on our first date five years ago. They serve food throughout the day, although I have never eaten breakfast there. I love the veggie chilli nachos. As the name suggests, this restaurant is right on the beach which is really lovely. The views and atmosphere are unbeatable. If the weather is less than sunny when you visit then I would recommend their brilliant hot chocolates, they taste best when you sit outside under the heaters wrapped in a blanket with a dog at your feet. On Sunday evenings they usually have live music and some kind of deal on, it was a curry (meat, fish or veggie) plus a pint of beer or cider for £5 when I last went.

• Dolly's (Falmouth) - a lovely tearoom with homemade sweet treats by day and a roaring vintage themed gin bar by night. Dolly's is a wonderful place to visit. They serve cocktails in teapots and they have a resident golden retriever who wears pearls. What's not to love? 

• The Bean Inn (St Ives) - This is the only vegetarian restaurant on the list. I've only ever visited it with meat eaters and they've really enjoyed it too. The menu changes to reflect the seasons and everything is locally sourced. Read more on my St Ives post. 

With so much to see and do in this wonderful county it was really hard to pick a few favourites to compile this list. What's your favourite thing to do in Cornwall?