From City to Countryside: our Weekend Getaway to Bath

Today the students embarked on a 1.5 hour coach bus journey westward, to the picturesque village city of Bath, England. The transition from the Camden area where our Russel Square hotel is based was both refreshing and surprising as city skylines all but disappeared the moment our coach ventured onto the intercity expressway. Our guide, Mark, was kind enough to verbally annotate the sudden transition from beautifully congested city sidewalks to rolling hills along the English countryside as a byproduct of London’s prevention of urban sprawl: the city is clearly defined by its urban borders and there is a 5 mile border of protection to counteract the human tendency toward suburban metropolitan intermediaries, a signature of other metropolitan locales such as New York and Los Angeles. Interesting stuff, that is.

The students enjoyed the respite of a passive exploratory experience as we regarded key landmarks along our journey to Bath this morning. The (royally unoccupied) Windsor Castle shined its stunningly medieval grandeur from afar as we trotted along toward our countryside adventure. After settling into our hotel to drop off our bags, students and Program Leaders went on a lovely walking tour of all the quintessential English art history that has been cultivated here: from Jane Austin’s walking commute across the Pulteney Bridge, to The Circus rotunda where much of Bridgerton’s “Queen Charlotte” was filmed, to the mythic healing properties of the Roman baths, after which this principality was originally named. The students simultaneously soaked in the ancient history of the land while kindly discerning beyond the classical lens through which these histories are often projected with some tactful quips and analyses of their own. During free time, students were able to shop, grab a Cornish Pasty (or three!) and immerse themselves into an environment that is considered an idyllic representation of life in the English Countryside. This wonderfully eclectic group of bright young minds breathed new life into the conception of Bath’s complex and intriguing history, and we fostered many inclusive laughs and herstoric epiphanies along the way.