Bath: the basics

While looking for a photo for tonight's blip, I found this oldie which I remember processing on a train last week, for fun.

J and I worked together 20 years ago in the 'urban utopia' of Zlín, Czech Republic. Zlín is a town until recently most famous for the manufacture of Bat'a shoes, as seen throughout the developing world both before and during the Communist era.

We were both in our twenties then, much given to having adventures such as going rock climbing, cross country skiing, gliding, and in my case eating the national dish of Pork, cabbage and dumplings, and drinking way too much beer or burcak (a young apple wine which tastes like Appletise but has lethal consequences). Since then we have become more...settled...but both retain links with Zlín, and have flagons of memory of our time in Czechoslovakia, just after the revolution.

Last year we had a reunion in London, because I was working there at the time, and this year we chose to meet in Bath . I decided to take up the "two for one" offers that are advertised when one buys a train ticket online, to which I had never before paid the slightest attention. To my delight, J proved to be up for the Bath Abbey Tower Tour, so we were taken up, and up, and up...to see the giant bell that chimes the hours, and to stand behind the face of the Abbey clock itself. It was a chilly day, so we did not linger on the balconies or terraces of the tower, where this shot was taken. I liked the toytown buses and cars far below, oblivious of our presence.

In the Abbey itself are some contemporary embroidered panels by Sue Symons, displaying scenes from the gospels. I was completely taken aback by my response to them: they were moving, beautiful and superbly coloured. You can see Sue's 'book of the panels' here.

We wandered among the streets; did not go to the actual Roman Baths ( I can no longer remember why not ) and ended up in a Moroccan restaurant that had been recommended, before strolling back through town to the station as the sun set over the Cotswold stone town and its Georgian terraced houses. Then we caught our trains in opposite directions: hers to Salisbury, mine to Stroud via Swindon, and vowed to meet again in another year or so. I also promised to lend her the DVD of the documentary film Bat'aville: we are not afraid of the future which I have not yet done! Apologies for that, J, I just want to re-watch it first!