bath, somerset...5 must-sees and a mistress named popjoy

The honey-coloured houses welcomed me first, as I left the train station and began the walk through town to the inn we were going to be staying in for one night in Bath.

An easy 1.5 hour train ride, this day trip from London should be on your list, not just because it's a pretty town, but because it is full of the most interesting history going way, way back.

Pubs are ubiquitous here, and with names like ‘The Raven’, The Griffin’, 'Home of the best pie!', 'Local Ales!' they offer the most wonderful invitations to stay and rest for a while, which we happily took advantage of every 2 hours or so.

A large plaque caught my attention in the centre of town, dedicated to Beau Nash. With a mistress named Juliana Popjoy how can anything go wrong? The so-called ‘King of Bath’, Nash and his mistress, Miss Popjoy (could there be a better name for a mistress?), ruled the town in the late 1700’s. 

The organized “entertainments” and made Bath the ‘it’ place to be, not just for its healing waters, but for fashion and fun. It is said that Miss Popjoy’s ghost occasionally pops by (pardon the pun) to check if guests of Bath are being entertained to the degree she and Beau Nash would have approved of, over 200 years before.

So, in order that you are as entertained as I was on my recent visit (no mistresses involved), here are the five must-sees in Bath, along with a little story: 

Royal Crescent

The Royal Crescent is where I experienced Jane Austen. I could absolutely imagine her walking the lawns overlooking Bath, and the hilly countryside, as she contemplated her next book or wrote her sister letters. The Crescent was never her address in Bath, when she began spending time here in the late 18th century. Her family didn’t have the means for such a home (few do), but the energy here feels romantic and storybook...just like Jane. 
 

A fascinating architectural feature of the Royal Crescent is the uniform, terraced housing which one sees from the front, which completely betrays the chaos and unevenness from the back. This design is apparently common in Bath and bears the whimsical name of “Queen Anne fronts and Mary-Anne backs”.

Add to this the fact that the sloping lawns in front of the crescent are cut by a ha-ha, and Bath could really be straight out of a novel (not surprising that it’s the setting for so many). A ha-ha is an actual term for the ditch, which on one side is a steep slope of lawn, betraying the other side which is a stone wall. The effect is one of a continuous green slope. Ha-ha! 

The Circus

Much quieter than, say, Piccadilly Circus, this circus on the north-end of Bath, easily walkable from the centre of town, is a residential square...but yet a circle...and surely not for your normal resident. A completely round circle of elegant townhouses, with 3 entrances into in, the circus was designed in the mid-1700’s by John Wood, to mimic Stonehenge.

The Royal Baths

Be prepared to spend quite a bit of time here if you are inspired by the stories of the past, like way in the past (AD 43). The 3D holographs which appear in the many excavated rooms of the bath describe in detail the normal routines of the Romans, and the importance of these communal places... to catch-up with each other, to visit and share experiences, to rest and rejuvenate together, through hot, cold and healing waters.

At the end of the self-guided tour you can taste the earthy, mineral water for yourself and ponder the worth which was placed upon it over the past hundreds, if not, thousands of years. There was even a Royal Mineral Water Hospital!

Bath Abbey

Founded in the 7th century, the Bath Abbey is home to thousands of people who were buried under the cathedral's stone floor, with over 800 stone tiles dedicated to prominent city members hundreds of years old. The current abbey, which sits on the remains of a Norman cathedral, has been undergoing gentle excavations and reconstruction in order to stabilize the ground beneath, which has deteriorated due to the crumbling bones of upwards of 6000 people. Walking over the engraved stone floor, I felt like a trespasser, treading upon the gravestones of long-gone souls.

Pulteney Bridge across the River Avon

I saved the best for last, in my opinion. As you walk across the bridge it feels like you're walking along a cute lane, with quaint storefronts and a tourist or two (huh!). But, peeking around the side and looking over the waist-high stone wall, you see a construction so beautiful, with the greenest of waters flowing beneath its rounded arches. And, then there is the River Avon...which brings every book-lover's heart to swoon.

Now, back to Miss Popjoy, because I just can't resist. Her paramour, Beau Nash, was a dandy. This is a word that we should absolutely bring back into colloquial language. Do you know what the definition of a 'dandy' is? I didn't! But, oh does it make me laugh. 

A dandy, historically, is a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies, pursued with the appearance of nonchalance in a cult of self. (wikipedia)

Mostly, a dandy was a man pretending to be more than he was...an impersonator of the upper classes while actually coming from a much lower class. Essentially, a betrayer...a ha-ha.

By all accounts, Beau Nash was the Kanye West of his time. A fashion innovator, a host of great balls and parties, a bundle of chaos mixing himself up in politics, nobility and the normal folk, and crossing boundaries and pushing limits. Nash was bewondered by many, achieving a high-flying life of women and influence, leaving his last mistress so distraught upon his death that she lived most of her remaining years in a hollowed-out tree. Now, that is what I call leaving a mark on someone! Alas, Miss Popjoy was joyful no longer.

Either along the cute lanes, among the imposing historical sights, or inside the cozy pubs, a trip to Bath will no doubt leave you entertained, and possibly even inspired.

If you go:

- For tickets from London Paddington to Bath Spa - 1.5 hour trip one-way www.trainline.com

- Bath is very walkable, with all the sites easily reachable on foot. You don't really need a hop-on, hop-off bus or tour. Stop for a pinto or pie in any of the great pubs whenever you need a refreshment

- If you stay the night, I highly recommend The Griffin Inn...so cozy, with excellent pub fare, run by super-nice people www.thegriffinbath.co.uk

- Where to eat, The Raven has the best pies (IMO) having won awards for them! And it has the coolest history. Ale and pie...what could be better! www.theravenofbath.co.uk

- We skipped going into the thermal bath in Bath, because let's face it, it's super expensive (36 Pounds for hours, on a weekday). So, we toured the Roman Baths instead (18 Pounds, on a weekday), and were not disappointed! It was an incredible experience, so interesting and pretty. So, if you have to pick one or the other, go with the original :) www.romanbaths.co.uk

one of germany's prettiest old towns...mainz

Lately, I have been spending a lot of time in Mainz, a smallish city hugging the Rhine, about 40 minutes south-west of Frankfurt.

One of my first experiences in this part of Germany was walking through Mainz's old town as snow softly fell, in the early weeks of December. I seriously thought I had landed smack dab in the middle of a movie set. I couldn't believe that this place was really where normal people lived. But, it is...and now I even know some of them!

The Altstadt (old town) of Mainz is not very big and therefore, whenever I'm wandering around the city, I make sure to take one of the cobbled lanes to get to where I'm going.

In the oldest part of the Altstadt, the lanes are narrow, the doors are low, and the facades are each an individual work of art. At street level, most of the buildings are home to cozy cafés, bakeries and restaurants serving hearty German fare. Along with many interesting stores, everything from antiques and higher-end second hand stores, to interior design, jewellery and art galleries.

One of my favourite things to do when I have visitors is to take them to one of Mainz's hidden treasures. Located in a church at the top of the only hill in the Altstadt are the stained-glass windows which Marc Chagall was commissioned to create in the late seventies. Walking amongst them is like being in an iridescent art gallery, the light streaming through the windows transforming everything into hues of blue and green. I think it's a spiritual experience.

And while the windows, depicting scenes from the life of Christ, are relatively new, there are other windows that you will come across in houses much much older. The house pictured below is nestled among the other half-timbered houses on the square called Im Kirschgarten (in the cherry garden), which has existed in this constellation since 1329.

Walking through the Altstadt you can still see original and recreated sections of the town wall, which until the late 1800's encircled the town. Mainz's expansion goals eventually broke through the wall, even spreading across the Rhine into a total of five new boroughs.

The large Domplatz, obviously dominated by the Mainz Dom cathedral, is a busy gathering place for all of the many festivals and markets which take place in Mainz year round.

The painted facades and ornate details on the buildings enveloping the square always cause me to look up. They are so beautifully maintained and their presence add to the enchantment of the entire area. Why can't we paint houses like this anymore?

Carnival parades and parties in February, weekly vegetable markets and almost monthly wine markets keep the platz hopping.

Rosenmontag towards Schillerplatz

But my favourite event, by far, is the Christmas market which takes over the city (pretty much all towns and cities in Germany) for the month of December. What I love about the Christmas market here is that the Dom Platz is basically covered in a fairy blanket of twinkle lights. It is seriously pretty...and seriously crowded.

Also on the Dom Platz, kitty-corner from the Dome, is the Gutenberg Museum. Six hundred years after the birth of the inventor of the printing press, who lived and died in Mainz, the museum displays Johannes Gutenberg's achievements which transformed our world.

Recently, a good friend of mine introduced me to the museum's new wine bar, Cuvee 2016. It is a beautiful space inhabiting the original facade of the museum combined with a new glass ceiling and wall. It is the perfect space to enjoy many of the region's top wines...

and to enjoy the company of friends.

Another friend of mine who was visiting from Canada, but who had spent a lot of time over the years in Mainz, tugged us through pouring rain to reach her favourite bratwurst stand - the deli/butcher/kiosk called Schlemmermeyer. 'Schlemmen' is the German word for 'pigging out with great enjoyment'. And that is what we did. Nowadays, I try to avoid passing by too closely.

The entire Altstadt lies on a former Roman settlement, whose ruins are still to this day being uncovered when new building projects dig too deep. Last week I came across the display of a Roman home, where you can clearly see their development of floor heating technology. I thought this was pretty neat since I'm quite the fan of floor heating.

The north side of the Altstadt is flanked by the Bleichenviertel, loosely translated into 'the bleaching neighbourhood'. It is one of Mainz's original districts, and got its name from the barren fields edging  long parallel-running canals. From the middle ages into the 17th century people used these long bleaching 'fields' to lay out their canal-washed laundry to dry and whiten it.

The fields have long been covered with large blocks of prominent apartment buildings, and the canals have been filled in to create three very busy streets running the length of the Altstadt towards the Rhine.

The Bleichenviertel is now home to a large immigrant population of Portuguese, Lebanese and Turkish families, many of whom have opened small food stores, shisha bars and restaurants. It is a loud and lively place, especially in the summer, when the cafés and bars spill out onto the sidewalks and pedestrian areas.

And, of course, every small or large square in Germany wouldn't be complete without an imposing fountain and a statue of a ____ (insert animal, warrior or saint of your choice here). My favourite fountain, because it has not one, but two animals, sits ominously in the middle of the Neubrunnenplatz, a quaint square marking the beginning of Mainz's shopping area.

Last, but not least, no blog post about Mainz would be complete without a photo of its main bridge crossing the mighty Father Rhine. The banks of the river on both sides of the Theodor Heuss Bridge are transformed in the summer into sandy beaches of fun and sun. If you're in the area you should really come by!

a moroccan day.

Africa. We spent the day in Africa, and sadly it was only one day. The Phoenicians were here, almost every European power has been here, Jews, Muslims and Christians live here, and even the Beat poets made their home here - here is Tangier, Morocco.

In Europe, it seems to me, the past is largely fictitious; to be aware of it one must have previous knowledge of it. In Tangier the past is a physical reality as perceptible as the sunlight. 

– Paul Bowles

We had attached ourselves to a tour group so we wouldn't get lost, led by a witty Moroccan named Rashid. He effortlessly switched his comical monologues between English, German and Spanish, which was impressive to watch. It felt like we were experiencing a whimsical live version of Frommer's Guide to Tangier, but in three languages. 

Tangier's location brings with it a host of complication and intrigue as it sits at the strategically important point where the Strait of Gibraltar meets the Atlantic Ocean. Only 17 kms from mainland Europe, it also lies at the entrance to all of the ancient civilizations along the Mediterranean. It has been fought over more viciously than that all important seat in the White House. Design influences, such as ornate balustrades looking like neglected theatre sets, bring touches of forgotten elegance to buildings housing innumerable families trying to eke out a living here. I was mesmerized.

Every square inch of 'real estate' in the city's ancient medina is used to display wares for tourists, neighbours and families to buy. The air is musty and hot, alternating smells greeting or assaulting us as we meander through the crowded passages. Like literally walking into a time machine, Tangier's old city grabs hold of you and pulls you in.

We inhale the aroma of sweet dates, cheap leather, pungent cumin, fresh baked rounds of flatbread, sweat, and tobacco. The market creeps along the street, in the hallways and onto doorsteps while the noise of children and the loud calls to prayer intermingle with the sellers persuading us to buy.

Olives, oils, perfumes, textiles, goat cheese, fruit, bread, bulgar, couscous, nuts, and seeds tempt us in the medina as friendly, but tired-looking men and women sit and wait. There is a lot of hard work behind the picture we see.

We make our way to the highest point of the old city, to the Kasbah, and tour the Sultan's palace built at the time of concubines and harems in the 17th century . We walk through low wooden doors into rooms covered floor to ceiling with intricately coloured tiles.

Mosaic arches, benches, and floors in turquoise, rose, and lilac grace each frame of my camera lens. The palace was empty but for us, and two thoroughly bored-looking security guards. Ghosts of seductive dancers to the taps of tambourines and drums floated through each room.We whispered, not sure why.

After the Kasbah, we went in search of refreshment. I had heard about the local specialty: mint tea, and knew that I had to try it. We walked into a disorganized café and immediately noticed that every man was looking at me (and not in a 'hey, she's cute' way). We had been told that this area is not separated along gender lines anymore, though it is still predominantly Muslim. Even so, I could feel the weight of long-held traditions, and suggested to great guy that we sit outside. 

I can't pretend that it wasn't an uncomfortable feeling, but the people were all friendly and the mint tea was the most delicious sweetness I'd ever tasted.

Before we left the medina, Rashid brought us to his friend's fabric store. Deep inside, two employees were busy creating colourful, silky, cottony, scarves, rugs and bags on volkswagen-sized looms. The pressure to buy was friendly but intense, and so great guy and I gently made our exit and went exploring on our own.

Tangier has always had quite the full dance card - whether it wanted to dance or not. It was already a thriving Phoenician trading center when in 81 B.C. the Romans captured it. The Byzantine Empire took control in the 6^th century, the Arabs in the 7^th, and in the 9^th it came under Muslim Spanish rule. Then the Moroccans moved in, followed by the Portuguese, until it was transferred to Britain in 1662 as part of Catherine De Braganza’s dowry. The party was just getting started.

Ancient Phoenician graves carved into the stone, overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar

At the beginning of the 20^th century things really became a mash-up for Tangier when the French and Spanish agreed to share the city. This preceded an even more interesting time, when in 1923 Great Britain, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Sweden and Italy made Tangier an international zone. 

After WWII, the United States came in on this deal, thus resulting in a wave of hip American writers and socialites to occupy Tangier in a smoky haze of freedom and debauchery (if the stories are all true). In 1956 Morocco finally gained independence and took back control of its northern-most hot spot.

The African, European and Arabic footprints that have been left behind in Tangier are evident in the architecture and the street names; but most noticeably in the peaceful intersection of cultures, traditions and religions here. The largest communities, Muslims, Jews and Christians, live together in this city seemingly without major conflict. 

Rashid tells us that the older women here wear various types of headdress based on their religious tradition, unless they have come to Tangier from another place. While some younger locals are pushing the boundaries and experimenting with looser forms of attire. We turn a corner and are met with the fullest aroma of orchids standing at attention on the far side of a beautiful, but ramshackle door. 

There is an eclectic, exotic purée of charm here bearing the facade of a grimy opera production. I'm aware of my romantic, rose-coloured glasses and long for more time to get to know this place and its people. But the ferry back to Spain is waiting for us.

On our way down to the port, we walk through the historic Hotel Continental. This has been the location of countless films due to its unique design inside and out, and home to many prominent figures. The American writer, William S. Burroughs, wrote his masterpiece, Naked Lunch in room 9.

There is an explosion of pattern on almost every interior surface of the hotel; the most intricate mosaic designs I've ever seen. It is an overwhelming amount of colour - an ode to incredible craftsmanship.

For a time Tangier was a weird writers workshop, with the likes of Tennessee Williams, Gertrude Stein, Samuel Beckett, Ian Flemming, Allan Ginsburg, Truman Capote, Jack Kerouac, Paul Bowles, Peter Orlovsky spending time here. Inspired by the raw, lawless, but magical colour of Tangier great novels have been written here, including Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist and Paul Bowles’ The Sheltering Sky. 

For much of our time we were followed by a super sweet boy, who I would've taken home if I had been able to ask his parents' permission. He was pure, annoying charm, even winking at me when I said goodbye. I didn't take his picture, instead I took this one...a baby camel who was just as cute.