OPP Days 0 and 1: Settling in and Tour of Bath
Day Zero: What Day Is It and Where Am I?
This was just outside the pub where I met up with a friend for a drink. Seemed a fitting reminder for the adventure I was about to embark on.
After a a bunch of long hours, bad airplane food, and bad airplane sleep, I arrived in one piece in London! I am so glad that I gave myself an extra day to get some rest and take it easy before heading to Bath, where the Open Palace Programme (OPP) group was set to meet the next day. It also gave me a chance to have a drink and catch up with an old friend! Hi Grace!
Slightly less tired the next day, I got myself over to Paddington Station and embarked on the short train ride from London to Bath. The day was honestly a bit of a blur. I found some fellow OPP participants almost immediately after getting off the train. They were the other exhausted looking ones half-frantically glancing around trying to figure out where to go. Eventually we got ourselves to our meeting point. After some getting-to-know you small talk at the cafe, we made our way down the road to the townhouse that would be our home for the week. There we received our room assignments and settle in, followed by a brief happy-hour all house get together where we got to get to know our group members a bit more, go over the schedule etc. I was happy to finally meet a few people I had connected with online from the OPP facebook group that Jean, our facilitator set up for us. A coupe of us ventured out and found a great Pizza + cider place for dinner. I learned that Bath has some amazing ciders, which I will have to venture back to take full advantage of.
Day 1: Bath City Tour
Our tour guide Richard telling us all about this incredible place— Royal Crescent.
This first day was dedicated to getting acquainted with Bath, our home for the next several days. We met our tour guide, Richard, in the plaza near the cathedral. Richard is a wealth of information, and was able to give us an increadible introduction to the architecture and history of the city. We were shown all of the local landmarks, including many we would be studying in the next several days. It was great to familiarize ourself with the city, and I appreciated having the time later in the day to explore on my own after Richard’s tour (and lunch at his favorite pizza spot!).
Our tour with Richard touched on Bath Abbey, but we did not have a chance to go inside. On my free time that day I decided to venture back and explore. It was well worth the time. If you make your way there, I definitely recommend it. It’s a quick visit, and free, too! Inside is glorious. There’s an option to venture to the top, but I decided not to make the climb as I was already exhausted from all the travel the last few days and walking that day. I regret it just a little, but I am glad I took it easy, as the next day was a busy one.
Our first real day of the program was purposefully easy. Looking back now, I am grateful that the day was short and we were given so time to acclimate to the different time zones and recover from our travels. It was nice to ease into things, as the program quickly ramped up later.
