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ROMAN BATHS, TEA WITH MR. DARCY, WIGS AND A SWIM IN AN OPEN AIR ROOF POOL- ONLY IN BATH

The ancient city of Bath which was founded by the Romans in 1st century AD is a must-visit not only because it is the only place in the UK where you can swim in a natually mineral rich thermal water but also because it will make you feel as if you had stepped back in time. The Georgian architecture is wonderful to look at and if you are a fan of Jane Austin, it will provide you with a better idea of the scenery described in some of her novels.

I was very excited to take my beloved mama for a day’s adventure and after a couple of hours drive, we parked the car in one of the Park and Ride car parks and took a shuttle bus to the city center which turned out to be a great idea because it removed the worry and a huge cost of parking in the city itself.

For obvious reasons, the first thing we had to do was to visit the Roman Baths which welcomed us with a grand entrance and a high ceiling with beautiful domes letting the light in . It was a Friday and we only spent about 15 minutes in the queue after which we recived very useful audioguides, also in Polish so my mama could listen to the audiotour and actually understand it 🙂

The top floor of the Roman Baths gave us an impressive view of the Bath Abbey. When we later walked around it, we could see angels climbing up the ladder on their way to Heaven.

The most preserved part of the Roman Baths is the main pool area where you can see what it was really like for the Romans to bathe, relax and socialize in there. It was used for public bathing and pool is still filled with the natural thermal hot water (you cannot swim in it for obvious reasons) It is a unique sight indeed and no wonder millions of tourists visit it.

Regular bathing and relaxation was a very important part for the Roman culture and when you walk around the complex you can see many rooms where the temperature would have been kept at very high or low levels because the whole ritual usually started by putting an oil all over the body and then scraping it off, before entering the main pool area.

Thermal waters were considered to be very health beneficial and the Romans believed the water helped with rheumatism, artiritis and it also detoxified their bodies from too much drinking and eating. The whole ritual often involed having a massage and sweating in a sauna. Talking about ‘happy life’! The Roman Baths were simply an equivalent of modern day spas.

The thermal water is drawn from the so called ‘Sacred Spring’ and can be very hot. It is now in open air, however it used to be covered by a roof, providing a very humid, darker and relaxing atmospere.

The complex used to be much bigger than what you can see in the pictures and aroung this main pool area there was a set of other buildings nearby, including The Temple of Sulis-Minerva.

Walking on the original stone pavements downstairs and seeing the Roman men and women stopping by, makes the experience even more special.

I am going to admit- I forgot to touch the water 🙂 and check how hot it really was but that gives me an excuse to maybe visit it again?

When I met the real Roman man, he reassured me that this place would always wait for my return and that next time he might even show me a massage room 🙂 Just kidding- he didn’t say much and even if he did, how would I understand him?? 🙂

We were lucky to see this place on a warm sunny day but I wondered what it would feel like to see it in the rain… could have been interesting too.

When you walk around the museum you can se many original findings, including the design on The Temple of Sulis-Minerva which gave an idea of how incredible it would have been to visit it in ancient times.

Many of the objects on display were the offerings to the Goddess Minerva.

Over 12 thousand Roman coins, which had been thrown into the spring as votive offerings for the goddess, were now on display and it made a huge impression on me. Some Roman soldiers would have sacrificed their monthly earnings which means they truly believed in the powers of the goddess. The funniest objects were thin pieces of metal with engraved curses, asking the goddess, for example, to punish the ones who stole their pot.

Seeing the goddess Minerva herself, or her guilded bronze head, made it all clear. She did look as if she had superpowers. A woman covered in gold must have them! Or at least many Roman men used to believe it 🙂

I really liked watching the thermal water gushing from the original canals and it only confirmed how genius the Romans were in building the baths. All in all, we loved seeing this historic site and since we had some more time in the afternoon I had to choose among so many great museums. After a short consideration, the Fashion Museum seemed like a good idea and it did turn out to be fun.

After a short walk from the Roman Baths and using the useful street maps displayed at key locations, we finally found the place which only made me realise I was born in a wrong century 🙂 The Fashion Museum has an impressive collection of a 100 objects from the 1600s onwards and some of the dresses made me gasp from astonishement. The colours, the fabrics, the details were just stunning and even though they looked quite heavy to wear, I would have loved to try them on. Little did I know that an incredible surprise was waiting for us halfway through 🙂

Thanks to such wonderful display, it was easy to imagine Georgian men and women walking around Bath and in the Regency clothes from Jane Austin’s times.

Boxes after boxes containing hundreds of accessories, gloves, shoes, bonnets and umbrellas were on display in all possible colours and shapes. The shoes made me wonder though. Were women’s feet much narrower in the past? They seemed to have been by the look of the way shoes were made. Or maybe they just shrunk a bit because they were made of silk? 🙂

About halfway through the tour I was pleasently surprised to see that we could now dress up with my mama and have some great photos taken with the Royal Crescent in the backround (which sadly we didn’t have time to see due to the lack of time in 3/4 of a day 🙁 It proves that if you want to see many more sites, you need to either arrive in Bath early in the morning or plan to stay overnight.

We had great fun trying on different dresses and hats. Everything seemed to be quite big for my mama, including hats but I was happy to pose like Marie Antoinette for a few minutes. I must admit the wig looked quite good on me but it made me look even taller and my mama was so short she could be my child 🙂 The dresses also were quite thick and heavy so I started to change my mind about living in the times when I would have to wear them full time in a summer heat. That would have been a bit of a sauna experience..without going to the Roman Baths! 😉

The tour took just over an hour and if you want to really take it all in, plan for a bit more. It was very insightful to see how fashon has become ‘lighter’ with time which you can see for yourself admiring more modern time dresess from the 30s, 40s, or 50s.

Being a writer myself, or someone who had suddenly got an inspiration from God to write my memoir and now start writing a romantic fantasy for adults, there was one more special place I just had to visit; The Jane Austin Center, located at 40 Gay Street. Jane Austin has been my inspiration for years and I first read Pride and Prejudice during my studies in Poland when I was working towards obtaining my Bachelor’s Degree in teaching English . Back then, I could only dream of visiting places like this one in Bath where I could learn more about this fantastic writer. Jane visited Bath twice and it was an incredible experience to walk along the Georgian streets, imagining that she could have strolled there. At the very entrance we were greeted by a true gentleman who put a big smile on my face. I knew it was going to be a great place to see.

The vitit started on the first floor where we were given an interesting talk about Jane Austin’s history, family members and I even found out that she is one of the ancestors of Kate Middleton. The tour guide, an English lady dressed in a Regency dress had an impeccable English. I guess it only gave it more charm.

We were then taken donwstairs where we could see some of Jane’s portraits and the interesting thing was that nobody truly knows what she looked like because the very few scetches or drafts differ and the historians cannot agree on the level of her beauty. Some say she was much more pretty than portrayed. However, I did get to meet her (or her wax figure) and I asked if she was happy with the way she looked. She nodded as a YESsss…not sure 🙂

Many people around the world know Jane’s work thanks to the movies. The center has a autograph from the actor playing Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, Matthew Macfaden displayed on the wall.

Having seen that, I then had a chance to scribble something myself, using the very quill pen that Jane used to write the novels (just kidding 🙂

And this is how I left my mark there forever. Writing the title of my memoir. I wonder what Jane would have said about it. What would she say about the 21st century men in Britian? Would she be shocked or not really?

One thing was certain. Meeting Mr. Darcy in flesh made me realise I would have much preferred to live in his times. And who knows, maybe we would have been a great couple? 🙂

The fact that I could try on some period clothes, read a bit of Downton Abbey and sip a cup of tea, made the visiting experience real fun. You don’t often have a chance to put on a bonnett which makes you wonder whether it would help you with attracting an eligible batchelor or scare him off!

The cute little shop downstairs had a lot of souvenirs to choose from, including Jane Austin’s pocket books, teapots shaped like stackes of books or badges with ‘I love Mr. Darcy’ on them.

At the end of the visit, Jane posed for a picture with me and said she was really looking forward to reading my ‘Polish Girl’ memoir. I am still awaiting her feedback 🙂 fingers crossed- she looooved it 🙂

When we sat down with my mama in one of the quaint cafes for a moment of relaxation and charging batteries with a cappucino and a carrot cake, I knew the visit to Bath couldn’t be complete without one more place. I told my mama to wait for me and I ran to a place round the corner. I saw its top floor and I just knew we had to do it. We were going to have a bath experience, just like the Romans did, in the thermal waters of a pool on a roof.

When I ran back to my mama, she didn’t know what surprise I had prepared for her and she only realised what it was going to be when we entered the buildig of the Thermae Bath Spa. We received the towels, robes and flip-flops and we could now use all the floors with the downstairs pool first and then saunas and steam rooms. My mama was not very enthusiastic about the whole experience and it’s because, as she told me before entering the pool, she hadn’t been in one for 40 years and she can’t swim! I had to get her some sponge floating stick and hold her hands all the time. But when we entered the pool on the roof, I felt as if I had arrived in Heaven. The warm water was evaporating gently, giving it a heavenly feel and the view of the Bath Abbey and Georgian houses gave it an incredible charm. Yess. I thought, It had always been my dream to swim in an outside pool on a roof and here I was with my beloved mama in healing thermal spring waters, just like the Romans. We couldn’t take any pictures unfortunately so the one below is from the official page. Not only did I make my dream come true, but I also had a chance to give an incredible memory to my mama. Because she deserved it.

After 8 pm we had the last shuttle bus to the Park and Ride so we strolled through the empty streets, admiring the arcitecture, which was now even more beautiful in the dance of shadow and light from the setting sun.

All in all, our visit to ancient Bath was incredible. I hope I will be able to go back there and see so many places that we didn’t have time for. This place had a great atmospere, despite many tourists, and the variety of historic and modern activities made it very entertaining. I hope you will be able to experience it one day too. Au revoir for now!

If you would like to read my tue story ‘Polish Girl in Pursuit of the English Dream’ it is available on this page with an autograph written with a quill pen in Jane Austin style 🙂

How Brunonek is (not) helping with putting logs into the cellar

See on my latest vlog what it’s like for me and my mama in her home in Poland to put logs into the cellar and how Brunonek thinks it’s always time to play with the ball…

GOLUB-DOBRZYŃ CASTLE AND THE PUNISHMENT OF THE KNIGHT

There is something truly magical about castles. For years I have been drawn to them, I love the way they look, the way they transport me back into the past, even the way they smell, giving its chambers a unique, raw atmosphere with old furniture and the light sneaking through the little windows. No wonder last summer I had to visit my local castle in Golub Dobrzyń again, on a warm summer day when one could truly relax and take in all the beauty.

The castle is picturesquely situated on the riverside hill and it was built by Teutonic knights after 1293. The brick fortress was originally both the Komtur’s office and a bastion protecting the border between the Teutonic Land and Poland. In the seventeenth century it was a home for princess Anna Wazówna who turned it into a renaissance residence.

Before you even enter the castle grounds you cannot miss the fact that it used to be a military fortress. Long rows of cannons remind you of the simple fact that it wasn’t built and used for fun.

This year I was so happy to have visited it again as I had finally found true love, right at the castle’s doorsteps. I had finally found my brave knight. He was tall, handsome, made of wood and he had a very long sword 😉 I thought we looked pretty spectacular together!

Unfortunately, my happiness didn’t last long. It turned out he was a Teutonic knight, so not exactly my friend but rather an enemy to the Polish nation so as soon as I had told him what I thought about him (being a brave outspoken Polish girl as I am :), he punished me severely. I spent 10 minutes in this torture device before he set me free after I had threatened to call for my friend in England, the brave Lancelot! 🙂

I was then able to enjoy the rest of the day and I even touched the biggest cannon I have ever seen in my life! It was even used in one of our Polish movies and it was, well, huuuuge! I wouldn’t want to be at the receiving end of it. But I wouldn’t mind firing it, especially at some online trolls, lying on sofas all day, eating crisps in PJs, trolling around the internet and pissing people off with nastiness and hatred..oh how I would make a good use f this cannon… I may be an advocate of spreading love but I also know how to fight for justice and what’s right 😉

Golub Dobrzyń town center has a quaint, colourful square with a fountain, gushing water with a refreshing veil of mist. There are delicious cakes in the cake shop on the corner and the whole town seemed to be sleeping bathed in the afternoon sun. I always try to stop there on the way back from the castle and think to myself; ‘There is something very tempting about such a cute, small town living with no stress, no worries, just a mellow atmosphere of living in the present moment.”

If you ever find yourself in the area, I recommend it 😉 Bydgoszcz is probably the closest airport.

Read my memoir, Polish Girl In Pursuit of the English Dream now:

GRUDZIĄDZ- THE CITY ON THE VISTULA RIVER AND MY BIRTHPLACE

For many people, Grudziądz is just another city in northern Poland but for me it’s not just a city, it is a place where I was born (a few years ago 😉 and which I often visit when I come to Poland from my daily adventures in England.

The main square is lined up with colourful old houses and the majestic statue of a victorious soldier stands stall in the middle of it to remind us that we should always fight for freedom, justice and the truth.

Look who I met here 🙂 Yes it’s my favourite local celebrity Nicolaus Copernicus and his famous book on how the Universe actually works. He was very proud of my own memoir ‘Polish Girl In Pursuit of the English Dream’ and he said I should keep following my dreams as nobody should ever stop us from doing so. If he had given up on his research and publishing his book, the world wouldn’t know the truth for many years. A great man indeed.

One of my favourite coffee places in Grudziądz is this cute ‘Fado Cafe’ just off ‘rynek’ or main square. The colourful umbrellas hanging above only remind me that we should always reach for the stars or at least umbrellas 🙂

Every time I walk past this statue of Ułan z Dziewczyną or a Soldier with a Giril (Grudziądz used to be a the base for the famous 18 Pułk Ułanów Pomorskich) it makes me think of..love. The everlasting love between a man and a woman that we all look for but not everyone finds. It took me years to accept that we all have a difeerent path to walk and different experiences to go through and not always have or do what many others have or do. But hey, I still haven’t given up on finding a ‘great’ and ‘true’ love in a man, even though I am very happy I have finally found it in me (as described in my Polish Girl memoir 😉

Walking along some of the old streets you do feel as if going back in time. Old buildings always give an aura of mystery and unspoken wisdom.

my visit in Grudziądz couldn’t be without a walk by the glorious Vistula River. The views from the viewing terrace are spectacular.

Grudziądz was founded in the 10th century as a Polish stronghold against Prussian attack and in the 1230s it came under the rule of the Teutonic Knights, who fortified the town and granted it municipal rights (1291). If you have read my previous blogs about Toruń, you will learn how much this area was influenced by the Knights of the Black Cross and how much history can still be seen in all the towns and cities in Kujawsko-pomorskie województwo (province).

What you can see standing tall majestically on the river bank are Spichrze- or Grudziądz Granaries. The Teutonic Knights built them in this location to be in close proximity with the river port, and thus take advantage of the flourishing grain trade. Due to the different elevations of town and river, the granaries, which from the river side look like imposing multi-stories buildings. some seem to be now inhabited and others are part of the Museum.

And here is the famous Water Gate. Why it’s called this way… It was the main entrance to the city and to the castle from the harbour. And that is it 🙂

Grudziądz was also called Graudenz (from German) because after the First Partition of 1772 it became a powerful fortress under Prussia. It was returned to Poland after World War I. It was interesitng for me to see all the different signs from the times when it was still under German influence. And it was just over 100 years ago. History truly is fascinating. Even though it may be sad to think about, it’s there for us to remember and learn from it so that the bad events never happen again.

I think Grudziądz is a great place to visit and if you ever find yourself in the area (closest airport is Bydgoszcz), do pop in there to see a bit of history by the Vistula River. We should all cherish our roots and where we come from. After all, that was the beginning of our life journey, hopefully to self-discovery and learning all that needs to be learnt about our nature as humans, loving spirits in disguise, only waiting to be discovered by us.

Places we visit are places that enrich our hearts. Places we come from, gave us our hearts to love and share that love with one another. Let’s all make a good use of it. Let’s all not waste it on anything other than that. Be proud of who you are, where you come from and spread love and peace. I believe we can all make a positive difference in the world, even when you are just a Polish Girl.

Read my memoir Polish Girl In Pursuit of the English Dream on Amazon now:

GINGERBREAD CHRISTMAS IN TORUŃ

Christmas in Poland can be truly magical. Over the last 14 years of living in England I only had a chance to spend a few of them back in my hometown in Chełmża and visiting Toruń during that festive time became a sweet tradition. This time, however, I decided to do something I have always wanted to do- bake my own gingerbread.

Toruń Old Town

Everyine agrees that Christmas decorations are the best way to get instantly transported into the festive spirit. Toruń does deliver when it comes to that. Walking around the High Street and the Old Town, you can’t fail to notice many light displays, have a picture with a REAL Santa and…

..and of course a stunning, huge christmas tree that always brightens the Christmas nights for Nicolaus Copernicus or rather the famous astronomer statue standing by the corner of the Town Hall.

There is nothing better on a cold winter evening than to find the most delictious, chewy, warm mountain-style cheese with a cranberry sauce called, Oscypek. Toruń Christmas market is full of tasty treats and of course mulled wine and beer 😉 Shame I was driving and couldn’t have a sip- in Poland there is zero tolerance to driving after alcohol (unlike in the UK where I can go out to a pub or a restaurant and have a small glass of wine or a beer).

Warm Oscypek with cranberry sauce- mniam 🙂

Having sat down on the throne in Brama Świątecznych Życzeń (the Gate of Christmas Wishes), I only had one wish for the upcoming year 2019. To live in love, spread love and help others find love within themselves. Having published my memoir ‘Polish Girl In Pursuit of the English Dream’ in March 2018, I was thankful and grateful for the love it received and all the love it was able to give. We never know what each new year is going to bring but being brave to follow our dreams couldn’t be more rewarding. Better to risk losing than to risk never gaining at all.

Walking along Toruń High Street I met this amaaazing man, he proposed to love me as long as he can, so till about February time (or for as long as it’s cold) and I said; Yes! That’s longer than some of my relationships with other snow-men melting away at the first signs of…well whatever they used as an excuse 🙂

After meeting the snowman, I met this guy. He took my hand and said: ‘Do not fear my love, I will be back to see you again very soon and put a smile on your face… next year’. I replied’ ‘Oh that’s amazing, thanks, I am looking forward to it. Most men I knew never came back or if they did, it wasn’t to spread love and gifts….’ ‘I know my dear’ he replied- I read your book ‘Polish Girl’ 🙂

After eating a huge dougnut, drinking coffee and of course eating oscypek, I noticed this- the sweets heaven- oh I wanted to have even one of these gorgeous creations but I stopped myself at the very last minute and thought…I am sweet enough.

I couldn’t be more excited when I enetered the gingerbread making class in the Museum of Gingerbred. We were all given a gingerbread dough ball that we had to work on untill it turned really sticky and then we could use the tools to roll it out and place it in the wooden block with a carved design.

Once it was taken out of the wooden heart, I carved out Pokochaj Siebie at the back of it. After all, that’s what I managed to find for myself and that’s what I wish upon everyone to find. To Love Yourself.

I was so, so excited and happy with my own handmade gingerbread. It was now ready to be placed in the oven so that we would walk around the museum. The only downside to this- it’s not an edible but decorative gingerbread which may be a good thing. At least it could end up as a Christmas tree decoration, rather than being eaten in 2 seconds 😉

It was fascinating to listen to the tour guide telling us a little about the history of gingerbread production in Toruń. The spices that were needed for it were transported from far, far away and were very expensive. Supposedly at some point in Toruń, you could buy your own house for just a few nutmegs or pepper corns. Can you imagine that?? Now we take pepper for granted and don’t consider it a valuable thing. Times change and we change but maybe we should start appreciating such small things more, especially once we get a bit more knowledge about them. Why living whole life without learning such exciting facts? A huge waste…

I was also very lucky to stumble upon a Real Man 🙂 Gustaw Weese. He and his family actually owned this 19th century gingerbread factory which later turned into the contemporary Confectionery Factory “Kopernik”. (that’s were I get all my chocolated coated gingerbread from) Gustaw was a real gentleman, he invited me for a coffee and then to his office. He was a bit surprised by the choice of my hat..but I told him that we need to go with the flow and he agreed. He was a true buisnessmen who travelled around the world and he knew that progress was part of human existence.

Gustaw Weese and me 😉

In his office, he had to a few things so while he was working, I was answeting the phone, taking new orders for gingerbread. After all, Weese’s products have been known all over the world since the 19th century and they were even exported to such remote countries as Japan and Australia. It is thanks to him and many people over the years involved in the production of ginderbread we can now enjoy the taste of Toruńskie Pierniki.

Gustaw Weese’s office and his assistant

I also managed to see the different wooden forms, carved out so beautifully by very skilled men, some of which looked like old Toruń townhouses or carriages or angels (Toruń symbol) I also met this young boy whose job was to measure the exact time was needed for the gingerbread to bake in the oven. Since they didn’t have clock there, he had to stand there and say many Saint Mary’s to measure the time…what a job!

I was then asked to cook some dinner but..I wasn’t sure how to use this old equipment work so I just smiled and said..Next time 🙂

When I saw this lady I thought she was holding my baked gingerbread heart but I quickly realised she was just selling them out of the box. I was very impressed by the till she used, not sure I would know how to!

Before we finished our tour, I had to jump into the classic Żuk car and shout; ‘Get out of my way! Polish Girl is on its way to rescue the world from the lack of self-love!

And finally the moment of truth about my gingerbread baking skills arrived. I hope you agree- I am quite good at it, especially with carvig inspirational words on it #pokochaj siebie #loveyourself

Having finished my tour around the Museum of Toruń Gingerbread with a bag full of all types of chocolated coated beauties, I stopped by my Guardian Angel…I must say I was very happy for him to show his presence to me, reminding me that he is alwasy there when I need him. I know I should know that without his reminders but sometimes we do need a bit of a visual to just..know 😉 I hope you enjoyed joining me on my Christmas visit to Toruń and the museum. If you ever get a chance to do it, don’t hesitate 😉

Read my memoir ‘Polish Girl In Pursuit of the English Dream’ on Amazon now:

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