This weekend I visited one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to. Wide streets, cobbled sidewalks, gorgeous architecture, and green rolling hills. It was the perfect location for a short Easter getaway. Bath won me over in 72 hours and I can’t wait to go back.

Since I was unable to go home for Easter this year, I went to Bath with Conor’s whole extended family and stayed in a lovely Airbnb. It was a terraced home with five floors of bedrooms, kitchens, and lounges, along with a quaint back garden. The weather could not have been more perfect, so we spent most of our time in that garden.

The trip to Bath from Cambridge was about four hours due to some heavy traffic Friday afternoon. Conor and I drove, but some of his family took the train, which makes Bath easily accessible from London. When we arrived, we first went to the Airbnb to drop our stuff and meet the family. The room came with these giant fluffy bathrobes, towels, hair dryer, etc. Anything we wanted, this place had it.

Meeting the whole extended family all at once was overwhelming and nerve-wracking, but luckily I fit right in. A few of the cousins, Conor, and I went into town for an evening tour of the Roman Baths. Fun fact: most of the Roman Baths were reconstructed during the Victorian Era, so its more British than it is Roman. All the same, the Baths are beautiful and full of rich history. There’s two floors of exhibits twisting and winding down from the floor above the baths to the basement where the hot spring is. At the bottom, we exited into the bath area where the warm water gathered in a greenish pool. There were staff members dressed in Roman time period clothing taking pictures with the tourists and a band played while we enjoyed the atmosphere. Additionally, they were selling prosecco and sparkling rose, which we each had a glass of. At the end of the tour, there was a spot in the spring to throw a coin in and a make a wish (mine came true!).

Friday night we all stayed up late drinking and eating and playing Cards Against Humanity. I tapped out around 2am, exhausted from the car trip and the excitement of meeting the family.

Saturday was another gorgeous summer day! I woke up and had a nice cup of tea in the lounge with the sun streaming in. Half of the group went on a morning tour of Bath, but the rest of us stayed behind to enjoy a lazy morning. Around noon, Conor and I headed out for a walk to the nearby Alice Park. We had a drink at the cafe and sat in the sun, soaking up the ever elusive British sun rays. We walked around the park, worked up an appetite, and headed back in time for Andrea’s incredible lunch. Unfortunately, I can’t remember what the dish was called, but it was kind of like a lasagna but not. In any case, it was spectacular! After lunch we all sat in the garden and drank Pimm’s– another new British thing. It tasted almost exactly like a Long Island Iced Tea, so of course I enjoyed many glasses.

In the evening, Anne brought out the paints and canvases and some of us partook in an art competition. I painted a bright rendition of the Royal Crescent, one of the most notable sites in Bath. Dinner was another incredible meal, this time cooked by Bex and Jamie- a delicious Asian spread with dumplings, rice, stir-fry, and lettuce wraps. I couldn’t stop eating it was so good! This family sure knows how to cook!

Sunday fun day! Again, woke up late after having a nice lie in and started the day off with a cup of tea in the garden. The sun was shining for the third day in a row- unheard of! We drank Pimm’s and cocktails until lunch was ready around 2pm. And then I stuffed myself full again! There was lamb, chicken, roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, parsnips, carrots, and Yorkshire pudding! And at the end, we each got to choose a chocolate egg filled with different types of candies! I chose the Rolos egg, it was delicious! Everyone was in an absolute food coma after that.

After about an hour or so, a couple of us went on a walk around Bath to work off all that food. We went up to the Royal Crescent, then down through the town, and back alongside the river. Bath is so pretty, I love the stone work and how grand everything looks. The river was serene and the houses bordering it were incredible. There were even a couple hot air balloons in the sky! Bath would be a wonderful place to live, not too far outside of London but nestled in a picturesque valley, quiet but still lively.

That evening we all snuggled up on the couches and watched the new Jumanji movie. I hadn’t seen it yet and was pleasantly surprised by it. Jack Black and The Rock definitely carried the movie, but it was a fun, family-appropriate movie. Conor ordered us all Domino’s around 10pm as we were all hungry again. It was the perfect way to end Easter Sunday.

On Monday, we all got up and cleaned the Airbnb. We had leftovers lunch and finished off the rest of the food. Conor and I left around noon for Cambridge and made it back in about two and a half hours, much better timing than the drive to Bath! All in all, the weekend in Bath was perfect, fun and relaxing and a new experience! It was a great break from school work and I look forward to when I can next go back!