There Are No Calories While Travelling! (Part 2)

Well, I don't call myself the PROCRASTINATING Novelist for nothing.  After almost three months, I'm finally ready to give you all my second food-based installment of my travels.  Now, there is a problem with putting this off for so long, and that is that my memory (which has never been great) has faded a bit.  So there will be no order to these meals as there was the last time.  I'm fairly certain I'm putting them in the correct order, but I make no guarantees.  Thankfully, I did have the presence of mind at the time to jot some notes in my phone, but they weren't nearly as extensive those from Cardiff.  My hope is that as I get going, my natural penchant for embellishment will help me remember the particulars.

The Firehouse Rotisserie

After doing a (free) walking tour through Bath, I decided to scope things out again on my own.  I missed lunch and my travels kept me out until dinner time, and so I kept my eyes peeled for a likely dinner spot.  It was difficult to make a choice, because so many of the places in Bath were very expensive.  Though beautiful, Bath is and always has been a prime tourist spot.  So it was with great delight that I found this restaurant.  I saw the special on the window, and knew both my palette and my wallet would appreciate what I found within.

The Food: Half Texas Spice Rubbed Rotisserie Chicken with Jalapeno Coleslaw, Spicy Fries and a glass of house wine 
I have only recently realized that the 'salad' I mentioned in my notes was in fact the advertised coleslaw.  Perhaps it was an English version of the stuff I'm used to, but it was more like an incredibly spicy side salad.  And indeed, it was a perfect complement to the rest of the meal.  The chicken was juicy with crispy skin, and the barbecue sauce they used was sweet, smoky, and a little spicy itself.  The fries were perfectly crisp this time (it helped that I actually remembered to ask for once).  I don't usually drink wine, and the host/waiter was incredibly accommodating.  He let me try a few different wines before I settled on the Prosecco Rose.  He added a crème de cassis made of black current, and was kind enough to explain was that meant.  I don't really remember, which is why I've thrown in a hyperlink on that term.  All told, it was a delicious meal.  Everything was satisfyingly spicy, and the wine was a perfect pairing.

The Dessert: Banoffe Cheesecake with Peanut Brittle
I debated with myself on whether or not I would have any dessert.  Based on the fact that I was still hungry from missing lunch, and had consumed just enough wine to not care about my wallet, I indulged (I was also still stinging over the lack of dessert in Cardiff).  This treat was a divine revelation.  Generally speaking, I rush through my meals, but I will never hurry cheesecake of any kind.  I almost feel bad for eating this dessert in public, because it felt like I was was putting on an indecent performance.  However, the taste and textures of my dessert were too good to worry about what other people thought of my reaction...if they cared at all.  The peanut brittle was unlike anything I've had in the States, and tasted more like a peanut butter laden caramel.  The cheesecake was light and creamy and the perfect blend of cream cheese and peanut butter.  I was definitely sad when it was gone.

The Service:
As I said above, the person who seated me and took my order was wonderfully accommodating.  The restaurant was pretty empty, as I came in around 6:00, but he still made sure I was taken care of even when other people arrived.  He even went to far as to write down the spelling for the cassis so I would know what to ask for if I ever wanted it again.  Halfway through my meal, a waitress replaced him.  My guess was she had just shown up for her shift, and she kept the good times rolling.  Of course, she could have thrown water in my face and I still would have been happy once my cheesecake arrived.  Luckily, I didn't have to test that theory, and I left a incredibly satiated and satisfied customer.

The Price:
So the damage at the end of my meal was £16.95.  I ended up leaving £5 for the tip, and never regretted a penny left on the table.  Was it a little rich for my blood?  Sure, but I felt justified in the expense after missing lunch.  Was the food itself a little rich?  Oh baby, you bet it was!  But boy, was it worth it!

The Rating: 10 of 10

The Kennard

Let me start off by saying I give this hotel my highest recommendations.  Those who have traveled with me before know that my hotel-choosing skills are suspect at best.  However, in this instance I hit it out of the park.  The atmosphere was welcoming and homey, and the owner, Natalie, made me feel like an honored guest.  She was so sweet and made sure I was getting the most out of my experience in Bath.  I hope to go back again some day, and I will certainly try to stay there again!

The Food: 

I once again did the full English breakfast.  Most of the pictures on my blog have been taken by me, however I forgot to take one of my lovely breakfast.  Luckily for me, the Kennard's website helpfully provided one on their page.  I hope they won't mind me borrowing it for this.  I must say, they certainly use better lighting than my phone can produce.   Unlike this photo I had my eggs scrambled, but otherwise this is a perfect representation of my meal.  The eggs, bacon, and sausage were all done to perfection.  The eggs weren't a bit runny, and my bacon was the perfect amount of crispy.  This breakfast came with a potato cake mixed with some parsley.  It was a little plain on its own, but it cut into the saltiness from the other foods well.  And when it came to toast, I had as much as my little heart could desire.  They would have kept bringing me little salvers of toast until the kitchen closed.  I was good though, and stopped at one serving.  The meal also came with fresh tea (of course), and I chose the English Breakfast tea...because I'm cool like that. They also had a sidebar with fruits, pastries, juices, and condiments.  I chose sparingly from these to save room for my FEB, which is probably one of my favorite dining experiences in the UK.

The Service:
Given my accolades above, I'm sure it won't surprise you to know I had a wonderful experience here.  It was pretty funny, because this was a family-run B&B which has only been owned by this particular family for a short time.  When I went, they had bought the place only five months earlier.  I say this is funny because I got to see the family dynamics with Natalie and Guy (her husband) teaching their daughter how they wanted breakfast served.  I unfortunately can't remember the young lady's name, but she was very sweet and it was nice to see her getting in to the family's new business.

The Price:
This was a best price of all, because it was included in the cost of the room.  When one includes the fact that I got a small break in price because I booked on a weekday, this was a definite steal.  I only stayed two nights, but I had to leave the hotel at 5:15 on my second morning.  When I told Natalie this, she made sure to pack my room with goodies the night before I left to take on the train.  While I would have loved a second FEB, my flight times just would not cooperate.  Well, I guess that just means I absolutely HAVE to go back again ;)

The Rating: 11 of 10 (yes, I'm aware I've broken my scaling system.  But it's my system, and I'll do with it as I please!)

The Jane Austen Centre

Here is the crux of my decision to see Bath. Though this is not the place where Jane Austen grew up, it is the setting for two of her books--Northanger Abbey and Persuasion--both published posthumously.  The Centre is not where the Austens spent their time in Bath, but is the best representation the local Jane Austen Society could procure.  When I was done with my tour of the house, I showed myself to the Regency Tea Room for a spot of tea.

The Food: Lady Catherine's Proper Cream Tea with Chai
There were several choices on the menu, but my heart was captured by two words: clotted cream.  Some of my first (and favorite) romance novels are set in the Regency Era, and almost every one mentions this purely English condiment.  It was basically a creamier and sweeter version of butter.  Much like it sounds, it tasted like a thick cream.  I received one plain scone, and one with what tasted like currants.  Tea also came with regular butter, strawberry jam, and raspberry jam.  I chose a spicier tea than I planned, mostly because I was suffering from a slight sore throat.  The extra spice helped me taste the wonderful tea I was served.

The Service:
The woman who served my tea was very kind, and she obviously enjoyed her job.  I can't say as I blame her, because she and the other staff got to dress in period costumes and take on personas from Austen's novels.  If they weren't having fun, I would be happy to throw on my Empire-waist dress and show them how it's done!

The Price:
Normally this tea is priced at £7.90, however with the price of my admission into the Centre I received a coupon.  So for me (and other guests who partook) it was £6.95.  For the food and the experience of soaking up the Jane Austenesque atmosphere, I felt this was more than fair.

The Rating: 9 of 10

You may think my ratings are all a little high, and you could be right.  I don't think it's the fault of my memory however, I think it's purely prejudiced by how much fun I had while in Bath.  I preferred Bath to Cardiff in fact, because of the overall atmosphere of the city.  Someone (or some committee) in Bath has worked very hard to keep the city from becoming too industrialized.  There's something overwhelmingly satisfying about walking down the streets and seeing things that have been the same for almost 200 hundred years.  I think it's perhaps more significant for an American who rarely gets such a chance.  Either way, I'm totally down for a girl's trip with my mom and sister at some point around the Jane Austen Festival (which is currently in full swing...or quadrille as the case may be).

Using Technology Abroad

I do not—nor will I ever—pretend to possess a great deal of knowledge when it comes to technology.  However, I am always willing to learn.  On this trip, I got quite the education.

First, I learned that the iPhone 6 is unlocked and ready to use a foreign SIM card.  Of course, this meant I had to call Verizon to confirm that info, and then learn how to eject the card already in there.  That last bit required a touch of Google research.

Now, this is not the first time I’ve gone abroad.  However, it is the first time I’ve ever used a foreign SIM in a US phone.  When I studied in Ireland, I just bought a local phone and learned how to use it.  When I wanted to talk to my family and friends back home, I just jumped on my laptop and used Skype or Yahoo! Messenger (which makes me feel old).  And during my 2014 trip to Budapest, I was given a local phone to keep in touch with the church people.  Communicating with family friends was once again done on my laptop through either email or Facebook.

Once I learned I could use my phone on this trip, I rejoiced in knowing that meant one less bag to carry.  That's right, I left the laptop at home and relied solely upon my phone.  Unfortunately, this meant writing down any blog ideas and rough drafts by hand before getting to type them out (oh, the old-school horror).  Then again, that also meant I got to feel especially artistic on the occasion I sat writing whilst drinking a Guinness in a Welsh pub (and yes, I'm well aware that was an Irish beer I was drinking in that Welsh pub).  To be honest, I feel that if I were to actually live in the UK or Ireland, this would be a regular occurrence for me…though I would probably choose tea if I became a regular.  

So, while I was in Budapest I could use my 1 GB of data to call or text people within the country, and I could still post the occasional pictures to Facebook.  I even sent a few Snapchats to friends…mostly because I like casually tormenting them :P  I even got the occasional WiFi signal, so I didn’t have to constantly worry about using up my data package for the week.  I turned the cellular data off for some of my apps so I knew they wouldn’t run in the background, and I could still use them when WiFi became available.  As I discovered, I could even have my phone in airplane mode and manually turn the WiFi and Bluetooth features on to prevent any chance that I’d use my cellular data.  This came in particularly handy once I gave my Hungarian SIM back and had my US SIM back in place.

However, once out of Budapest, I became entirely dependent upon the fickle nature of WiFi signals.  Throughout my trip, only the Heathrow Airport gave me the best and most reliable service.  The added benefit of their service was the fact that the first four hours were free.  Thankfully none of my layovers were nearly that long.  Even their underground train to the other terminals and Paddington Station offered a wonderful signal. 

Once I left the purview of Heathrow, however, I struggled to find a reliable signal.  Though one was offered on the train from Paddington to Cardiff, I got nothing but the spinning wheel and a message that “the connection has been lost.”  That turned out to be okay though, because it meant I had time to work on my (handwritten) blogs as we sped along to Cardiff.  The city of Cardiff itself was rather sad in its signal reliability.  Though I applaud their city council for offering free WiFi in certain parts of the city (mostly the city centre), I had a lot of problems even getting connected--let alone having access to anything online once I got connected.  My hotel was another source of disappointment.  While the man at the front desk kindly got me onto their network, I would occasionally lose signal while simply sitting on my bed.  What made this even more frustrating was the router sitting not five feet away, blinking merrily at my scowls.  I began to suspect my router wasn’t networked with the hotel (though I have no idea if that’s even technically possible).

By the time I got to Bath, I sort of gave up caring about any of it.  I must say there is something absolutely calming about that city.  Maybe it’s the Georgian architecture, or perhaps walking the streets Jane Austen and other classic writers have walked, but I suddenly didn’t care to be connected.  That doesn’t mean I completely gave up technology.  As always, I had my camera clicking away to capture the sights, and even brought my phone out on occasion in anticipation for when I would be back in Heathrow and could upload more photos onto Facebook.  Technically, my hotel in Bath did offer free WiFi, but I never bothered to ask for the password.  Instead I chose to end my days sitting quietly in my room and reflecting on the day (admittedly, I only spent two nights in this kind of quiet.  I think that’s a record for me). 

Overall, I learned some new things about technology, and especially learned some of the quirks of my new phone.  While I appreciate being connected when overseas, it was also nice to be unplugged once in a while.  I think I’ll have to do that more often when I’m home as well.

Tell me about some of your adventures with technology in the comments below!