Saturday, 6 December 2014

A December getaway: Oxford, Bicester, Bath & Bristol

Like I said in my This week's happiness post, I've been on annual leave this week. Sometimes there is just nothing better than a week away from work to relax and recharge and I have to say I feel so much better for it. Rob was due to work all week so I was conscious that if I was to stay at home in London I'd probably end up getting rather bored. I get itchy feet if I stay at home with no plans for much more than a day! So I took it upon myself to organise a little get-away, to spend a few days by myself visiting some loved ones and getting some Christmas shopping done! My best friend Jess went to uni in Oxford and now lives in Bicester, so I decided to start my adventure by visiting her. My sister lives in Bristol and works in Bath so I then decided to extend my trip and visit her afterwards.

So on Tuesday, I hopped on the Oxford Tube at Victoria for a pain-free journey westwards to Oxford. If you've never heard of the Oxford Tube, it's the most amazing coach service which runs every ten minutes from London Victoria (Buckingham Palace Road) to Oxford city centre. The coach prices are very reasonable and almost certainly cheaper than what National Rail charge for their train services. You're always guaranteed a seat on the Oxford Tube and the coaches are super comfy with WiFi and power sockets on board so you can charge your phone en route! It takes approximately 1 hour & 40 mins all in all, so I sat back, enjoyed a hot chocolate and listened to some music whilst enjoying the view out the window. Before I knew it I was in Oxford! I have some brilliant memories of being in this city, some with Jess (who I visited frequently during our good old uni days), some with other friends and some with my cousins who all grew up there. If you've never been to Oxford, then you must, you really must. It's definitely one of my favourite cities in the UK. It's small enough that you can wander around the centre pretty easily and become familiar with it, but big enough so that each time I visit I explore a bit more that I haven't seen before. Host to one of the world's leading universities, Oxford is rich in history and culture and is famous for it's beautiful colleges, libraries, churches and academic buildings. I can't put into words how quaint and beautiful it is - it just feels so English with it's yellow-stoned buildings and cobbled streets. Oxford has been used as the set to so many films and tv series... Harry Potter, The Golden Compass and Inspector Morse to name but a few. And despite how many times I've visited, this time I was wowed over at how lovely the city looks at Christmas time. There are lights everywhere! It was getting dark as I arrived so I wandered around the main shopping streets (Oxford is a great place to shop) and took the opportunity to take some photos...



All of the colleges have been graced with beautiful Christmas trees! It's like one of the Christmas scenes from Harry Potter...


After a good wander, it was time to hop on a bus to Bicester to meet my lovely friend Jess, whom I have known since my school days. You may know Bicester for it's famous outlet shopping centre, Bicester Village... but the town itself is also really quaint and lovely. I was greeted at the bus stop by the lovely Jess with a beaming smile on her face and we spent the evening catching up and laughing lots, just like old times. We had dinner in Pizza Express and felt sixteen years old having a sleepover again! Old friendships are the best kind of friendships!




In the morning I woke up early and set off to catch the train from Oxford to Bath. It was a beautiful winters day, one of those perfect blue sky December days where the sun is out despite it feeling freezing. A perfect excuse for a hot chocolate on the station platform!
 

 My sister works in Bath so I decided I'd spend the day Christmas shopping and exploring whilst she was at work, before meeting her in the evening. I'd been to Bath a few times so again it wasn't a city that I didn't know but again I was totally amazed at how beautiful it looks at this time of year. It's definitely a city to visit in December!! Bath is another of my favourite cities in the UK, it's so charming and quaint, infact it's very similar to Oxford in this respect. Bath was once the home of Jane Austin and it's streets are lined with grand, Georgian buildings built with gorgeous Bath Stone. Walking around you almost feel like you're on the set of Downton Abbey, it's just so picturesque and sophisticated. The Roman Baths are a must-see if you've never been, they've been there since the Roman times and are one of the biggest attractions in the South West of England. I can't quite get my head around how old they are!! Thermae Bath Spa is also worth a visit if you want some luxury - an incredible spa with a heated rooftop pool. My sister and I are taking my Mum for her birthday in February, I seriously can't wait!

Anyway, I decided to head to The Royal Crescent, one of Bath's most iconic spots. It is essentially a row of 30 terraced houses, which are curved into a crescent shape. It's absolutely stunning! I was so so lucky with the weather... infact each time I've been here the weather has been just perfect. Maybe the sun always shines in Bath...




I love how they've placed a large Christmas tree right in the centre! I would have loved to have seen it all lit up. There's also the most amazing spa hotel on the Crescent, check it out... how dreamy would it be to stay there?!The Royal Crescent Hotel. Do you see a theme here?! Yep, Bath is situated on the River Avon and has been known as a spa town for years and years... so if you're in need of a relaxing spa break it really is the city to visit.

I then took a stroll in the Botanical Gardens... It was such a beautiful day. I walked up to the lake and then back down towards the city centre.


And then it was time to do some Christmas shopping!! If you're not tempted by Bath's history and architecture then I'm sure the shops will be enough to tempt you. Bath is one of the best places for shopping, ever. There's the most amazing array of independent gift shops alongside all your standard high street shops and designer brands too. I literally shopped till I dropped! I could have spent so much money... every single shop is beautiful, I love all of the independent shops, in particular Rossiters (an incredible homeware/kitchen shop), French Grey and Vinegar Hill.



As well as all the brilliant shops, Bath also has the best Christmas Markets, which are on until 14th December. You may have read my "This Week's Happiness' post last week where I wrote about our trip to the Southbank Christmas Markets in London. I was pretty disappointed... but the markets in Bath were completely different, they were absolutely amazing!! There were stalls and stalls as far as the eye could see, around the cathedral and beside the old Roman Baths. The air smelt of mulled wine and cinnamon and Christmas foods, with live musicians and choirs singing carols. Father Christmas was even there!! The range of stalls was also fantastic, from foods to crafts, beers to jewellery, clothing to cosmetics. You name it, they've got it.





After a lunch on my lonesome(!) in Browns, I wandered some more around the shops and admired the Christmas lights... Bath looks so spectacular in December, it's magical.





And finally it was time to meet my sister!! We enjoyed a couple of drinks at a local pub before jumping on the train to Bristol where she lives. Her boyfriend Steve made us dinner and we lazed around in our pjs and caught up on The Apprentice...



I love their cosy little flat!

After a good sleep I said my goodbyes and headed back to London... with a hot chocolate of course!


What a wonderful couple of days away... It's so important to escape sometimes and just be somewhere new, it sounds cheesy but I came back feeling very revitalised! I am so blessed to have such a lovely best friend and such an amazing sister. I also came back with bags and bags of Christmas shopping!! But it was the most perfect minibreak to get me into the festive spirit. I love London at Christmas time but it was equally nice to be elsewhere. I'd definitely recommend both Oxford and Bath at Christmas time.

 Lydia xxx

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