Buns in Bath

 

True Story: the tour planners didn't make us reservations for 15:30pm at the the Pump Room, and   they didn't tell anyone of our 40-person group. We all assumed that we'd meet there for high tea, so walked the chilly streets of Bath, being assaulted by the whipping winds. When we arrived at the place, the doors were gated and out tour leader was chilling inside with her home girls, finishing a delicious meal, sated. Meanwhile, the crowd of uninvited travelers grew outside. Eventually our leader saw us from her seat and went to the restaurant door. She popped her head out and told us that the Pump Room did not alert her to their early closing, then retired back inside to finish picking her teeth and patting her belly (the suecurity guard told us the truth of the situation immediately...no reservation was made).

Lucky for my quartet, I had chatted up a guy in a shop earlier in the day and knew of the oldest building in bath, and of the tasty homemade buns, and cream teas. We turned, angry and hungry, toward the old tree, made a left and walked 15 meters up Lilliput Alley to Sally Lunn's Bun Shoppe. Let's just say that the events that led us there were not ideal. But the meals we ate wer...each of us had a cream tea with a sweet or savoury bun. We had good conversation, and a stress-free meal. Let me tell you, sittign at high tea with 40 others was not the relaxing afternoon I'd ever ask for. So, it all worked out.

Note: I did feel compelled to buy a pouch of tobacco and roll a cigarette afterwards. I blame the stress.