"Then Bath spread herself before us, like a beautiful dowager giving a reception. Bath, like Edinbugh has the rare trick of surprising you all over again. You know very well it is like that, yet somehow your memory must have diminished the wonder of it, for there it is, taking your breath away again."
— English Journey, J.B. Priestle
I love the city of Bath. A spa town, Bath has been a favorite vacation spot since before the Romans conquered the region. This is chiefly because of the natural hot springs that bubble out of the earth (incidentally, they are the only hot springs in all of England). The Romans created beautiful bathhouses around the springs, with separated hot and cold pools. The city faded into obscurity after the Romans left but were revived again in the Georgian era thanks to a physician named Thomas Guidott, who wrote a book about the healing powers of Bath’s waters. In the years that followed the city exploded- Bath became a top vacation spot for the wealthy and virtually the whole city as we know it today was built around the same time. Read any Jane Austen-era book and you’ll almost always hear a reference or two regarding Bath.
As a side note- we have Bath to thank for the creation of my town, Leamington Spa. During the Georgian era the wealthy would leave London for several months to “take the waters" for their health. They would start in Bath and rotate to several spa towns until they would end in Royal Leamington Spa. Usually, after visiting Leamington they would head back to London. “Taking the waters" was a very social activity. The wealthy elite would travel together from location to location, having parties and balls and the like.
Hello Bobby!
Here’s a view from one of the main streets.
The cathedral. (pictured is one of G’s coworkers who traveled with us)
We took a tour of the old Roman Baths. It was really interesting.
What’s under those skirts anyway?
The hot springs. Still naturally flowing from the same spring the Romans got it from.
The hot bath built by the Romans.
Yup. That’s a naked man. Apparently they light show man felt it was important to accurately depict what the Roman baths were really like. Awesome.
Whoop. There he goes again.
Touching the water. (Not Pictured: the “do not touch the water" sign)
At the end you can have a glass of the famed water. In the background is the fountain it comes out of.
CHEERS!
The cathedral at night.
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