Bath, England

If you've just joined us, scroll down a ways until you find the last post you read. I had to catch up on all the missed adventures.
After Pontypool I traveled to Bath. It's a traditional holiday town. And when I say traditional, I mean all the way back to Roman times traditional.
There are natural hot springs under the city, which the Romans believed would cure illnesses. The legend continues to this day.
The city is very Victorian, with white limestone houses and promenades and large parks. It also has a huge shopping district.

The Royal Crescent is where the most posh and noble vacationed.

This is the front of the Roman Baths, which is an excellent museum that takes you through the Roman ruins and explains them to you.

 The Romans had an extensive complex built, consisting of pools, changing areas, spas, meditation areas, markets, and a temple to Minerva, who is the patron goddess of hot springs.

 Throughout the exhibit the remains are seamlessly brought to life with modern representations of what the rest of the wall or floor or building would have looked like.

 This is the overflow gate, which flowed directly into the river Avon. They had a system of gates and pulleys to raise and lower the levels of the pool.

This sign made me think of Luke.

At the end of the museum, they have a place for you to try the magical spring water. I took a sip. It tastes nasty enough to be good for you.
In the same square as the Roman Baths is the Bath Abbey. It's a magnificent structure with excellent stone work.

You can see a literal Jacob's Ladder, with angels climbing up and falling down. The inside is no less amazing. I only took one picture, because it seems sort of wrong to take a picture inside a church.

This is what it looks like at night. (Side note, nothing destroys the peace and mood of a place like a group of Chinese tourists)
I attended a service here on Remembrance Sunday, which is the British version of Veteran's Day. The choral music was stunning, the stone and high ceilings creating the perfect acoustics for the music. Really. If you haven't yet, I suggest at least attending a concert in an old cathedral.
 A stone's throw away from the cathedral is the Weir, a stone formation in the river to help prevent flooding.

This is also Jane Austen's town. It's possible to eat lunch in the Pump Room (attached to the Roman Baths), wander the Assembly Halls, and stroll the parks mentioned in her books. It's a huge tourist factor, with a Jane Austen museum in town and every shop selling at least one I Heart Mr. Darcy item. To go along with that, there is a History of Fashion museum.

A piece of wisdom I found while wandering.
I like Bath because there's a shop for everything. Old books? You got it. Kitschy dust collectors? All over it. Candles? Next alley over. Got a hankering for a French pastry for breakfast, Chinese for lunch, and Italian for dinner? One street should cover it. It's amazing.
Tomorrow I'm going to visit Stonehenge, then after that I'm going to London.

Til then,
Nita