Day 8 (Part Two): Bath

Bath was known historically as a type of spa that was based around natural mineral springs that were supposed to have a healing effect. It was a posh venue in Roman times for the rich to show off and gossip, and after a period of decline the city had a revival sometime in the 1500s. Although our focus was a tour of the ancient Roman Bathhouse there was also a large amount of old architecture in honey coloured stone that Bath is famous for.

There were quite a few street performers around, such as musicians and a juggler, and the bathhouse itself was right across the courtyard from Bath Abbey.

I didn't spend too much time at most of the displays as they seemed geared more towards kids (or at least people who haven't studied Roman history and culture) but some of the information on the engineering of the building was very interesting. We were all warned not to drink from the central bath itself (as the water is untreated and ducks hang out in it) but there was a fountain at the end of the tour where the water is safe to drink. It was warm and you could definitely taste the minerals, but it wasn't as bad as I thought. I've had a bit of a sore throat since around then though, but I'm not sure if it was because of the water or just coming down with a bit of a cold since it has been damp and chilly for the last couple days now.

After the tour I grabbed a couple Cornish pasties from a shop for a quick lunch before the bus got back. On the way out of town I managed this picture of the city below which I'm quite proud of. The bus had two rows of two seats, and I was on the far right taking a picture out the left window, arcing my arm up to try to get over people's heads and timing things for a clear shot between trees as we drove by. (Of the 5 pictures I took, this is the only one that's even remotely decent)