Do you need a bath?

On Sunday, some of us took a day trip to Bath, a town located to the west of London and on the site of natural hot springs. The Romans put a temple and bathhouse there, the town was home to one of the pilgrims of the Canterbury Tales, and it was also a very fashionable place to go during the Georgian period (and most of the architecture there now is Georgian). It’s a lovely place to walk around, and has a number of things to see.

First, we went to the Museum of Costume, where Dan enjoyed the interactive corset exhibit:


We took a walking tour of the town. Roy, our guide, gave us interesting commentary about the town’s history and architecture:


And of course, we went to see the Roman baths. The site is immense, with lots of rooms and drains and pipes and pools. There are archaeological artifacts and displays, with a helpful (if very wordy) audioguide to take you through.

The central focus of the place is the main bath area itself, which you can see in these pictures. Unfortunately, when I started heading for it with my bottle of shampoo, I was stopped by one of the museum’s employees, who very politely explained to me that the bath is no longer in use. What a pity.



After leaving the baths, we went next door to the Pump Room, which is now a fancy restaurant and a place where you can get a glass of the naturally warm spring water to drink. Although it smelled and tasted just like South Carolina beach water, I could feel those minerals coursing through me, making me healthier and healthier with every drop.