Bath: Where Romans and Normans Bathed

The town of Bath (pronounce it BAAAAHHHHHTH) has been around since Roman times. Its claim to fame is a hot spring, which the Romans harnessed and turned into a public bath. It was forgotten and covered over after the Romans left, but the hot water kept people coming. Eventually, a new bath was built which was enjoyed by fashionable English people for hundreds of years, drawn in part by the reputation of the waters as having healing properties. When the Roman baths were rediscovered, they were put on display and the site is now one of the best preserved Roman baths in the world (the other being at Pompeii). We learned all about the bathing customs of the Romans, who were so fanatical they bathed twice daily (and had accompanying massages). It's a wonder they ever found time to conquer the world! The works are impressive and the preserved statues, columns and bathing pool are all cool (no pun intended.) We wished we had had more time because there is much more to see in the city including the amazing Bath Abbey, the classical architecture , Jane Austen's house and several other notable sites. But darkness closed in, and we were forced to resume our two-hour bus ride to London, delighted at having seen something outside of London's busy streets.