Bath

I feel silly for pronouncing Bath as the British say it, that is Bah-th, but when you say it the American way, it sounds less elegant.

I was advised by my cousin to book a ticket in advance as fares are much cheaper.  I booked my bus ticket over a week ago and got a return trip for just under 15 pounds.  It was much cheaper than the train and also much cheaper to go on a weekday.

I hadn't planned on traveling during my visit here so I didn't pack any thing that would have been useful, like a small overnight backpack or sneakers.  Luckily, Karen wears my size and loaned me her sneakers (trainers as they call them) and I had a sturdy plastic bag that closes with a string.  All I took as far as clothes was underwear and a pair of tights.  I planned on rewearing the dress I wore down.

I left my dorm a bit late and was fretting the whole tube ride to the station.  When I got off, I sped walked/ran to the bus station, some blocks away from where the tube is.  I was also worried that they would give me a hard time about my ticket.  I had an e-ticket but didn't have a printer so took a picture on my droid instead.

When I got to the bus, the driver luckly didn't give me a hard time (I wasn't so lucky on the return trip).  But then I got really confused as to the side of the bus I was supposed to enter.  I went to the right side of the bus by habit and then didn't see a door.  Then the bus driver opened a door on the left side, but it looked like he was getting in.  Then I thought about how I always get in the side opposite of my cousin when I get in her car so I asked the driver, "which side am I supposed to get in?".  It must have seemed like such a stupid question since there was only one door and I got a question in reply, "Which side do you think?".  I felt so stupid!  I got on, sat way in the back and sank in my seat when I heard him walk down. 

It took me just over 3 hours to get to Bath by bus from the Victoria station in London.  Bath looks a lot like other small UK cities like York, Cambrige, Oxford, and Manchester.  There a main road lined with chain stores-- Marks and Spencers, H&M, Zara, Carphone Warehouse, Cafe Nero, etc.  It usually not easy to get lost.  You may walk around in a circle but the city is so small and walkable that eventually you'll find your way back to the main road.  I set out to find my hostel to check in and drop off my stuff.  But as I walked pass the Roman Baths, I figured since my bag was light enough, I would check in at the end of the day.  I grabbed a sandwich at Greggs, and headed straight to the Roman Baths. 

Entry to the Baths and fashion museum was 13 pounds for a student.  I asked where the guide was and was lead down to the location where the picture is taken below.  There are signs posted all over that warn about "uneven surfaces" and "do not touch or drink the water as it is untreated".  No one heads the second sign.  There were people sitting along the edges of the bath, much like you would see people do by the edges of a swimming pool.  Just sitting, bathing in the sun, chatting and taking pictures.  Everyone bends over to put there hand in and then exclaims, "Wow, its really warm!".  I was no exception. 

Putting my fingers in the bath and truly the water is warm!

The uneven surfaces indeed feel like an earthquake ratteled the site.  The ground is made of large rectangular stones, maybe 3' x 4' and they form angles and crevices.  My motto for traveling is to travel while your feet still work!


The Romans were lured to what is present day Bath by the discovery of the earth's natural hot springs.  Water makes its way towards the center of the earth, where it is heated.  The heated water rises and through faults in the earth, breaks through the earths suface.  Over a million liters of water flow from the spring each day, enough to fill a bath tub completely every 80 seconds in a day.  To the Romans, naturally flowing hot water was a gift from the gods.  They also believed that the baths had healing properties. 

You can see the steam rising form the surface of the water

The baths in the video are a small section of what is a large complex which contains heating rooms (like a present day sauna), a freezing bath, and a temple. 

Those wealthy enough back then to afford it, would enter the bath.  They would oil their body in a mixture of olive oil, a scent like rosemary, and sand as an exfoliant.  They would then go to the heating room which would cause them to sweat profusely.  The room was constructed with several minature columns beneath the floor that created a bit of space between the floor and the earth below.  This would cause the hot air to rise and circulate through the room. 


After the hot room, they would go to another room and scrape the oil off there body.  If they had a slave, the slave would do this.  The oil from the body of athelets was vauled back then and would be collected and sold. 

The Romans hated body hair so any hair remaining after the scraping would be plucked.  Then they would dip in the freezing pool to close their pores. 

Finally, they would come to the baths featured in the video where they would socialize, gossip, and swim.  Men and women used the same baths until Hadian became emperor and forbade the shared bathing of both genders.  It was later restored to both genders.

Glass of water from the hot spring.  It takes "mineraly" and warm.  As our tour guide put it, "One glass will last you a life time!"

I met an American lady who was from Kansas.  I realize how much I sterotype because I was surprised to see someone from the mid-west in England traveling.  She was visiting England with her husband whos job requires him to travel. 

After the tour, I stopped for a nutella crepe and oreo gelatto.  With all the walking I knew I would be doing I figured I could indulge.  Then I and met outside Bath Abbey for a free mayor's walking tour of the city. 

The tour began at the Bath Abbey cathedral.  We then walked to the Avon River.  The Pulteney bridge spans the river and is lined by shops on each side such that it doesn't even appear to be a bridge when you are crossing it. 

Putney Bridge across the Avon River

Looking down the Putney Bridge.  Now it looks like a regular street!

We walked to the Circus wich is an elegant row of apartments that are arranged to form a circle.  A garden is in the center.  Nicholas Cage used to own one of the apartments but sold it.  The price to live there is about 1-1.5 million pounds.   

We walked to the Royal Crescent which is another span of apartments arranged in a half oval.  Its said the circle is supposed to represent the sun with the cresecent representing the moon.  There is a large garden in front of the crescent which was open to the public in victorian times.   

Not too far from the cresecent is a road that was the setting of a scene in Pridge in Prejudice, and the apartment where Jane Austen lived. 

We stopped outside of the Royal Hospital.  Hundreds of years ago, it took in people from all over England who had no money to pay for medicial care. 

The tour was excellent.  The guide was knowledgable.  He didn't just memorize a script.  He was able to answer questions that people had.  I asked him how he learns the information and he said it takes several months to train.  They read several books and go on other guides tours but always have to look up any information to make sure its true. 

After the tour I visited the Fashion Museum where I unfortunately dropped and broke my camera.  :(  I can't take clear pictures from it any more but it does take video.  The gallery had styles from the 1920s.  It had a corset which straps on much like a life jacket in front, with strings in the back to tighten it.  Mine wasn't so tight, probably because I'm already so tiny but the girl next to me said she could hardly breath!  There is also a skirt which was much to big for my waist.  It felt really cool to have it on.  I really wanted to twirl in it. 

After the museum, I went into a bookstore.  I was offered a cup of tea, complimentary!  The worker asked me what I wanted.  They ran out of peppermint so I had a fruit and mango tea served in a box with a cup, pot of hot water, and a biscut (cookie).  I almost felt compelled to buy a book!  haha.  That must be how they afford to give free tea.

It was evening time by then so I headed to my hostel.  It was 20 pounds a night, a bit costly for a 16 bed dorm room.  I was given a paper with the numeric code to enter the room, and clean bed sheets for the night.  Only three other girls were checked in to my room.  The room was very clean.  The bathrooms were fairly clean as well.  There are lockers in the room.  The hostel offered dinner you pay for so I had cottage pie.  I sat down across from two people, from Nigeria and Angola, who actually live in the hostel as they attend university in Bath. 

As mentioned in my prior entry, I used to thrive on hostels for socializing and fun.  There were few things more exciting to me several years ago than the thought of meeting a really hot foreign guy, chatting and flirting, knowing I'll probably never see him again in your entire life, so why not have a bit of fun.  That has zero appeal to me now.  So after dinner I went straight to my room, and climbed into bed.  It was really weird sleeping in a room where strangers had the same code and would enter anytime of the night.  Even though it was an all girls room, I felt a paranoid worry and fear that I could be raped.  I was woken up a bit as the girls came in later on in the night but eventually settled down to a deep sleep. 

I hate this next topic but I feel its worth mentioning.  I always feel like one of 5 black persons in an entire city when I travel.  On the one hand its frustrating to see so few black people.  But on the other hand, I'm glad I can at least shatter some sterotypes about blacks by meeting people overseas.