Bath

4/18/2012 03:22:00 PM |

We're not slowing down yet! Monday we took a trip to Bath. We hadn't planned on going so soon, but when we looked at the weather forecast of rain for the next ten days, except on Monday, we decided to go. We had originally planned on renting a car, but Kevin was starting to get palpitations thinking about it, and I certainly wasn't going to drive, so we took a bus and three trains to get there. I know, sounds complicated, but it was definitely more relaxing than having to drive ourselves!

Here's Kevin checking out the bus schedule. It was like a puzzle to make sure we got all the right connections, but Kevin very skillfully figured it all out!

We took the bus from Chipping Campden to the small train station in Moreton-in-Marsh. The bus ride was pretty bumpy, and after thirty minutes or so, Anna was not looking good and complaining of her tummy hurting! Thankfully we made it to the train station without event, and she got to feeling better. Note to self to bring the Dramamine next time!

We didn't have a long time to wait between trains, maybe ten minutes, but we still found ways to make the short time pass.

I braided Anna's hair, and then she tried to braid my hair.

Can you tell Anna's trying to stomp on Daniel's feet? Ahh, sibling love!

Finally, we arrived in Bath! I'm still not sure how to pronounce it: Is it Bath, rhymes with "goth" or Bath, rhymes with "math"? We've heard people say it different ways. When Kevin bought the train tickets, he pronounced Bath, rhyming with "goth," and the guy selling the tickets kinda smirked at him. Oh well.

Here are the kids in front of a beautiful church we saw on our way toward the Abbey and the baths.

The Abbey is right near the baths, and it was beautiful! We didn't go inside, but we admired it from the outside.

We stopped by the tourist information site, and Justin got some souvenirs. Later, we told him he had to adjust the placement of the keychains, because they would clank so loudly whenever he walked!

Here it is - the site of the baths!

I didn't quite get the whole history, so I'll do my best to explain. I think that, originally, there was a Roman temple built for the goddess Sulis Minerva, who's a "life-giving mother goddess." The Romans came here to worship her, but also for relaxation. Later, the town declined, but then in the 1600s, the waters got a reputation for healing. So then the town started booming again. Sorry, that's the best I can do.

It was pretty fascinating to see the springs, and the original drain system that the Romans built.

The water wasn't originally green, but, in ancient times, the bath area was covered. Now, since it's open, algae builds up.

We all had audio guides to learn about the baths.

I love this picture. You can see the Abbey in the background, against the blue sky and puffy white clouds!

After the tour, we headed to the Pump Room Restaurant to get a sample of the curative waters, described as "containing 43 minerals and having a rather unusual taste." That's putting it mildly! I didn't not like it at all! It was warm and metallic tasting. Can you see the look on Daniel's face? He didn't like it. Justin claims that he liked it. I guess he'll be the healthiest one, since he drank the most!

We liked this quote we saw posted about the baths:

We didn't spend much time in Bath, so we weren't able to see any more of the town, but here are a couple pictures I took while we were walking back to the train station.