Another visit to a World Heritage site! This time an entire city famed for its Roman remains and Palladian architecture, namely Bath in Somerset, a 3-odd bus hour ride from London. A place apparently first found by acorn-hunting pigs that wallowed in its healing spring waters and cured their skin ailments. We stayed just outside of Bath, in Bathford. You can follow the River Avon down to Bath, and pass lazy houseboats, spot stalking grey herons, riverside pubs and daffodil fields. If you are brave enough to stick your thumb out, you might get a houseboat give you a lift and teach you how to open and close locks! Best way to get to the city I reckon.
There are walking audio guides of the city (how thoughtful!), where you can gander past the honey-coloured limestone buildings so typical of this place. On the cathedral, make sure to look up and see the sad-looking souls clambering up the stony ladder to heaven, haven't quite seen something like that on a church before to be honest. The Roman Baths themselves really are a wonder. Sulis, the Celtic nourishing, life-giving mother goddess evolved into Roman Minerva and her Greek counterpart Athena and has a temple dedicated to her inside the baths. Temple goers would give offerings by throwing coins into the baths for her to punish wrongdoers. On pewter scrolls you can read requests for Sulis Minerva to impair the physical and mental well-being of various perpetrators, by denying them sleep, ceasing normal bodily function or causing death, until the wrongdoing had been made right. Constellations of crimes beneath the steaming waters, waiting to be fixed.
Onto another famous lady, Jane Austen also lived here! We saw the only sketch ever done of Jane Austen (the original is in the National Portrait Gallery in London) it was done by her sister, apparently an unflattering representation of the author however, she was much more pretty than that. None of the books published in her lifetime had her name on them, they were described as being written "By a Lady".
Musicians playing in every street cove, Gorgon masks, steamy baths and spring sunsets. Oh and the best almond brioche. Ever. Not to be beat really.
There are walking audio guides of the city (how thoughtful!), where you can gander past the honey-coloured limestone buildings so typical of this place. On the cathedral, make sure to look up and see the sad-looking souls clambering up the stony ladder to heaven, haven't quite seen something like that on a church before to be honest. The Roman Baths themselves really are a wonder. Sulis, the Celtic nourishing, life-giving mother goddess evolved into Roman Minerva and her Greek counterpart Athena and has a temple dedicated to her inside the baths. Temple goers would give offerings by throwing coins into the baths for her to punish wrongdoers. On pewter scrolls you can read requests for Sulis Minerva to impair the physical and mental well-being of various perpetrators, by denying them sleep, ceasing normal bodily function or causing death, until the wrongdoing had been made right. Constellations of crimes beneath the steaming waters, waiting to be fixed.
Onto another famous lady, Jane Austen also lived here! We saw the only sketch ever done of Jane Austen (the original is in the National Portrait Gallery in London) it was done by her sister, apparently an unflattering representation of the author however, she was much more pretty than that. None of the books published in her lifetime had her name on them, they were described as being written "By a Lady".
Musicians playing in every street cove, Gorgon masks, steamy baths and spring sunsets. Oh and the best almond brioche. Ever. Not to be beat really.
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