Bath

A few weeks ago Ben and I headed to Bath for a two day getaway. This ancient town boasts a robust history, having been around long before the rise of the Roman empire. It's natural hot springs, and close proximity to the river Avon makes it an idyllic town and a nice break from the hustle and bustle from London. The architecture here is amazing, and there were breathtaking views in every direction. This first photo is the view from the balcony that we ate lunch on. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed soaking up the sun. 

This is another view from the balcony we had lunch on. See how happy I am to be outside eating lunch! 

I love all the old buildings around the town. This was a Circulating Library and Reading Room. Now it hosts offices and a clothing store. 

Royal Crescent. Jane Austen anyone? This is a beautiful row of houses that overlooks an impressive park. 

Here is the park that Royal Crescent overlooks. It was so pretty, and as you can see we really had amazing weather during our little trip. We pretty much had our sunglasses on all day. 

Ah, how many Jane Austen books talk about going to bath to "take the waters". Here you can try the water and also have a nice view of the roman baths. 

Bath Abbey is located right next to the roman baths and the pump room. This impressive church is another excellent example of Bath's architectural  delights. 

Here was the water that was waiting for us in our hotel room. I am glad that the local businesses have a good sense of humor about the name of their town. 

Here is the river Avon as seen from a park near Bath Abbey. 

A cute pub right around the corner from the hotel we stayed at. I especially love the blinds on the windows. 

And here is me sitting by the statue of a man and a pig. Not really sure what it was all about, but hey why not. 

Cute little alley way. Bath is full of there. We walked down several and they were all cute and full of flowers. 

A selection of deserts at a cafe we had lunch at. Yum. 

Here is a view from the top of a hill down to central bath. You can see Bath Abbey in the distance. 

And now for the Roman baths. Ben and I are sitting in front of the main Roman bath. This pool is still being fed from the hot spring, and the overflow drains into the Avon. The Roman baths in Bath are the best preserved ancient baths in the world.

Here is the bath that was made around the spring. You can't see it in this photo, but you can see the water bubbling up. 

A lot of the architecture has been preserved, and some is still in pretty decent condition. These roman baths were not just a bathing house, but also housed steam rooms, locker rooms, and a temple with alter. We were able to walk through several steam rooms, as well as a wishing well and other ancient rooms. However, the lighting was pretty bad inside, so the pictures didn't really turn out to well. 

This is the facade to the lunar side of the temple. There was also a solar side, but that sadly was not preserved. All in all it is definitely worth seeing the Roman baths. Ben and I didn't really know what to expect, but we were very pleased with what we saw. I would put this on a must see if you are close enough to go. 

Here is another example of the charing bath architecture. 

And finally, a statue outside of Bath Abbey. I love the saying at the bottom "Water is Best". An excellent sentiment.