Friday, June 12, 2015

The Roman Baths and Afternoon Tea


Like most woman, I love the spa! So when I heard that we would be visiting the Roman Baths in Bath I was excited! How cool is it to see a 2,000-year-old spa? Archeologists believe the baths were possibly built and used from the 1st century AD until the 5th century AD around the time the Romans left Britannia, as Britain was known.




We had a chance to explore with audio guides and learned that the Roman Temple and baths were built around a hot spring that reaches a temperature of almost 115 degree Fahrenheit.  The statues surrounding the main bath are the emperors and governors at the time Rome had control of Britannia. Some of the statues include Julius Caesar, Claudius, and Constantine the Great.




We also saw remains of the Roman Temple. The triangular section above the pillars at the front of the building portrays a Gorgon's head in the center. Our audio guide said the Gorgon is a female with venomous snakes for hair and turned anyone to stone who gazed upon her. This reminded me of Medusa from Greek mythology. 




Bath is a great town. It also has a Jane Austin center that featured information about her life, fashion, and recipes during the Regency Period (1811-1820). There is a tour for around twelve pounds per person, but alas, we did not have time, but went on to have lunch instead. Next time, I'm skipping lunch! 




For the past few days, I had really wanted to try the afternoon tea which is pretty much served everywhere in England! As we were walking back to our bus, we stumbled upon Jolly's Tea Room. Each order here served a plate of finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and raspberry jelly, and a plate of small cakes. It was all so delicious. Zach and I ordered two, but we definitely could have shared one! It was an absolutely perfect place for tea. 




After leaving Bath, we drove to Cardiff, the capital of Wales, and once we checked into our hotel, we prepared for another excursion: dinner and a show at the Wales Millennium Centre. The group of five that performed for us sang beautifully. Not only did they sing songs in English, but they also sang it in Welsh. Listening to traditional Welsh music was a beautiful and peaceful way to end the evening!




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