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Published: August 9th 2008
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Bath
I couldn't have said it better myself. In around 800 BC, a Celtic king called Bladud was kicked out of his realm for leprosy. Because he had nowhere else to go, he went off to a place that the locals thought was divine -- hot springs coming up out of the soil He mimicked the swine he had and began to roll around in this mud and, lo and behold, his leprosy disappeared and a town began to build up around the springs as others came to be healed.
The Celts continued to worship at the spring as well, building a shrine to the goddess Sulis. When the Romans arrived, they took over the temple. They associated Sulis with Minerva, but not wanting to offend any gods, they continued to worship to both of these fine women. They named the town Aquae Sulis, and built baths alongside the temple. When the Romans eventually left, the town continued to exist, but in a much lesser form.
That is until the Georgians began to arrive to "take the waters". Bath was THE place to be outside of London for quite a while. It wasn't until the beginning of the 19th Century that its popularity waned when George IV,
Happy Tourist
Nat on the bus. who had become Prince Regent in light of the fact that his dad was mad, decided that salt water was better than the springs and moved the court to Brighton.
The town was didn't help matters much during the 19th Century. For her very first public appearance, Princess Victoria (seven years before she became queen) came to town to open a new public garden. One of the reporters covering the event wrote that he thought she looked dowdy, a bit harsh in view of the fact that she was only eleven years old. She swore she would never return -- and she didn't.
Since then, Bath has been a sleepy Somerset town. It is now the home of a fairly well known university, but other than that, thrives on tourism. I had been briefly a few years ago with Mom and Lynn, but had never spent any real time here. Nat and I decided that we would go and see what was on offer.
Stepping off the train, we were thrilled to discover that the bus tour had a stop right there. We jumped on and took the 45 minute circuit of the town. I do love
Queens Park
One of the gardens. these tours. They always provide the right amount of trivia to make what one is looking at come alive. The best bit today? Back in the Georgian days, if one wanted to come to the spa, one needed three things. The first was a letter from the doctor declaring one to be ill. The second was a letter from a priest testifying to one's good character. The third? One needed to provide three guineas. This was in case the cure didn't take. The city did not want to be responsible for the cost of the burial. Fabulous! Bureaucracy existed in the 18th Century as well.
Once the tour was over, we decided to walk to the far end of town and make our way back to the station. I have mentioned before that both of us are keen photographers. We started the day in a camera shop, both of us walking out with new camera bags. As a result, we spent the rest of the day looking like pack mules, but needs must.
We walked all over the town, seeing everything a lot of what was on offer. Bath is the only World Heritage Site in Britain, so
there really is a lot to see. Of course, the most impressive bit is the baths. They are humbling in how beautiful and well built they are. The audio guide is now done by Bill Bryson, obviously a fan of the place. He told lots of great stories and gave loads of interesting facts. Between the audio guide, my backpack, my new camera bag and my notepad, I must have looked quite a site wandering around the place!
Just before we went into the baths, Nat and I sat in the square by the Abbey for a breather. As we were sitting there, the church bells began to ring. I realised that they were playing one of my favourite hymns -- "All Creatures of our God and King". I am still humming it to myself.
Before I close, I know you are now wondering why I have named this entry "Three Girls" when it was only Nat and me. Well, Bath is also famous for being one of the places where Jane Austen hung out. She famously hated the place, but her name brings in as many tourists as the baths themselves. Not only do she and I
River Avon
Looking up the river back into town. share a birthday, but I love her books. Having read each of them a minimum of three times, I love the fact that I was walking along the same streets that she had. I was aware of her presence all day. Here's hoping she continues to inspire me.
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