What Did the Romans Ever Do?

Back in Bath, one of my favourite towns. We travelled from Bodmin to Bristol, but quickly caught the next bus to Bath. Four years ago I had stayed at the YMCA, a large hostel which catered for everyone, not just men. Upon my return though things had radically changed. The hostel had been upgraded (read more expensive) and they weren’t keen on women staying. Weirdos. I was half expecting the Village People to be on the speaker system! They didn’t push the issue however so we booked a room.

Like London I had seen most of the sights of Bath before, but I didn’t mind a quick recap. The Roman Baths were still an awesome spectacle, and the museum relating to Aqua Sulis was very informative. Those Romans really knew how to live! They had a new water fountain in the café which meant you could taste the water if you liked. It was a bit briney, but not bad. The Bath Abbey was also a nice spot, I particularly liked the carvings of the ladders, with the souls of the dead either going up…or down! That night we also did a Ghost Tour. Walking the alleyways of Bath with a dressed up, nutty guide was good fun and a bit spooky. We saw many sights of supposed hauntings but unfortunately I didn’t see anything too unusual. The rest of the time in Bath was spent visiting other various points of interest including the Abbey vaults, Sally Lunn’s house (oldest in Bath), John Wood Younger’s house (complete with gargoyle carving rumoured to be his father), the Banqueting room in the Guildhall and the original Cross Bath spring, which the Romans based their township on. I also enjoyed wandering amongst the Georgian architecture, particularly the Royal Crescent. To me Bath can be classed as a living museum.

Those Romans really knew how to live!