Bath-Spa the original health resort!

We've spent a couple of wonderful days in the city of Bath Spa. This city is one of the first settlements made by the Romans because of the natural hot springs found i the area. Although people who have read about Bath or are familiar with it know about the huge Roman bath for which the city is named, however there are actually three natural baths and it wasn't until about five years ago that the city started using the heated mineral water springs to open the Thermae Bath Spas (include link for photos). It is located next to the original Roman Baths which provides a nice contrast with the classical and the modern within this world heritage city.

Sharon and I have both been here before in Bath and we really enjoyed the architecture, the small narrow streets and alleys, and how around every corner it really seemed like you were making a fresh new discovery. On the other side of the coin, Bath's green spaces with their large trees make these areas seem grand by comparison.

Now that the background info is done, our first adventure into Bath may not have happened t all. We arrived at our hotel to find out that our reservation wasn't held. However, when we checked the booking we made it for the end of July instead of the end of June. Thankfully, the hotel had accommodations for us but they were not as grand as our first nights stay in London. We had two twin beds with barely enough room for us and our luggage. By the way the toilets didn't work very well in this building either and we had to schedule when to use the facilities. It didn't matter though because we didn't spend much time at the hotel. The great thing about Bath is that everything is within walking distance. You could probably walk from one end of the city to the other in a couple of hours.

We didn't venture too far from Bath Abbey (which is a beautiful church as well) to take in the local markets and shops. We did the guided walking tour of the city (which is free!) and something I would recommend everybody do who visit the city. We had high tea in the Pump Room which has been a tradition for visitors from all over the world since the late 1800s. We also had Sally Lunn Buns which is a traditional bread that originated here in Bath. These small round breads were used before plates and bowls were commonplace and that is how food was served. Anyways, on our last night we went out for a bite to eat,and to watch the Euro Cup final. We managed to discover the Coeur de Lion, the smallest pub in Bath. The crowd in the pub was friendly and it was a great place to watch the match. We ended up talking with this great old British couple Helen and Stuart. They were your stereotypical British couple who were arguing back and forth, who loved to chat and actually dominate the conversation. They were quite nice and even bought us a drink at the end of the evening! They sent us on our way with a hug and a kiss. The pub was like being on the set of Coronation Street. This ends the Bath adventure! If you want to visit England and see something other than London you can't go wrong visiting Bath.

P.S. if you want to check out the new spa we went to Thermae Bath Spas.