It was raining again when we went to see the Roman baths in Bath.
As is was darkish, they'd turned on the torches which gave the baths a really neat ambiance.
The baths in Bath are the finest examples of Roman ruins in the UK, and they are well worth the visit. The facility was very large in its original incarnation, and it is impressive just how large it was in comparison to the relatively small size of the city at that time.
The original hot spring that fed the hot water to the baths is still flowing, and in a dark chamber below the Pump Room, you can see where the overflow tunnel is still flowing with the hot water. It looks much like the heart of the Roman Baths still beating out its hot life blood.
A gold head of the Roman Goddess Sulis-Minerva still sits in the baths. The name is actually a combination of Roman and Celtic names. In an amazing move of PR, the Romans merged some of the differing cultural ideals to create a hybrid society.
One interesting piece of sculpture comes from the capital that once stood over the baths. It again shows this merging of Roman and Celtic cultures and artistic styles. For this reason, it is often sighted as one of the most important pieces of art at the baths.
Unfortunately, by the time we'd finished exploring the baths, the Pump Room upstairs was closed for a private function, and we were unable to get our free glass of mineral water from the well, so I can't tell you what it tasted like.
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