OK, the “Roman Citizen” who came out and began spouting prayers to the goddess Minerva was a bit cheesy, but he makes for a good shot nevertheless.
After Stonehenge, our charter bus driver took us all to Bath to see the fabled, curitive waters of the Roman Baths. Above is the principle bath.Outside and surrounding the main bathing pool, there is a combination of original Roman architecture, the darker stone pillar bases, the floors and pool structure, and the wall up to about shoulder height are all from the ancient Roman era, while the surroundings everywhere else are from the modern age. These statues of famous Greek and Roman statesmen and scholars, topping the viewing wall, are all from the modern era, as is the entire building above ground that encloses the Baths. Thankfully, much attention was paid in the design and the more modern additions do not distract visitor from the wonder within.
Originally protected from the elements, the naturally heated spring water has responded poorly to being out in the open and has subsequently become home to some very nasty looking algae. The audio tour mentions time and again that you should not drink this (obviously untreated) water but should instead sample the treated water inside The Pump Room (the adjoining tea room) if so inclined and, indeed, shouldn’t even touch the water in the bath’s main pool. I don’t know about the rest of the group, but I was NEVER tempted to touch or drink this water. I did spy a few strangers around the pool, however, that did slip their shoes off and dip their feet below the surface, which completely gave me the whillies.
Below, Padawan Learner is standing in front of a replica of what the original Roman Bath complex probably looked like. The large domed area is the main bathing pool where people came to socialize, hear the day’s news, conduct business, get some exercise, catch up on gossip, play, and relax, with the surrounding domes housing the changing areas, the steam baths, the cold water dunking pool and the massage, body oil, and scraping areas.
Obviously, many artifacts have been uncovered within the Roman Bath complex, but The Gorgon’s Head is my favorite. From The Official Roman Baths Website: “In the corners are Tritons, half men and half fish, servants of the water god Neptune. In the lower left centre ground is a face helmet in the form of a dolphin’s head. The small owl tucked away to the lower right of the large central roundel is also almost certainly perched atop another helmet. The central head is held aloft by female ‘Victories’, on a shield ringed with oak leaves. The Victories stand on globes. The great head itself has snakes entwined within its beard, wings above its ears, beetling brows and a heavy moustache. Above all this, in the apex of the pediment, is a star.”
I loved all the photos!