Maria & Nate in Bath

The tour left Stonehenge and brought us to the city of Bath. Since we were spending the night in Bath, we abandoned the tour and explored the city on our own. Our first visit was the site of the Roman baths built over a series of hot springs. When the Romans ruled Britannia during the 1st century, the city was extremely popular because of these baths. So popular in fact, that the city simply became known as Bath. If you don't believe us, click on this picture to see it written in stone.

When the Romans headed back to Rome, the baths silted up and the city lost its appeal. In 1687, Queen Mary bathed here and within 10 months she gave birth to a son. She credited the conception to the healing powers of the waters and, as a result, the town became a popular spa resort for the rich and famous. Most of the buildings in the city, including the site of the Roman baths, were built according to the Georgian style that was popular in the 18th century. These pictures were taken inside the Roman baths:
The Pump Room is an elegant Georgian restaurant that was built above the Roman baths. We stopped and enjoyed a strawberry lemonade made from the water flowing out of the hot springs. The water flows out of the elegant fountain in the background of this picture.
Once put on ice, the drink was really tasty!
The city recently constructed the modern Thermae Bath Spa. Since we were staying in a city famous for its hot springs, we couldn't resist visiting.
There were four different steams rooms with different scents. Each one was so relaxing!
The spa's main heated bath is located on the roof and has commanding views of the city.
After feeling refreshed from the spa and getting a good night's sleep, we walked through the town and enjoyed its unique architecture the next morning.

This famous part of the city is called the Circus because it's a circular area surrounded by these large townhouses. Not surprisingly, the Latin word 'circus' means ring or circle.
Another famous part of the city is the Royal Crescent. This area is a semi-circle of townhouses overlooking the picturesque countryside. Due to its awkward shape, we had difficulty capturing it in a photo. We had to use a borrow and image from someone on the internet, which is why this is the only picture on our post that contains a blue sky.
A beautiful bridge.
Here's an example of the dreary weather. Our hotel was located on the other end of this beautiful park.Our hotel was appropriately named the Parade Park Hotel.
After touring the city, we took a bus to London, the Tube to King's Cross train station, a train to the Luton train station, a bus to the Luton airport, a plane to Edinburgh, and finally, a bus to the Edinburgh city center. We're exhausted just remembering all that traveling, so we need to take a break before we post our Edinburgh blog!